210 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
Eig. 6, is from a photograph of one of the 68-pr. shot ri g* e - 
fired in January; it measured 8*25" x 7*5" after impact. 
A comparison of this sketch with Pig. 2 will show how 
much less distortion steel suffers than wrought-iron. 
The result obtained from the Armstrong and Whit¬ 
worth shot satisfied the Committee “That if expense 
is not considered, shot and shell capable of penetrating 
armour plates can be made of any required size.” It was therefore 
needless to carry on further experiments with expensive shot, such as those 
used by Sir W. Armstrong and Mr Whitworth; but the Special Committee 
on Iron, after consulting with the Ordnance Select Committee, thought it very 
desirable that endeavours should be made to procure suitable shot of the 
cheaper kinds of steel, as they stated that they had “reason to believe that 
steel shot of the requisite quality will ere long be obtained at a reasonable 
cost.” 
It was in consequence of this recommendation that experiments were 
made in March, July, and August of the present year with 7" steel shot. 
These shot were fired from a 7" B. L. rifled gun w r ith 12 lbs. charges at 
unbacked plates at 200 yds. range. The metal of which they were 
manufactured, with one exception (Krupp's), did not exceed £30 a ton, and 
was supplied by the undermentioned firms. 
Messrs Attwood, Brown and Co., Bessemer, Butcher, Sanderson, the 
Bolton Co., the Ebbw Yale Co., the Mersey Co., Mr Deane, Mr Krupp. 
The general result obtained from the experiments may be thus stated :— 
Messrs Attwood's shot.—Three were fired; two remained in the plate, the 
rear side of the plate being broken out at the point of impact, and fracture 
extending over a space of 18" x 17"; the nose of the shot visible; the third 
shot (this shot was conical-headed and the other two hemispherically 
headed) made an indent of 3'7" and was shortened 1*5". 
Bessemer’s shot.—Two were fired; one remained in the plate, the other 
made an indent of 2 5", and was shortened 1*67 // . 
The Bolton Co.—Two of these shot were fired; indents 2‘7 // and 2T"; 
shot shortened T95" and 2*04". 
Messrs Brown's shot.—Eleven w r ere fired; five with 12 lbs. charges, three 
with 10 lbs. charges, one with 8lbs., and two with 6 lbs.; four of those 
fired with the highest charge, passed whole through the plate, the mean 
“set up” being only 0*76"; with the 10 lbs. charge the greatest damage 
to the plate was an indent of 2*7", two out of the three shot were broken 
up; with the 8 lbs. charge an indent T8" deep was made, the shot 
rebounded 9' from the plate, and was shortened 1"; an indent of T8" was 
also made by the shot fired with the 6 lbs. charge, the shot rebounded 13' 
and was shortened 0*6". 
Messrs Butcher.—Two of these shot were fired; indents 3*5" and 3"; 
“setup” 1*2" and T39". 
Ebbw Yale Co.—Three were fired, two with 12 lbs. charges, and one with 
10 lbs ; the greatest damage was an indent of 2*7"; the shot all broke up. 
Mersey Co.—Two fired; indents 2*2" and 2*1"; “ set up” 2*" and T73". 
Messrs Sanderson.—Two fired, one remained in plate, nose visible at rear 
side; 2nd indent 3*2", “set up ” 0*77". 
Krupp's shot were of three different qualities of metal; four of them were 
