THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
287 
The first method necessitates a heavy gun in proportion to projectile 
in order to prevent excessive recoil, thus sacrificing mobility to a great 
extent. 
The second method necessitates a slightly diminished bursting charge 
in common shell, but enables us to obtain the same practical range out 
of a lighter gun by projecting it with less muzzle velocity; so that with 
greater mobility the same effect can be produced with the gun. The 
proper combination of these two principles will give the best gun for a 
given weight of shell. Our artillerists at present are very strong on 
the first method—as you will see by the relative charges of powder to 
weight of projectile in the table. 
The charge of powder in the Indian 9-pr. muzzle-loader, and the 
proposed 16-pr. is nearly -J-th the weight of shell, while all continental 
guns, and our own breech-loaders have a charge from yth to -rrth 
weight of shell. 
The penalty is increased weight of gun in proportion to shell, and 
consequent loss of mobility: it is a method of obtaining range by a 
“force brutalef just as we have been using till lately a “ poudre brisante” 
for obtaining velocity from our heavy guns, and exhibits more of the 
character of the national bulldog than the wisdom of the serpent. 
The light 6-pr. smooth-bore bronze gun, formerly used by the horse 
artillery had a greater muzzle velocity than our present 9-pr. muzzle- 
loader, but owing to its large calibre (8*66 ins.), and light shell (5 lbs.) 
the resistance it met with was so great that it would not range farther 
than the Martini-Henry rifle. The great advantage in rifled guns is 
caused by increasing the ratio of the weight of the shell to the diameter 
of the bore, and by the use of pointed projectiles, i.e., by diminishing 
the resistance of the air for a given weight of shell; and all further 
improvements in artillery practice will be made on the same principle 
when the practical objections, which I have briefly touched upon, are 
overcome. 
Table IY. 
Table showing the relative Velocity of our Service Rifled Guns. 
Distance 
in feet. 
Indian. 9-pr.’ 
M.l| 12-pr. 
B.L. 12-pr. 
Ph 
P- 
CO 
iH 
P 
Ph 
t-h 
CO ' 
H 
1 
M.L. 7-incli. 
| M.L. 8-inch. 
1 
M.L. 9-inch. 
4 
a 
6 
i-4 
M.L. 35 ton. 
Martini- 
Henry. 
Chassepot. 
f.s. 
f.s. 
f.s. 
f.s. 
f.s. 
f.s. 
f.s. 
f.s. 
f.s. 
f.s. 
f.s. | 
f.s. 
0 
1700 
1700 
1700 
1700 
1700 
1700 
1700 
1700 
1700 
1700 
_ 
1000 
1483 
1537 
1527 
1522 
1561 
1603 
1618 
1625 
1642 
1648 
_ i 
_ 
2000 
1290 
1386 
1369 
1360 
1430 
1510 
1539 
1553 
1586 
1597 
_ 
_ 
3000 
1138 
1253 
1233 
1221 
1311 
1421 
1463 
1483 
1531 
1547 
At? r : 
_ 
4000 
1027 
1143 
1120 
1108 
1207 
1338 
1390 
1416 
1477 
1498 
_ l 
_i. 
5000 
957 
1055 
1034 
1024 
1119 
1262 
1323 
1352 
1424 
1450 
b'-'i-y; 
G000 
903 
994 
976 
968 
1047 
1194 
1260 
1292 
1374 
1404 
1400 
1400 
7000 
855 
947 
930 
922 
996 
1133 
1202 
1237 
1327 
1360 
990 
949 
' 8000 
— 
907 
890 
881 
955 
1079 
1150 
1186 
1282 
1317 
- 1 
_ 
9000 
871 
853 
844 
920 
1035 
1103 
1139 
1239 
1277 
~ 
_ 
10000 
— 
— 
— 1 
888 
1001 
1061 
1097 
1199 
1239 
_ ! 
_ 
11000 
— 
■H 
—‘ 
9 
HS—. 
971 
1026 
1059 
1162 
1203 
_ 
_ 
12000 
m 
— 
— 
JH 
1 
945 
999 
1027 
1127 
1169 
_ 
_ 
13000 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
921 
974 
1002 
1095 
1138 
_ 1 
._ 
14000 
■ 
" 
- 
— 
899 
952 
979 
1066 
1108 
1 
—■ 
38 
