THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
363 
[ 4 ] 
Committee Minute, No. 7612—20J-g. 
Report, No. 2518. 
Subject.—The Lancaster oval-bored system of rifling as applicable to brass 9-pr. 
smooth-bored guns. so 
With reference to W.O. letter of 30th January, 1862, _L, and former Report, 
No. 2044, of 23rd December, 1861. 174 
Committee's Report. 2 4th 0ct> 1862< 
The Committee have to report that the trial of a single oval-bored brass 
9-pr. to the extent of 200 rounds, against a service-gun of the same calibre, 
took place in June last; and they have lately been enabled to complete their 
Report on the subject by receiving the Report of the Inspector of Artillery 
on the state of the guns, which is as follows:— 
Smooth-bored 9-pr., No. 853 ; Eardley-Wilmot, maker, 1859 ; weight, 
13 cwt. 1 qr. 25 lbs.; after firing 200 rounds— 
“Bore smooth, but slightly grazed by shot, and dented at 58 inches from 
muzzle; dent ’025 inch deep; vent true.” 
Oval-bored 9-pr., No. 839; Eardley-Wilmot, maker, 1859 ; rifled 1862; 
weight, 13 cwt. 1 qr.; after firing 200 rounds service 9-pr. round shot— 
“ Bore smooth, but grazed by shot; the graze being along the minor-axis, 
and produced by the bearing of the shot. There is also a dent at 10 inches 
from the bottom of the bore, or rather in front of the seat of the shot, 
caused apparently by the shot when taking up the rifling. Yent true.” 
2. It appears from the above that there is a slight but perceptible wear 
produced on the oval-bored brass gun in 200 rounds. This effect would 
doubtless have been greater, from their longer bearing and greater weight, if 
elongated shells of 15 lbs. had been fired, and indicates a limited durability 
in guns of this description, as compared with wrought-iron guns. 
3. In respect to precision as a rifled gun, the Committee showed in their 
last Report, No. 2044, that the oval-bored 16-pr. (9-pr. calibre) was inferior 
in this respect to both the Armstrong and Whitworth guns: the present 
comparison has had reference only to its suitability for firing round shot. It 
will be seen by the accompanying abstract that inaccurate as is the smooth- 
bored 9-pr., compared with a rifled gun, it is far more accurate than the same 
gun firing spherical shot when oval-bored. 
Comparing the results up to 1000 yds. range, at which distance alone 
would the round shot have any considerable advantage in point of velocity, 
the means are 
Mean of 
Mean of 4 differences 
of range. 
Mean of 4 
reduced 
deflection. 
Nature, 
4 ranges. 
yds. 
In terms 
of range. 
Oval bore, firing round shot ... 
yds. 
583*5 
66-9 
•113 
3-05 
Smooth bore, firing round shot. 
614-7 
38-8 
•063 
1-95 
[vol. in.] 
H H 
