The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-25 00:00:00

NOTICE.

On weighing barrels and stocks brought for examination
separately, some of the barrels are found to be of such a
weight that, when full stocked and with metal ramrods, as
the Queen's prize rifles have invariably been in previous
years, the rifles will exceed the prescribed weight.
The rules bearing upon this point are as follows :
" Minimum bore, •451; maximum weight, 911 b; mini-
mum pull of trigger, 61b.
"-Each gunmaker will have to bring six rifles of the same
description and quality. The rifles will be fired from fixed
mechanical rests, and the description of rifle that gives the
best figure of merit will, as heretofore, be selected as the one
with which the Queen's Prize shall be competed for at the
ensuing prize meeting of the association, subject to the con-
ditions of the manufacturer undertaking to supply the num-
ber of rifles required by the council within a specified time,
of their being in every respect equal to the one chosen, and
ot the price not exceeding £l5 per rifle."
Though the relative weight ot the barrel and stock is not
laid down, the spirit and intention 01 the rules must be self-
evident.

It is invariably admitted that increased weight of barrel
greatly improves the shooting of a rifle. Sixty rifles cannot
be made " equal in every respect to the one chosen" if it be
necessary in making them up to diminish the weight of
barrel to bring them within the prescribed weight.

The rifles with which the Queen's Prize is Co be shot for
cannot be brought within the prescribed weight unless due
allowance has been made in the first instance for weight of
stock.

The members of council present will, therefore, try all
the rifles which come under the letter of their rules, but
they give notice that it will ho impossible for them in every
event to order rifles the barrels of which will not admit of
being full stocked with metal ramrods without the rifle,
when finished, exceeding the maximum prescribed weight
911 b. The whole question, however, will be submitted to a
full meeting of the council on Friday next, the 26th inst.,
whose decision will be made public at the general meeting
on the 27th inst.
ELCHO. W. WELLS.
BURY. J, C. KENNEDY.
C. BAY. E. MILDMAY.
Feb. 23. Secretary, N.R.A.

Although the competition was announced to begin at 11
o'clock, the competitors did not fairly commence work before
2 o'clock. At this time the sun was shining gently over the
range, and there was hardly wind enough to move the flags
at the markers' butts. The atmospheric conditions could,
therefore, hardly have been more favourable. The number
of rifles to be fired by each maker will be six—five trial shots
at 500 yards, and eight at 1,000 yards, being allowed to each
rifle. The mean radial deviation of 20 shots from each piece
at the two ranges will be taken as the figure of merit of the
respective rifles, and determine the successful competitor.
Up to half-past 5, when the work was stopped by the grow-
ing darkness, each competitor had fired 20 shots at 500 yards
from his first three rifles. Full caldulation of the mean
radial deviation of the first round only had been made when
the firing ceased for the day.
First round at 500 yards, minimum bore '451.

Henry, figure of merit .. •4'd of a foot

Phelps (Storm's breech-loader) •67 „
Whitworth
Rigby •B6 ~

Baker •B7 „
Out of competition, Whitworth's largo bore, .577, figure of
merit •55 of a foot. The results of the second round were
only partly calculated, Rigby's shots not having been mea-
sured. They are—Henry, •43 ; Whitworth, .51; Storm,
•57; Baker, .93. Whitworth's large bore had also not been
measured, but the diagram seemed a remarkably good one.
In the third round an accident caused the 13th of Henry's
shots to hit rather wild, apparently giving Whitworth a
slight advantage of him.
The competition will be continued to-day, when the rest
of the shots at 500 yards will be fired, and the work at 1,000
yards begun.

