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SHORT NOTES ON PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS. 
86. Time and Percussion Puzes for Pield Artillery. —The following 
is an abstract of the Report of the Special Committee lately appointed :— 
They have drawn up a short historical record of the fazes of both classes, 
namely, time and percussion, from the first introduction of breech-loading guns 
into the service up to the present date. 
This record embraces every modification of the two descriptions of fuzes, which 
from time to time has been proposed and tried, as well as a summary of the defects 
which have successively appeared, and the changes which have been made with a 
view to remedy them. 
In order to ascertain the present condition of the fuzes in the service, the Com¬ 
mittee selected a certain number of each description as representing those now in 
store, and were furnished with 25 field service percussion fuzes from those at 
present carried in the boxes of eacli battery of field artillery. 
The time fuzes, drawn exclusively from store, were subjected to the ordinary 
Laboratory tests. 
The results of these experiments indicated that the detonators of the time fuzes 
generally were not satisfactory. Under these circumstances, and looking to the fact 
that the withdrawal of this description of fuze has been repeatedly recommended, 
the Committee did not consider it necessary to continue this test any further. 
The field service percussion fuzes were subjected to the following tests :— 
(a.) The detonators were removed from 25 of each lot of fuzes, and proved by 
allowing a weight of 100 grains, with needle point, to fall upon them through a 
distance of 10 ins., the test being once repeated if necessary. 
(A) A certain proportion of each variety were fired with service charges from 
12-pr. and 9-pr. breech-loading rifled guns, in both segment and common shells, 
and the results show that the only fuze of the several varieties included under 
the description tc field service percussion ” at all trustworthy, is that known as 
the Armstrong C percussion with safety pin. 
Of 200 selected from those in store, some of which had been returned from the 
Mauritius and other foreign stations, there were of Armstrong C percussion with 
safety pin, 91 good and 9 blind, when fired in 12-pr. and 9-pr. breech-loading 
rifled guns; 10 screwed G percussion were all good, and of the remaining 9 0 
fuzes, Ereetti and Dyer patterns, there were 71 good, 4 premature, and 15 blind. 
Of the fuzes now carried by the field artillery, four were taken from those 
returned by each battery for the firing test, making a total of 104. 
Of these, 9 were Armstrong C percussion fuzes, and all were good. 
Of the remaining 95 (Dyer and Ereeth patterns) 72 were good, 3 premature* 
and 20 blind. 
