THE EOYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
57 
ACCOUNT 
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EXPERIMENT CARRIED ON AT SHOEBURYNESS, ON 12th AND 13th 
NOVEMBER, 1863. 
[CONTRIBUTED BY CAPTAIN E. J. BRUCE, R.A.] 
The following Experiment was carried on to test steel, wrouglit-iron, and 
cast-iron projectiles. The 12-pr. solid shot were fired at 24-inch 
unbacked plates, and the shell at 2-in. plates backed by 12 in. of wood. 
Each plate measured 6' x 3C The 40-pr. shot were fired at a “ Warrior” 
target (No. 14). 
Range, 200 yds. 
The plates were manufactured by Messrs John Brown and Co., of 
Sheffield, and proved to be of uniformly good quality; they were secured at 
their sides to a wooden frame by means of railway bars, which were bolted 
to the frame. 
The guns used in the experiment w T ere— 
One Armstrong breech-loading 40-pr., weight, 35 cwt. 1 qr. 24 lbs.; 
diameter of bore, 4'75"; length, 10 T V; rifling, one turn in 37 calibres. 
One Armstrong breech-loading 12-pr., weight, 8 cwt. 2 qrs. 23 lbs.; 
diameter of bore, 3"; length, 7'; rifling, one turn in 38 calibres. 
One Whitworth breech-loading 12-pr., weight, 9 cwt. 3 qrs.; diameter of 
bore, major-axis, 3", minor-axis, 2‘75"; length, 8 T 8 ^; rifling, one turn 
in 55". 
The projectiles were of the following description :— 
(1) Homogeneous metal, Mr Whitworth. (H .M.) 
(2) Steel, Sir W. Armstrong. 
(3) Bessimer’s metal, Messrs John Brown and Co., Sheffield. 
(4) Steel (unforged castings), Mr Attwood, Tow Law Iron Works. 
(5) Homogeneous metal and case-hardened wrought-iron, Messrs Short- 
ridge and Howell, Sheffield. (H. M. and W. I.) 
(6) Chilled cast-iron,* Captain Palliser. 
(7) Steel .Manufactured in the Royal Laboratory, Wool- 
(8) Cast-iron remelted, ) wich. 
* Six shot and three shells were cast from the following mixture :—Langloan No. 1, 10 cwt. j 
Calder No. 4, 2 cwt.; old shot, 10 cwt.; foundry scrap, 10 cwt. Three shells were cast from a 
mixture of half hot-blast, or Calder No. 4, and half cold-blast, or Pontypool. 
[VOL. IV.] 
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