THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
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even them; but we have no time fuze for breech-loading ordnance that 
can be relied upon, and although it is true that the system of muzzle¬ 
loading has been approved for our service, yet there are certain 
advantages in a breech-loader—notably that of being able to have a 
powder chamber of larger calibre than the bore of the gun, and so 
being able to burn a large charge, and get a very high velocity with a 
short gun of small calibre—which might be found to make it advisable 
to use breech-loaders for certain purposes, and then the need would be 
found for a suitable fuze. We have not got everything we want in the way 
of percussion fuzes at present; we require a fuze that shall act on graze 
for land service, and that will act with certainty in newly-turned earth. 
There is always a larger margin of error in the range of a projectile 
than in its lateral deviation, for two reasons. 
(1) That a very small error in the elevation given, or in the laying, 
causes a considerable difference in the range; because the error acts in 
the direction of the flight of the projectile. 
(2) Because in laying a gun it makes a considerable difference in 
the elevation, whether a full or fine sight is taken; and it is more diffi¬ 
cult to get the fore-sight always in exactly the same position vertically 
in the notch of the tangent-sight, than it is to get it exactly in the 
centre horizontally. Moreover, it makes a difference in the laying of 
the gun, as regards elevation, whether the eye is placed close to the 
tangent-sight or a little way from it. 
To get rid of these latter causes of error, I would propose that a 
second notch should be made on the tangent-sight, on its vertical edge, 
and a second edge made on the trunnion-sight ; the second edge being 
in a horizontal plane, and so arranged that the line of sight through 
the second notch and second edge should be exactly parallel to that 
through the ordinary notch and edge. The arrangement proposed is 
shown roughly in the annexed figures. 
Trunnion Sight, 
A, B.—The proposed new notch and sight, 