The competition between the rival gunmakers was con-
tinued yesterday at Woolwich, the whole of the work at the
500 yards' range having been completed just before dusk.
The second, third, fourth, and part of the fifth series of
shots are the only one whose figures of merit had been made
out when the council left the ground :
Figure of merit in parts of a foot.
2d Rifle. 3d Rifle. 4th Rifle. sth Rifle
Henry
Whitworth •5l .. .. •55 .. •63
Storm •67 .. •57 .. '79 ..
Rigby
Baker •Q3 • • '76 1.13 if
Outofcompetition.
Whitworth, large '4B .. '6l ~ • •
From the above table, and from a cursory examination of
the diagrams not calculated, it seems pretty certain that
Henry will come off best at this range, being closely fol•,
lowed by Whitworth and Storm.

MARKETS—This Day.

MARK-CANE.

IMPERIAL WEEKLY AYERAGES.—Wheat, 41s ld ;
barley, 32s Od ; oats, 19s 8d; rye, 28s 10d ; beans, 33s 2d;
and peas, 32s bd.

THE SIX WEEKS' AVERAGES. Wheat, 40s 10d;
barley, 32s Od ; oats, 19s Od ; rye, 29s ld ; beans, 33s 6d ;
peas, 335 Id,

ENGLISH GRAIN SOLD LAST WEEK.—Wheat, 96,027 ;
barley, 84,023; oats, 16,478; rye, 13; beans, 7,645; peas,
1,236 quarters.

METROPOLITAN CATTLE.

There was about an average supply of beasts on sale here
to-day, but the quality of the stock was very middling. All
the breeds moved off slowly, at Monday's currency. The
best Scots sold at ss, in some instances, at 5s 2d per 81bs.
We were fairly supplied with sheep, and the inquiry for
them was inactive, on former terms. The best Downs in
the wool realised Gs; out of the wool, 5s per Blbs. The few
lambs on offer changed hands at 7s per Sibs. No change
took place in the value of calves, and the veal trade was
somewhat heavy. Prices ranged from 4s 2d to 5s 2d per
Blbs. Pigs and milch cows moved off slowly, at late rates.

Per Blbs.to sink the offal.
e. d. s. d.
Crse. &inf. beasts 3 8 4 0
Second quality do. 4 2 4 4
Prime large oxen 4 6 4 8
Prime Scots, &c. 4 10 5 0
Crse. & inf. sheep 4 0 4 6
Second quality do. 4 8 5 2
Suckling calves, 20s to 26s
20s to 26s each.
TOTAL SUPPLY.
Beasts ... . 932
Cows l3O
Sheep

s. d. s. d.
Privaecrs-wool d 0.5 4 5 3
Pme.S'thdowndo.s 10 6 0
Largo orse. calves 4 2 4 8
Prime small do 4 10 5 2
Largo hogs 3 6 4 0
Small porkers 4 2 4 6
and quarter-old store pigs,

FOREIGN SUPPLY.
Beasts 350
Sheep and lambs
Calves
Pigs

. ,
Calves 202
Pigs 3lO

MEAT MARKETS.

NEWGATE AND LEADENIIALL.—Tho supplies of meat
are tolerably good. and the trade rules steady as follows:
Beef, from 3s 4d to 4s 2d; mutton, 3s 10d to 4s 8d ; veal,
4s Od to 4s 8d ; and pork, 3s 4d to 4s 4d per Blbs by the
carcase.

SOUTHALL, Feb. 24.—Our market was fairly supplied
with stock, and the trade ruled inactive, as follows :—Beet,
from 3s 6d to 5s Od ; mutton, 4s Od to 6s Od ; veal, 4s 4d to
5s Od; lamb, Os Od to Os Od; and pork, 45 Od to 4s 3d per
Blbs, to sink the offal.

ROMFORD, Feb. 24.—Each kind of meat moved off
slowly, at the annexed rates :-13eaf, from 3s 8d to bs Od;
mutton, 3s 10d to 6s Od ; veal, 4s 6d to 5s Od ; and pork,
4s Od to 43 8d per 81bs ; suckling calves, 19s to 265; quar-
ter-old store pigs, 20s to 255; and mulch cows, £l5 to £l9
Os each.