THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
339 
These guns were of untried mixtures, and therefore possibly of inferior 
strength to guns made of mixtures of established character. 
The Committee reject Mr Jeffery's projectiles, as requiring about one-fourth 
more lead than Mr Britten's, and holding less powder. The mode of attach¬ 
ment is less simple. They conceive the cavity at the end to be unnecessary 
and to be injurious, causing additional friction of the rear of the shot against 
the bore. They are also more susceptible of injury, not having the protection 
of a disc of wood at the base. 
23» The Committee reject Mr Haddan's system, considering the proposed 
projectile much too heavy, and the proposed charge too large. It is also a 
disadvantage that it requires a wad or sabot, which, in the form last used, 
was a disc of hardwood, weighing 1 lb. 5 oz., and would in practice be much 
objected to. The gun burst at the 215th round. 
24. The Committee reject Commander Scott's system, because both guns 
showed a great want of endurance, and made indifferent practice. No. 9029 
burst after 78 rounds; No. 9127 after 309 rounds; and they consider that 
there is a tendency of the shot to override the grooves. Commander Scott 
has contended that the guns were originally badly bored and were badly rifled. 
The Committee, on full inquiry, believe that there is no sufficient ground for 
this complaint; but, if well founded, it tends to show that this system 
requires greater nicety than other systems, which is a disadvantage in a 
proposal to convert smooth-bored guns. The necessity of using a wad is 
also a disadvantage. Much stress is laid by Commander Scott on an alleged 
straightness of ricochet peculiar to his projectiles. The Committee do not 
consider this property to be one of much importance, if even an advantage 
in this respect could be clearly established. The ricochet of rifled projectiles 
on land or water will always be too irregular to allow the second graze to be 
relied on for any service. 
25. The Committee reject Mr Lancaster's gun for its irregular practice 
and inferiority for firing spherical projectiles. The fact that the gun 
No. 9050 has stood 2000 service rounds is, so far as it goes, highly favour¬ 
able to the system in point of endurance; but it may be, and as the 
Committee believe is, chiefly attributable to the accident of a block of very 
exceptional quality having been oval-bored. It cannot be accepted as at all 
comparable to the evidence afforded by the endurance of 7 out of 8 blocks 
rifled for Britten's projectiles. A ninth has not been sufficiently tested to 
give evidence either way. 
26. It remains to answer a question of much greater public importance 
than the relative success of different competitors, in their endeavours to 
meet the requirement of the Secretary of State; namely, whether any of 
their plans, or of the others tried with them, are suitable for adoption, and 
whether it is desirable to introduce cast-iron rifled guns for land or sea 
service. The Committee must avow a considerable mistrust of cast-iron of 
the quality turned out by English foundries, as material for rifled cannon, 
except with such restrictions as to charge as would limit them to the uses 
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