THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
361 
On the whole, the Committee feel warranted in assuming that if there are 
altogether twelve or fourteen hundred heavy rifled guns in due proportion of 
40-prs., 70-prs., and 100-prs., available in the course of three or four years, 
the immediate requirements of the two services will be satisfied, and that the 
country may safely leave its further wants to the ordinary course of supply. 
It appears that, up to the present date, only sixty-six 100-prs. and one 
hundred and thirty-nine 40-prs. are issued, or ready for issue ; but the Com¬ 
mittee are informed that, by the 31st March, 1862, there will be four hundred' 
and eighty-seven 400-prs., and five hundred 40-prs., if present orders are 
carried out. This will come near to make good the whole immediate demand; 
and one or two years at the same rate of production will complete the supply, 
more especially if, as the Committee are informed, three hundred muzzle¬ 
loading wrought-iron 100-pr. guns are to be made in the current year, in 
addition to the four hundred and eighty-seven breech-loaders. 
If these premises are granted, it would not appear worth while to introduce 
a new species of rifled ordnance requiring special projectiles, to serve so 
temporary a purpose as the supply ad interim. 
6. It is believed that, when Lord Herbert, in the month of August, 1859, 
called upon a number of gentlemen in civil life—engineers and others—to 
endeavour to find the means of converting the service cast-iron guns into 
rifled guns, they all believed and represented themselves capable of doing 
this, on their several systems, in an effective manner without delay; and the 
question referred to the Committee was simply to decide which of the systems 
was the best. 
In their Eeport, No. 762, of 25th April, 1860, the Committee entered 
into some explanation of the delay experienced in bringing the compe¬ 
tition of these guns to a close. A year has since elapsed, during which the 
inquiry has been advanced by the completion of 300 rounds by two of the 
systems, but it is not yet finished. 
The Committee thought it right to wind up the comparative trials by a 
match of all the guns against one another under similar conditions. 
A demand was made for the necessary projectiles on the 8th February, 
1861, and they have not yet been furnished, chiefly, as it is believed, owing 
to the desire of some of the competitors to make further alterations and 
improvements of detail in them. 
Guided by this experience, and by that of the Armstrong equipment, the 
Committee do not suppose that wdien choice of a system has been made, the 
guns and projectiles will be available for issue for many months, reducing 
the period for which they might have value as a temporary expedient to 
narrow limits. 
7. On the other hand, the Committee are aware, that the difficulties of 
dealing with wrought-iron in large masses are not yet entirely overcome; 
that muzzle-loading rifled guns, such as the service guns will be, if rifled, are 
likely to be preferred in some situations to breech-loaders; and that economy 
and facility of supply, if combined with a good degree of efficiency, must 
constitute advantages not to be lightly overlooked. 
On these grounds, however great the absolute superiority of wrought-iron, 
when perfect, over cast-iron, they consider that the hope of at least being 
