396 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
Table III. 
RESULTS OR PRACTICE -WITH! ROUND SHOT, BOTH LOOSE AND RIVETED TO WOODEN BOTTOMS. 
THE SHOT EIRED PROM THE LANCASTER GUN HAD OVAL TOPS AND BOTTOMS. 
Charge. 
Elevation. 
No. of rounds. 
Scott. 
Lancaster. 
French. 
Mean range. 
Mean difference 
of range. 
Mean reduced 
deflection. 
Mean range. 
Mean difference 
of range. 
! Mean reduced 
deflection. 
Mean range. 
Mean difference 
of range. 
Mean reduced 
deflection. 
lbs. 
O 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
Shot, loose. 
12 
2 
10 
1276 
63*6 
4*6 
1096 
68*2 
3*3 
1176 
60*0 
3*9 
n 
5 
10 
2140 
97-4 
9*5 
1956 
69*3 
8*6 
2034 
54*3 
7*2 
20 
2 
10 
1497 
52-9 
6*9 
1262 
72*7 
4*8 
1410 
62*1 
6*4 
n 
5 
5 
2278 
56*4 
21*5 
2211 
20*4 
12*2 
2264 
30*8 
8*0 
Shot riveted to wood bottoms. 
12 
2 
10 
1350 
104*0 
5*1 
1157 
64*1 
4*3 
1247 
54*5 
6*3 
a 
6 
6 
2260 
116*7 
24*1 
1943 
87*8 
7*0 
2116 
90*2 
7*8 
20 
2 
10 
1473 
84*4 
6*2 
1387 
99*6 
6*2 
1375 
63*7 
4*4 
H 
6 
6 
2274 
77 *6 
14*5 
2232 
84*8 
10*1 
2238 
42*0 
11*8 
Commander Scott's gun has the advantage of both the others in point of 
range with round shot, but is very much inferior to both in uniformity of 
range and accuracy. The Trench rifled gun is the best in these respects. 
It is worthy of remark that the charge of 20 lbs., which is nearly half the 
shot's weight, gives an increase of velocity of only 271 ft., and only 200 yds., 
or thereabouts, of additional range, over the charge of 12 lbs.; which latter 
charge, with the small windage allowed, gives a considerably higher velocity 
than that of the service 32.pr. or 68-pr. shot. 
20. The Committee have now placed the Secretary of State in possession 
of all the data that are requisite for comparing these five systems of rifling 
as applicable to heavy battering guns using a charge of one fifth or one- 
fourth the weight of the shot. 
The gun rifled on the Trench system, with arrangement of the studs 
suggested by Major Palliser, gives by far the best result so far, in point of 
accuracy, the trial not having proceeded beyond solid shot of the forms and 
weights specified. It was the easiest to load, and, although somewhat 
inferior to Commander Scott's gun, in respect to firing round shot, is in 
every other respect equal or superior to it. The Committee also prefer it to 
Lancaster's, although Mr Lancaster has subsequently shown how, in his 
opinion, his shot may be made very easy to load without increase of mean wind¬ 
age, by taking the windage allowed chiefly off the third quadrant of the shot. 
The Committee are confirmed in the preference expressed above by the 
superiority which the Trench system of rifling evinced over the former plans 
of the same gentleman when tried in rifled cast-iron 32-pr. guns in 1862. 
Tor reasons already given they reject both the systems of lead-coated 
projectiles as unsuitable for heavy charges. 
