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

No TICE.

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, 6111.
"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
of the price not exceeding £l5 per rifle."
Though the relative weight of the barrel and stock is not
laid down, the spirit and intention of 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 to 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 be 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.

ELcno.
BURY.
C, BAY.

W. WELLS.
J, C. KENNEDY.
E. MILDMAY.
Secretary, N.R.A.

Feb. 23.

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
riflc. 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 calculation 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 •43 of a foot
Phelps (Storm's breech •loader)
Whitworth f
Rigby . •86 „

Baker •B7 99
Out of competition, Whitworth's large 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
600 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 meta 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
Storm

'69 .. •70 .. -
'76 .. 1.13 .. ..

Rigby
Baker •93 SO
Outofcompetition.
Whitworth, large '4B .. '6l i.
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-LANE.

IMPERIAL WEEKLY AVERAGES.—Wheat, 41s ld ;
barley, 32s Od ; oats, 19s 8d ; rye, 28s 10d ; beans, 33s 2d ;
and peas, 32s bd.
THE Six WEEKS' AVERAGES. -- Wheat, 405 10d;
barley, 32s Ocl ; oats, 19s Od ; rye, 295 ld ; beans, 338 6d ;
peas, 33s ld.
ENGLISH GRAIN SOLD LAST WEEK.—Wheat, 96,027;
barley, 84,023; oats, 15,478; rye, 13; beans, 7,645; peas,
1,236 quarters.