520 
GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1879 . 
The use of a stronger material than cast-iron, such as steel, will also 
add much to the efficiency of shrapnel; its greatly superior strength 
allowing of the walls of the shell being cast much thinner and yet with 
sufficient strength. Greater space would thus be afforded for bullets, 
and a smaller proportion of the total weight be taken up by the body 
of the shell. It would appear possible, too, to improve the shape of the 
walls. 
We believe, then, under these circumstances, that we could produce a 
24-lb. shell containing at least 
lbs. ozs. 
110 balls, at 18 per lb. 6 2 
56 „ 24 . . 2 10 
Total ... 165 Weighing ... 8 12 
In the 16-pr. shell, weighing over 17 lbs., we have only—- 
lbs. ozs. 
72 balls, at 18 per lb. 4 0 
56 a 84 „ . O' 10 
Total ... 128 Weighing ... 4 10 
The 84 per lb. bullets contained in the 16-pr. shell are not of much 
use, unless the range be short and the shell burst close up to the object, 
whereas those of the 24-pr. are all good. 
Rules for We have adopted, as a rough guide to the comparative effect of 
tive value of shrapnel, the following rules, viz. 
shells. 
(1) It is inversely proportional to the angle of descent. 
The ground covered by bullet fire is nearly in this proportion : at 
2000 yds., when burst 100 yds. short—so that the shell, if blind, would 
graze at the foot of the target—the 24-pr. covers 850 yds., and the 
16-pr. only 225 yds. of ground. 
(2) It is directly as the weight of lead in the shape of balls. 
These rules will be allowed, we think, to be fairly correct under the 
varying circumstances of a campaign, when errors must often occur in 
the right bursting of shells. Let us apply them to the case of the guns 
under discussion at the range of 2000 yds. The angles of descent of 
16-pr. and 24-pr. are as 8 to 5, consequently effect as 5 to 8, weight of 
lead as 4'66 is to 8*75, comparative effect as 23*8 is to 70 ; or nearly 
3 to 1 in favour of the 24-pr. Comparative experiments made in 
Germany, after the war of 1870, between shrapnel fired from the old 
heavy gun and new one appear to bear out these views. The 
official paper on the subject says that with shrapnel the new heavy 
gun is three times as effective as the old at 2187 yds. range. 
Large ver - The question also arises whether it is better to use a large number of 
bails!™ 11 small balls or fewer of a heavier nature. 
The small balls have a slight advantage as enabling us to put rather 
more weight of lead into the same space than can be done with large, 
but within certain limits of size there is not very material difference. 
