THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
283 
REPORT OF AN EXPERIMENT CARRIED ON AT SHOEBURYNESS, ON THE 
16th DECEMBER 1864, AND 6th AND 6th JANUARY 1865, BY THE ORD¬ 
NANCE SELECT COMMITTEE,— 
(1) To test the relative powers of the 100-pr. S. B. gun, of 6J tons, and 
the 7" M.L. shunt rifled gun, of 134 cwt., fired with Jth charges, and steel 
shot, of Brown's and Firth's manufacture, against “ Warrior" target. 
(2) To ascertain the relative penetration of shot cast in chill and steel 
shot as above, when fired from the same gun. 
COMMUNICATED BY THE SECRETARY 0. S. COMMITTEE. 
The 7" elongated shot used in this experiment were of three hinds, viz. 
Firth's steel, steel manufactured at the Atlas Works, Sheffield (Brown's), 
mean weight 100 lbs., and iron cast in chill, manufactured in the Boyal 
Laboratory, on the plan proposed by Major Palliser, mean weight 102 lbs. 
The charges used were 25 lbs. and 17 lbs. The 9" spherical shot were of 
Brown's and Firth's steel only, mean weight 104 J lbs., the charges used 
were 25 lbs. and 9flbs. The range was 200 yds., and the general results 
obtained may be stated as follows :— 
7" M. L. W. I. Shunt Kifled Gun of 134 ewt. 
Firth's Steel. —Four shot of Firth's steel were fired, two rounds with a 
full charge of 25 lbs., and two rounds with a reduced charge of 17 lbs., or 
the equivalent of the striking velocity at a range of 1200 yds. when the 
full charge is used. The target was penetrated in the former case, but not 
in the latter. These shot were all hemispherical headed. 
Brown's Steel. —Four shot of Brown's steel were fired, viz. two rounds 
with the full charge, and two rounds with the reduced charge of 17 lbs. 
The result was similar to that obtained from Firth's shot, viz. penetration of 
the target with the full charge, but no damage to the skin when the reduced 
charge was used. The shot were hemispherical headed. 
Shot cast in Chill (Major Palliser's).—Seven chilled shot were 
fired, but one missed the target; of the remaining six rounds, two hemi¬ 
spherical headed shot, and two elliptical headed shot were fired with a full 
charge; the former penetrated about 9 inches into the backing, but did not 
damage the skin; the latter completely penetrated the target, doing as much 
damage to the structure as the steel shot, and considerably more damage 
after penetration, owing to splinters of the shot. 
Two rounds of elliptical headed shot, which were fired with the reduced 
charge, did not penetrate the target, although in one instance the skin was 
fractured and opened 2 inches. 
[vol. iv.] 
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