Q.F. FIELD EQUIPMENTS ON THE CONTINENT. 
153 
By an ingenious arrangement, the whole of the brackets of the 
carriage can be caused to slide laterally over the axle. Over the 
axle is an angle iron A (Figs. 5 and 6), and the brackets can slide to a 
certain extent laterally on this; they are moved by means of the lever 
D which pivots at E and which is actuated by a handle outside the 
right bracket of the carriage. The front end of the lever can thus 
be forced against either of the two studs BB on the angle iron piece 
A, and the carriage brackets are thus traversed. The brackets are 
prevented from sliding to the rear on the piece A by means of 
a projection G; the shock of discharge is thus passed from the carriage 
brackets to the angle iron A, and thence through an arrangement of 
india-rubber pads F F to the axletree. It is believed that General 
Engelhardt is the originator of this use of india-rubber pads for lessen¬ 
ing the initial blow on the axletree. It may be noted that, according 
to the figures, tensile stays are not provided. 
The gun is sighted on the right, and the breech opens to the left. 
Its calibre is 3*42 inches and the shell weighs 15-2 lbs. and has a M.Y. 
of 1,355 f.s. The weight of this (light) equipment is 32 cwt., 3 qrs., 
3 lbs. 
. ,A rate of fire of four to five rounds a minute is said to be obtained 
with this equipment. 
It is believed that trials of Q.F. equipments were carried out in 1898, 
but great secrecy has been observed, and no accounts of any trials 
appear to have been published. 
STOTX3T 25 E ]Et JL. D. 
The present field gun has a calibre of 3*31 inches, and fires a shell 
weighing 14*77 lbs.; it is a breech-loader on the Krupp principle, and 
dates from 1881. Its weight behind the team without gunners is 
about 39^ cwt. 
In 1892 the Federal Government asked different firms for a new 
