168 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
THE FOLLOWING EXPERIMENT TOOK PLACE AT SHOEBURYNESS, ON THE 
16th AND 25th SEPTEMBER, 1862, IN ORDER TO TEST THE PENETRATING 
POWER OF THE HORSEFALL GUN.* 
Weight of gun, 24 tons 3 qrs. 2 lbs. 2*21 oz. Diameter of bore, 13*014". Windage,f *2. 
The target (lO'X12') was of the “ Warrior” construction, without a 
porthole. The plates, which were tongued and grooved, and which had 
been manufactured at the Parkhead forge, were of the following dimensions, 
viz.: upper one 12' xo'x 4*5"; centre one 12' x 3' 8" x 4*5"; lower one 
12'x 3'4" x 4*5". 
Range, 200 yds. Charge, 74*40 lbs. Solid cast-iron shot, weight 
279*50 lbs. Initial velocity 1631 ft. 
Struck the centre plate about T from the top and 5' from the left side. 
The shot completely penetrated the target, making an irregular hole in the 
armour-plate 2' 1*5" x 9/ 4", and breaking off V of the tongue at the top of 
the plate; a large crack *7" wide extended from the bottom of the hole to 
the bottom of the plate; also three narrow cracks, one 8" long running 
from the large one, parallel to the circumference of the hole, the other two 
radiating from the hole, at a distance of 1' and 1*5' from the large one, the 
latter being 15" long and running into a bolt-hole. Three bolts had 
started in the centre plate, two of them *6" and one *2". Pour bolts in the 
upper plate and one in the lower plate also started. The upper plate was 
forced up *4" for a quarter its length from the left side. There was no 
buckling of the plate. At the back, portions of shot and plate were buried 
deeply into a timber bulkhead three feet in rear; five bolt-heads broken off; 
two ribs broken completely through, one being driven out, and 2' 4" of the 
other detached; and a third rib was cracked through a rivet-hole for a length 
of 4". About three square feet of the interior skin driven in, more than 
twenty bolts broken, and the skin much shaken, bulged, and opened 
at the joints. Two of the front baulks of the timber backing forced up at 
the top 1" and *5" respectively. 
'* Defects in Horsfall gun, taken from the Report of the Inspector of Artillery:— 
A plug (8-4" diameter) is inserted in the bottom of the bore (driven back *05" after the expe¬ 
riment of the 16th September, 1862). 
Right.—A hole, 1*8" long, -65" wide, and 1375" deep, extends from the edge of the plug; 
another 1*5" from the edge of the plug, is '55" long, ’25" wide, and ’2" deep. 
Left.—A hole from the edge of the plug, ’5" long, % 5" wide, and 3*75" deep; another, 1*5" from 
the edge of the plug, *8" long, •3" wide, and 5'75" deep. (Dimensions of this flaw, after the expe¬ 
riment of the 16th September, ’65" long, -35" wide, and 6-5" deep). 
Left of down.—One hole at the end of the bore, •5 " long, ’15 wide, and *1" deep. 
In the bottom of the bore a flaw commences at the edge of the plug, about •2" wide and *2" deep 
at the largest part, and extends 25 // along the bore (this flaw has slightly increased in size). 
In addition to these flaws, small longitudinal fissures, such as are usually found in wrought-iron 
ordnance, are visible all round the bore at 35" from the breech. 
f Taken from the Report of the Ordnance Select Committee, 5th February, 1857. 
