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increased accuracy and uniformity of tlie practice is considered, and the 
greater weight of the projectile thrown, the real gain by rifling will be seen to 
be very considerable. 
Mr B. Britten's other guns are rifled in blocks of extra weight, and there¬ 
fore need not be here alluded to, except to say/ that the method of rifling 
and the system of projectiles has been so far successful in them also, as to 
warrant the preceding remark —“ That it is a system which at present appears 
susceptible of practical application, although the Committee still hope a 
better may be found." 
5. The Committee are inclined even to believe that Mr Britten's method 
will be found to strain the gun less than the shunting plan, understood to 
have been provisionally adopted by order of the Secretary of State. 
6. Eespecting this latter system, the experience of the Committee is at 
present limited to the following facts :— 
(1) A shunt gun, unhooped, No. 8616, of 5*25" calibre, burst at the 40th 
round, at Shoeburyness, 14th October, 1859. 
(2) A shunt gun, hooped, No. 9185, of 6’50" calibre, burst at the 4th 
round, on 6th February, 1860. 
(3) A shunt gun, hooped, of 6 - 50" calibre, No. 13, with extra ring, burst 
at the 12th round, on 18th April, 1860. 
(4) A shunt gun, unhooped, No. 8639, of 6'5" calibre, has fired 327 rounds, 
and is still serviceable. 
(5) A shunt gun, unhooped, No. 8399, of 6*5" calibre, has fired 43 rounds, 
and is still serviceable. 
(6) A shunt gun, hooped, No. 8267, of 8'3" calibre, is under preliminary 
trial, and had fired 31 rounds on 31st March. 
(7) Five shunt guns, hooped, as under, have been assigned to the Committee 
for experiment, and three have been received, one of which has an extra 
cylinder. 
It is proposed to test them to destruction, when the views of the inventor 
as to the best method of doing so have been ascertained. 
Two of 6*5" calibre. 
Two of 6-5" calibre, extra cylinder. 
One of 7 - 0" calibre. 
It will be seen that these facts are neither of a character, nor in themselves 
sufficient, to warrant the Committee in recommending as yet the adoption of 
the shunt mode of rifling. 
7. The Committee think it right also to call the attention of the Secretary 
of State to the fact, that there is as yet little proof that the method of 
hooping cast-iron cylinders, as actually employed in the Royal Gun Factories, 
is adequate to give them the necessary strength to stand being rifled. Out 
