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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
Introduction of Kange-finders into the Service. 
For all guns, except perhaps mountain guns, the same pattern 
range-finder ought to be used, but the rings on which the angle-finder 
rotates may have to be placed in different positions, for example, the 
range-finder, which suited the 12-pr. Armstrong, in being changed to suit 
a 9-pr. rifled muzzle-loader, had a new ring put on 3|-in. in front of the 
old rear ring; with this alteration the range-finder fitted either gun. 
The reason for this change depended on the fact that the breech of the 
9-pr. muzzle-loading gun was hid by its wheels, and the range-finder had 
to be drawn 3^-in. back to be seen from the opposite gun. 
This point being allowed for, the same range-finder ought to suit any 
gun. 
We have then to consider the V’s, the best position for which is 
in the centre of the gun, the rear one at the extremity of the breech; but 
if the gun is centre-sighted, the V’s must be placed at the side of the 
gun; and although the want of symmetry will be objected to, it is better 
to fit them, when not in the centre, on half of the guns to the right, and 
on half to the left. 
The second point to consider is, whether the guns are, or are not, 
provided with traversing screws; if they are, plain V s will do, but if 
not then the rear V will require a traversing screw. It may be objected 
that boring holes in the gun to fix in the V’s will weaken it; but calcu¬ 
lation showed that the 12-pr. Armstrong was weakened less than -^oth 
by such holes. 
The range-finder was, however, at first experimented on without 
boring these holes, by fixing the front V with a large iron clamped ring 
on the gun, the rear V having for a stalk the shank of a tangent sight. 
For experimental purposes this does well, but the ring occasionally shifts 
its position when the gun is fired; it is, however, easily tapped back into 
its place by a hammer. 
The tapes recommended are 70 yds. long, but it will be best to have 
them, marked in whatever fashion the soldier is most accustomed to 
measure; these units need not be the same as that in which the range is 
given. 
For example, the infantry range-finder has the tape graduated in paces, 
but the calculator gives the answer in yards, because the infantry soldier 
steps paces better than yards, and his rifle is sighted in yards. 
Boxes. 
I consider it almost essential that the range-finder be carried in the 
axle-tree box. This involves the sacrifice of one or two rounds of case 
per gun, which I look upon as useless, but many artillery officers 
are very fond of it—it always looks well in artillery returns to have 
expended case. There will then always be a contest against devoting 
one axle-tree box to a range-finder. 
