200 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
“ Warrior ” target; they proved quite useless, for the record of the expe¬ 
riment states, “ Indent too small to be measured; no damage apparent. 
The three shots hit close together/'’ The initial velocity of these shot was 
about 765'. 
The relative damaging power to iron plates of shot fired from a 68-pr. 
S. B. gun, and a 7" Armstrong B. L. rifled gun, is a point which has been 
much discussed. 
To determine this, shot of 68 lbs. weight were fired at a “ Warrior ” target 
at 200 yds. range, from a 7" B. L. rifled gun, with 16 lbs. charge, and 
contrasted with a shot weighing 66 lbs. fired from a 68-pr. S. B. gun, with 
the same charge. 
The velocity at 580' of the shortened shot from the 7" gun, was 1459' 
against 1386', the velocity of the 8" shot; and the indent was 2’85"for the 
7" gun, and 2* for the 8" gun. 
The Special Committee on Iron in their Report state,— 
“Experiments made with shortened shot, fired from the 110-pr. Armstrong rifled 
gun, show that this gun is capable of being used with 68-pr. solid cylindro-conoidal 
shot, so as to be as effective at 200 yds. range against armour plates as the smooth¬ 
bore 68-pr.” 
This point is not of much importance, as neither gun is able effectively 
to attack armour clad vessels. I only allude to the experiment because it 
has been often asserted that the 68-pr. gives the greater blow, which, it 
will be seen, is not the case. 
The heaviest cast-iron shot which have yet been fired in this country 
against iron plates are those used with the Horsfall 13" gun. A shot of 
279 lbs. weight was fired at a “Warrior” target, from this gun at 
Shoeburyness, with a charge of 74 lbs., at 200 yds. range. It completely 
penetrated, making a hole 28" x 25" in the armour plate, and 3 ft. square 
in the skin; the damage to fastenings, backing, &c., was very great, and 
portions of shot and plate were buried deeply in a timber bulkhead 3 ft. in 
rear of the target. The initial velocity of this shot was 1631 ft. 
The report on this experiment states, 
“ It woulcHiave been very difficult to stop this breach.” 
Four rounds were fired at 800 yds. with shot having" a mean weight of 
284 lbs., the striking velocity with the same charge, viz. 74 lbs., was 1299 ft. 
The shot had been toughened by the addition of one-seventh of their weight 
of wrougilt-iron, and had been annealed. 
The 1st and 3rd round missed the target, and the report on the experi¬ 
ment states,— 
“ Neither the 2nd nor the 4th rounds penetrated it; the shot of both rounds 
went through the armour plate, and buried themselves in the wooden backing, 
bulging the skin in, breaking the ribs, and shaking the target generally, but sent 
no splinters of plate or shot into the rear; in short, did not penetrate the side of 
the ship.” 
So that under the most favourable circumstances of attack,—viz. a steady 
platform, a stationary target, and time for careful laying of the gun,—a 
structure such as the “Warrior,” although seriously knocked about by 
