424 
NEW AUSTRIAN 6-IN. BRONZE-STEEL GUN. 
called, remained intact in botli guns; the edges of the lands at the 
cone where the shot-chamber joins this portion being merely worn 
away to a slight degree. 
The expansions of the bore in both guns are unimportant, viz.:—• 
Gun. 
Powder-chamber. 
Shot-chamber. 
Rifled part of bore. 
No. 1 
No. 2 
in. 
0*005 to 0*007 
" { 
in. 
0*014 
0*014 in lands. 
0*025 in grooves. 
•> 
in. 
1T ) 
1 0-0047 5 deoreasm S- 
The wear is greater than that experienced with the field guns after 
the same number of rounds, but such wear is found to occur even with 
steel tubes. Besides, even in the last series, fired with shell having 
rings (0'3 mm ) 0'012-in. below the proper diameter, no diminution of 
accuracy occurred; so that none need be feared, even should the bore 
be expanded by (0'3 mm ) 0*012 in., or if the rings should be that 
amount below their proper size. 
Finally, the state of the bore of both guns at the end of the experi¬ 
ments was such as to lead to the conclusion that these (15 cm ) 6-in. 
bronze-steel guns would have quite sufficient endurance. 
The breech-loading apparatus acted perfectly throughout the whole 
of the experiments: one obturator (obturating ring and plate) stood 
141 rounds in No. 1 gun, and another stood 280 rounds in No. 2 gun. 
On the whole, the Committee arrived at the following conclusions :—* 
1. That bronze-steel answers well for the construction of (15 cm ) 
6 -in. guns destined to fire heavy charges. 
2. That the penetrating power of the two guns as against iron 
plates is about the same, and that the energy per inch of shot's circum¬ 
ference is superior to that of the Krupp (15 cm ) 6-in. ringed gun. 
3. With regard to accuracy of fire, both guns fulfilled the con¬ 
ditions required. Gun No. 2 with increasing twist seems superior to 
No. 1 with a uniform twist. In the former, owing to the rifling being 
carried into the shot-chamber, the projectile is better centred. The 
extra expense of this development of the rifling is only about £1 13s. 
per gun—the total cost of the piece being £320—and would probably 
be more than compensated for by the increased economy in projectiles 
required to effect a given result. 
As observed in previous papers, it may have been judicious on the 
part of the Austrian artillery authorities to adopt this material for 
the time being for such pieces on economical grounds, there being 
numbers of old S.B. bronze guns in hand, and also because the manu¬ 
facture could be at once carried out in their Arsenal without delay. 
We cannot, however, suppose that in the long run this material will be 
able to hold its own against the stronger metal steel, in the pro¬ 
duction and manufacture of which very great progress has lately been 
made, as fully exemplified in the Exhibition in Paris of this year. 
* In consequence of this report it is understood that about 15 of these pieces have already been 
manufactured for the Austrian service, but no information can be given as to their behaviour 
under service conditions. 
