408 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
Gun of 24 centi¬ 
metres. 
Dimensions. 
Contrast of 
length, com¬ 
pared with 
British guns. 
Rifling uniform, 
and from R.toL. 
Dimensions of 
the rifling. 
Test for breech 
action. 
Largest gun yet 
in the Italian 
service. 
The piece of 24 centimetres calibre, though not the largest, is 
yet the gun which the Italians have produced in the greatest 
number. It may be considered the equivalent to our 9-in. 
Calibre . 9*45 ins. 
Weight.. 15 tons. 
Projectile . 330 lbs. 
Length of bore . 20 cals. 
Charge .. 61*6 lbs. 
Muzzle velocity . 1443 f.s. 
Number of grooves. 24. 
At all events, inadequacy of length to consume the charge 
cannot be alleged with regard to the Italian gun. Would that 
the same could be urged in favour of its Woolwich rival. 
The grooves are 24 in number, and the twist is from right to 
left, and uniform. 
The grooves are *8374 in. in width at the breech, narrowing 
up to *6013 in. at the muzzle. This is obtained by making the 
driving edge uniform, whilst the other edge (the loading edge in 
M.L.O.) deviates from a parallel direction until the muzzle dimen¬ 
sion is obtained. 
The dimensions are :—• 
in. 
Width of groove at commencement of rifling . *8374 
n muzzle ... *6013 
Width of land at commencement of rifling . *4090 
» muzzle . *6280 
Depth of groove . *0590 
A considerable number of these guns have been made, and 
mounted on various works, and also form the armament of many 
vessels in the Italian navy. It is satisfactory to find that they 
have resisted “ scoring,” and similar injurious results of prolonged 
firing. 
A gutta-percha impression of the breech-end of the bore, taken 
from a gun now in Turin Arsenal, showed perfect freedom from 
all blemish, save the expansion of the chamber the Tiroofh of an 
inch, which is of no importance whatever. 
The gun had fired the service projectile of 330 lbs., with charges 
of cubical powder (edge *75 in.), no less than 538 rounds. 
516 rounds. charge 5 7 • 2 lb s. 
6 /, . ,/ 6 . 1*6 ,/ 
16 i, . ~« 66 „ 
To test thoroughly the breech action, water and sand were 
thrown over'the breech; yet nothing that was done prevented 
the efficient serving of the gun. 
If it be deemed folly to adopt a breech-loading system, there 
at all events is a “ method in the madness ” of those who are so 
misguided. 
As before mentioned, there is a larger gun than that of 24 c. 
in the Italian service, which I was fortunate enough to see. 
