483 
ON MAGAZINE REGULATIONS. 
COMMUNICATED BY THE 
DEPUTY-ASSISTANT-ADJUTANT-GENERAL, R.A. 
(1.) The following amendment to “ Regulations for Magazines, &c.,”’ 
1894, will shortly be published or included in the next revise of that 
work :— 
Part IT., section IT., paragraph 223 (0) : 
* Filled cartridges, in groups which will be as far as possible, 
identical in nature and age. The age of the cartridges to be 
reckoned from date of filling and grouped by years. If there ts 
a sufficient number of cartridges of the same lot, they may be 
grouped separately.” 
(2.) The numbering of the groups according to dates of receipt or 
age, is intended to serve a double purpose: 
(a) To ensure a reasonable amount of uniformity in shooting in 
each series. 
(b) To secure the regular turnover of the ammunition. 
The revised edition of Equipment Regulations which will probably 
be issued this year, contains the following instructions at Section XII. 
of Part II., paragraph 186; 
“ For all practice the ammunition of oldest manufacture and that 
contained in packages which have been opened for inspection, 
will always first be expended, and will be replaced by the next 
supply from store.” 
(3.) There are insurmountable difficulties in the way of carrying out 
this excellent proposal, if date of making up the cartridges is to deter- 
mine the group; but it may be remarked that the amendment to the 
Magazine Regulations quoted above in (1) is considered to be the closest 
approximation to a solution of this difficulty which is really practicable. 
Many cases of small groups have been closely investigated, the worst 
that was brought to notice however proved that though the number of 
small groups appeared excessive, yet the actual difference in shooting 
of the different groups did not nearly approach the limits of error of 
the gun as shown by the 50 per cent. rectangle. 
@, WOy SOR, 
