The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-14 00:00:00

:port of Co:

Army Rifles.

The fact has been well known in military circles
that during the year 1862 a course of experiments
were being performed by the War authorities to
clear up certain doubtful points relative to small-
arms rifles. The report of committee on these expe-
riments is now published, and the results of inves-
tigeitica are so important that a summary of them
ca nnot be otherwise than acceptable. Amongst the
outstanding questions which extended practice was
needed to solve the following may be regarded as
fundamental-1. Whether the present military bore
presented an aggregate of advantages over calibres
so reduced as to come under the denomination of
" small-bore rifles." 2. Whether the present sys-
tem of grooving and pitch adopted in the Eufield
arm were better than, equal, or inferior to, other
systems. 3. Whether any system of breech. loading
had been devised that presented advantages over
muzzle-loading. The experiments necessary to solve
these questions were elaborately gone into, and the
evidence adduced may ba regarded, we imagine, as
decisive. First and most foremost, small-bore rifles
of whatever system are condemned as military arms.
The E %field pitch and system of rifFng are demon-
strated inferior to the system of oval boring; aad
breech-loading small arms are deemed ineligible for
infantry.
The conditions under which the different varieties
of arms should be tried were in accordance with the
following programme :
(a). First Series of Experiments.--To determine
the best of the large calibres as to precision, under
circumstances most favourable to the arms them-
selves by firing one variety, side by side, with
another under equal conditions of wind and weather.
(b). Second Series of Experiments.—To ascer-
tain the best of the small bores by a similar process.
(c.) Third Series of Experiments.—To compare
the best of the large with the best of the small
bores, and thus determine their relative precision
under equal and similar circumstances. The large-
bore rifles subjected to experiment were (1) four
varieties of Enfield and (2) Lancasters, oval bore ;
the small-bore rifles which competed being a small-
bore Enfield, Whitworth's, and Lancaster's, all
muzzle-loading, and Wesley Richards' breech-
loader. As regards the four varieties of large or
service bore Enfield, they consisted of (1), the ordi-
nary arm ; (2), one having the regulation pitch of
one turn in 78 inches, but five grooves instead of
three ; (3), one having five grooves and a pitch of
one turn in 63 inches ; (4), the same, but with a
pitch of one turn in 48 inches. The result of prac-
tice with the large-bore Enfield arms demonstrated
that the substitution of five grooves for three in the
Enfield arm was a positive advantage under every
condition of trial and every imaginable condition of
practice. As regards pitch or abruptness of rifling,
the regulation turn of one in 78 inches was found
ample to ensure the degree of accuracy the arm for
other reasons was capable of, but that an accelerated
twist conduced to stability of flight and general ac-
curacy in windy weather. Against this advantage,
however, the important drawback must be noted
of increased tendency to fouling—a matter of very
highest importance in a military arm. On this
point the committee remark that the results of the
present experiments, when carefully prepared, show
that the precision of the Enfield rifle, when the
arm is clean, is capable of considerable improvement
by a combination of increased twist with five grooves;
bat that under circumstances of firing continued
beyond 150 rounds without cleaning the loss
in precision due to increased fouling is such
as to reduce its precision almost to a level
with that of the present service Enfield. "As,
however," remark the committee, " the latter is
found to cease to be an arm of precision at 800
yards, and that the rifle having the sharper pitch of
one turn in 48 inches, may be said to preserve its
precision, at least under ordinary circumstances, up
to 1,000 yards, the committee are of opinion that
should it be considered desirable to retain the En-
field system of rifling in the service an increased
twist, with five grooves, may be introduced with
advantage."
In this place it may be desirable to state that the
bullet at present adopted in the service for the
Enfield rifle (diameter 0 55) is not the one that
practice has demonstrated to yield the most correct
shooting. The bullet originally employed had a
diameter of 0.568, and was lubricated with a mix-
ture of tallow and bees' wax. Such was the ammu-
nition employed during the Indian campaign,
where the experience derived led to its final aban-
donment. Much difference of opinion existed at
that time relative to the cause, whatever it might
be, of the difficulty experienced in loading the En-
field, but the doubt has long since been cleared up.
Tallow, by exercising a chemical action upon the
lead of the bullet, generated a crust of lead-soap--
in other words, the ordinary diachylon sticking-
plaster. Hence the difficulty of loading. The fact
is on record, however, that the corps of Engineers,
who served in the Indian campaign, and who were
armed with the Lancaster rifle, never experienced
any difficulty in loading, notwithstanding the
use of ammunition in every respect identica
with such as was employed for Enfield smal

arms of the line. The experience acquired
in this Indian campaign demonstrated conclu-
sively that, were it considered desirable to re-

tain the Enfield as a service arm, tallow
must no longer be adopted for a lubricant. Pure
wax was the material of all others found to be the
one most chemically unobjectionable; but the use of
this material involved the use of a smaller bullet
than one having the regulation diameter of 0.568;
accordingly it was adopted. Permanence of ammu-
nition in all climates was secured, fouling obviated,
but at the expense of diminished accuracy in shoot-
ing. It follows from what has already been stated
that the diminution of bullet from the diameter of
0.568 to 0.55 was a totally unnecessary measure of
precaution, in so far as concerns the oval bore.
Nevertheless the 0.55 ammunition having been de-
finitively adopted—served out to the Engineers who
are armed with the oval bore in common with in-
fantry of the line, it follows that the efficiency of
the oval bore, considered as a service weapon, was
unnecessarily prejudiced. Taking this fact into
consideration, the committee by whom last year's
experiments were conducted permitted, as was ra-
tional, a new class of oval bores to be constructed
and tried for experimental purposes, slightly re
duced in diameter, so as to correspond with the 0.65

ammunition. Relative to this change the commit-
tee state as follows :

" The large-bore rifles on the Lancaster principle
submitted for trial have been of a calibre adapted to
the service 0.55 ammunition. Mr. Lancaster has
this occasion) adopted an elliptical bore; major
azis' 0.580 ; minor axis, 0.572 ; spiral of one turn
ill 3G inches at breach, increasing to one in 36
inches at muzzle, and the breech freed to the ex-
b tent of 0,002. It may be urged that Mr. Lancaster,
y reducing the minor axis to 0.572 has secured to
his system an advantage by which ail results are
made directly incomparable with those of calibres
whose diameter is 0.677 ; but on this point the
committee would observe that if it can be practically
shown that the ',alleged advantage is one of which
the Lancaster principle is susceptible, without,
in any degree, sacrificing that facillty in loading and
non-tendency to foul, which is held to be essential
for a military weapon, then the reduced bore be-
comes admissible, and cannot be otherwise recog-
nised than as an important point in favour of the
Lancaster system."7Report, page 5.

Coming now to the most important part of the
report, it testifies to the superiority of the oval bore
in every particular that can be required of a mili-
tary arm. The opinion of the committee is most
emphatically expressed, as may be inferred from the
following abstract of their report in respect of a
quality more desirable than any other in a military
small arm :

" The question of fouling being of the greatest
importance, and one under which the relative ad-
vantages of different systems of rifling might be
expected more plainly to show themselves, than in
any other trial to which the arms could be subjected,
the committee decided to fire 1,00 t) rounds continu-
ously, under similar circumstances, from the Enfield
I) and Lancaster rifles, and then con pare them for

precision in a dirty state.
" The result of this trial was that after the Enfield
D rifle bad fired 100 round it began to load roughly,
hard fouling having deposited in patches on the in-
terior surface of the barrel, while the loading of the
Lancaster rifle continued easy throughout.
"`then subsequently fired for precision side by