THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
277 
REPORT OF AN EXPERIMENT CARRIED ON BY THE ORDNANCE SELECT 
COMMITTEE, AT SHOEBURYNESS, 28th NOVEMBER, 1864, TO TE8T SHOT 
MADE OF VARIOUS KINDS OF STEEL, FIRED FROM 68-pr. AND 100-pr. 
SMOOTH-BORED GUNS. 
COMMUNICATED BY THE ORDNANCE SELECT COMMITTEE. 
The shot, which were all spherical, were fired at 5 J in. rolled plates 
supplied by the Mill wall Iron Company; the plates were fixed vertically, 
without backing, against a wooden frame. The range was 200 yds., and the 
charges used were 16 lbs. with the 68-pr. gun, and 25 lbs. with the 100-pr. 
gun. The velocity on impact was 1380 ft. in the case of the 68-pr. shot, 
and 1500 ft. in that of the 100-pr. 
6 
Projectile. 
Diameter 
of shot 
after 
firing, in 
inches. 
Effects. 
o 
§ 
4 
Ph 
o5 
rO 
a 
-43 
a 
<D . 
S r CS 
<D 
Remarks. 
2 
O 
6 
fcJO 
o 
o 
rSl 
Pn 
o 
<D 
Supplied by 
fl 
s 
Diameter i 
inches. 
Elevation. 
Greatest, 
Least. 
Depth of im 
i in inches 
Bulge of pis 
inches, mean 
at indent. 
1 
880 
* 
Attwood & Co... 
71*5 
7-928 
/ 
20 
i 8-85 
6*62 
2-48 
1.5 
Plate bulged in rear 1*5" and cracked 
vertically, shot much set up and broken. 
2 
881 
// 
II 
71-25 
7-928 
„ 
2-15 
1*5 
do do do 
3 
882 
// 
Marsh Brothers 
71*5 
7-89 
2-60 
2-0 
Plate cracked in rear ; shot broke up. 
Struck 7" below 882, plate cracked in rear 
and laminae broken off 20" x 10"; shot 
set up and broken. 
4 
883 
// 
II 
71-5 
7*89 
a 
8-16 
7-27 
3-65 
6 
884 
// 
Bessemer & Co. 
73*5 
7*93 
n 
8*68 
6-79 
2-20 
2-0 
Struck partially on an iron railway bar 
supporting plate, plate cracked behind 
14"; shot set up and cracked a little. 
6 
885 
// 
a 
73-5 
7-93 
n 
8-21 
7-09 
3-15 
... 
Stuck in plate, base projecting 4"*5; 
laminae of plate off in rear 14" x 8"; shot 
a little cracked. 
7 
886 
" 
Naylor, Vickers, 
& Co. 
73-0 
7-91 
a 
8-17 
7-17 
2*625 
2-2 
Struck on railway bar 7"*5 from edge, 
plate cracked longitudinally, buckle l"-2a; 
shot slightly cracked. 
8 
887 
// 
II 
73*5 
7-91 
u 
8-29 
6-86 
2-9 
Laminae of plate off in rear, and cracked 
15"; shot slightly cracked. 
9 
888 
// 
Heintzmann&Co 
72-625 
7-91 
ii 
8-36 
6-83 
2-9 
3-5 
Plate cracked behind crossways 14shot 
slightly cracked. 
10 
889 
// 
n 
72-0 
7-91 
a 
8-28 
7*09 
2-4 
1-5 
Struck bar 7"-5 from edge of plate (2" on 
bar), plate cracked star fashion over 
bulge, buckled l"-25. 
23 
902 
// 
Sanderson & Co. 
71-5 
7-88 
n 
8-27 
7-23 
2-875 
2-0 
Plate cracked behind 14"; shot cracked and 
broken. 
24 
903 
II 
n 
73-0 
7-88 
a 
8-19 
7-25 
3-675 
Stuck in plate 7" from previous round, pro¬ 
jecting 4"; laminae off plate in rear 
12" x 15"; shot cracked and pieces broken 
off. 
25 
904 
II 
Cammell & Co... 
79'5f 
7-92 
n 
8-68 
6*52 
2-9 
Plate cracked through vertically at centre 
of indent 14" long; shot a little cracked. 
26 
905 
II 
n 
78-5 
7-92 
" 
Struck close to 904, carried away top of 
plate, over and into sea. 
27 
906 
II 
a 
76-0 
7-92 
n 
8.50 
6-72 
2-625 
t 
Stuck in plate, projecting 4"; shot cracked 
a little. 
28 
907 
II 
Firth & Sons ... 
73-5 
7-91 
n 
8-19 
7-25 
3-125 
j 
Stuck in plate, a lamina of plate nearly off 
in rear; shot cracked. 
* Service cast-iron. 68-pr. gun. 
f Including wooden bottoms. 
