THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
448 
During the experiments carried out by the Committee, which occu¬ 
pied about eight days, this mitrailleuse was stored in a damp cellar, 
and not cleaned between the firings. The rust appeared in no way to 
interfere with the working of the mechanism. 450 rounds per minute 
were fired from it-—a magazine being emptied with a rapidity amounting 
to a discharge of 600 rounds per minute. This rapidity did not inter¬ 
fere with the regular working of the mechanism. 
The inventors contemplate shortening slightly the motion of the 
lever, in which case the Committee believed that a rate of fire of from 
400 to 500 rounds per minute could be attained with certainty. 
It can be served in all cases by one man. 
No, 2. {According to Report of French Committee), Vide Plate II. 
The report of the Swedo-Norwegian Committee of 1872 gave only 
a general description of this mitrailleuse, but no account of its mechanism. 
Since the date of that report, a French Committee has experimented 
with this weapon at Bourges, and in the “ Revue de TArtillerie ” of 
February, 1874, we find a full description, illustrated by plates. From 
this account, the following details have been taken. 
Before entering into them, it may be well to mention the results of 
the French experiments, and the conclusion their Committee arrived 
at, which differ somewhat from those of the Swedo-Norwegian officers. 
2850 rounds were fired with effect, as shown by table below. Two 
rows of targets (44 yds. apart) were used, each row being about 8 ft, 
high and 86 ft. in length. 
Distances. 
(about). 
Number of 
bullets fired. 
Percentage of bullets striking. 
1st row. 
2nd row. 
yds. 
440 .. 
500 
33*6 
38-5 
S80 .. 
500 
52-3 
42-7 
1100 . 
1350 
37-2 
31-8 
1320 . 
500 
19-8 
25-8 
Total ...... 
2850 
Some of the firing was slow, and at other times it was carried out 
as quickly as possible, at the rate of 500 rounds a minute. 
Several accidents happened during this rapid firing, which inter¬ 
rupted it for a certain time. They were principally owing to the 
cartridges not acting sufficiently as a gas check. 
In the most serious, which occurred twice, the striker was driven 
violently back out of its groove, (by the gas), pushing the cock back 
with it. 
The cock became fixed in the longitudinal slit which guided it, and 
54 
