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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
for service weigh. 6 lbs. 4 ozs. 7 drs., while sixty rounds of the Boxer 
Henry cartridge for the Martini-Henry rifle weigh 6 lbs. 10 ozs. 10 drs. 
Any increase of weight beyond this, would be likely seriously to affect 
the carrying of a sufficient number of rounds into action. 
The question now becomes; what diameter of bore should be given 
to a rifle, so as to produce the greatest effect with this 480 gr. bullet ? 
The Committee on Small-arms, from experiments extending over some 
considerable period of time have answered the question practically and 
conclusively—viz., *45 in. for the Martini-Henry, rather than *5 or *577in., 
which latter is the diameter of the bore of the Snider-Enfield. 
What has been the result ? Simply this; increased range, greater 
accuracy, flatter trajectory, and greater penetration, besides other im¬ 
provements not connected with the subject matter in hand. Thus, the 
Martini-Henry is a much more powerful rifle than the Snider although 
firing the same weight of bullet. In the Snider, we have an instance of 
adapting a certain weight of bullet to suit a rifle already made; while 
in the Martini-Henry the rifle was made to suit the weight of bullet. 
It is evident in the case of the Snider, that power is sacrificed, on 
account of having such a large bore. 
The same principle applies to guns—a gun may be made with too 
large a bore to project effectively a certain weight of projectile. 
Now let us consider a method of determining the comparative “ poiver 33 
of different guns with reference to the weight of projectile and diameter 
of bore. This “ power 33 means (other things being equal), greater 
accuracy, flatter trajectory, greater penetration and greater range,—or 
it may be stated in other words to be the power which a gun has of 
hurling a projectile through the air, so as to lose the least velocity 
over a given range. 
This must not be confounded with the “energy” of the projectile, 
i.e. } the work stored up in it "at any given time. 
In Table I. a comparison is made of the power of different rifles and 
guns (supposing them to have the same muzzle velocity) i.e., the power 
which the projectiles they throw have to overcome the resistance of the air. 
I need hardly remind you that the velocity of a projectile is continually 
being reduced by the resistance whidh the air opposes to its motion— 
whence it follows that the less resistance which the air opposes to a 
projectile, the greater will be its remaining velocity, and consequently it 
will travel faster and range farther. Just on the same principle if two 
trains of the same weight are travelling at the same rate, and steam is 
shut off both at the same instant, and to one the break is applied, so as 
to cause resistance to motion, this one comes to rest sooner than the 
other, and travels over a shorter distance. This by the way, serves to 
illustrate the importance of determining experimentally the actual resist¬ 
ance of the air to projectiles in motion. 
There are two mechanical reasons which affect this question of 
velocity, which should be kept distinct from one another. 
(1) The resistance of the air; which to similarly shaped projectiles 
varies as the square of the diameter , thereby tending to reduce the velocity 
in that ratio. 
