ARMOUR-PIERCING PROJECTILES. 
495 
themselves; where a bursting charge is required to be used, such 
projectiles are quite unsuitable, as the effect of the bursting charge 
would be rendered quite useless by the breaking up of the shell. 
Also with shells which break up on impact, the effect will be greatly 
diminished through the angle which they make with the face of the 
plate being lessened. 
Taking this into consideration, the artillery committee decided that, 
for the equipment of guns for coast defence, such projectiles are 
required which do not break up on impact, and the trials show that 
this condition can only be satisfied by the use of steel shells similar to 
those produced by the Terre-Noire factory. 
In the third group are shells of soft forged steel, supplied by 
Messrs. Putilofsky & Co., the tempered shells of the Sormofsky factory, 
and the untempered shells of Messrs. Mendeljejew & Isnoskof ; all 
these projectiles produced a less effect than those made of chilled iron. 
(b) . In comparing the effect of shells and shot having pointed heads, 
it is evident that steel shot are better than shell made of the same 
material; and that cast-iron is quite unfit as a material for shot. 
(c) . The results of the comparative trials with blunt-headed shells 
show that cast-iron is not a suitable material for such shells, and that 
steel gives the best results ; it is, however, to be remarked that the 
steel shells, supplied by Messrs. Putilofsky & Co., when fired with a 
charge of 30*6 lbs., perforated the plate and entered the backing 
without breaking up, while with the heavier charge of 33’8 lbs., the 
shell broke up, although the depth of indent was more considerable 
than with the smaller charge, and the plate was somewhat bent. 
(d) . For comparison of shot with pointed heads, and shells with 
flat heads, the trials did not afford sufficient data. 
(e) . In the Russian artillery, in the equipment for guns for coast 
defence, no bursting charge is provided for shells with pointed heads, 
because, up to the present time, no means has been found to lessen the 
quickness of ignition at the moment of impact. However, as the 
attempt to overcome this defect has not yet been given up in Russia, 
shot with pointed heads have not been definitely introduced, although 
they (when made of good steel), with oblique fire, gave better results 
than shells with pointed heads. 
As to projectiles with blunt heads, owing to insufficient experience, 
the question has still to be examined. The trial with such projectiles of 
steel (never of cast-iron) must be carried out using different angles 
of impact. 
(/). Although, as was to be expected, when the angle of impact is 
lessened, such projectiles have a decided advantage over projectiles 
with pointed heads; still, on the other hand, it is very probable that 
the accuracy might not be sufficiently correct when using blunt-headed 
projectiles ; only a trial can settle this question. 
(g). Although in the above trials the steel projectiles of Russian 
factories are inferior to the French manufacture, and in some cases 
were worse than the chilled iron projectiles, still this is no proof (?) that 
Russian factories cannot produce steel projectiles equal in quality to 
the French. 
