The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-28 00:00:00

Musketry Instruction in the Army,

Major-General C. Hay, the Inspector-General of
Musketry, having compiled his annual report, for
the information of his Royal Highness the Field-
Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, of the progress of
musketry instruction in the Army for the year
1862-3, ending on the 30th of September last, the
elaborate return has, by command of his Royal
Highness, been transmitted during the last
few days to all the military stations at home and
abroad.
The return records the extent to which the
several corps and battalions armed with the rifle
have been exercised daring the year, with the re-
sults of their performances in the various practices,
compiled from the returns received from the corps
and battalions mentioned.

The returns show the efficiency of both the cavalry
and infantry. It appears the number of men exer- '
cised in the yearly course was—Cavalry, 8,507 ;
infantry, 115,762, the non-exercised amounting to
11.57 per cent., being au increase of that of last
year, which was 10 per cent. In the return the
several corps and battalions are given by divisions,
districts, and commands, according to the places at
which quartered. Of the eleven companies of Royal
Engineers which have been stationed at the head-
_quarters_ot tllo,,prps,sluieg the year, only five have
been exercised through the prescribed annual course,
whose shooting is, on the whole, fair, and non-exer-
cised men few. Of the division of the Guards the
musketry instruction of the several battalions has
been conducted regularly, and the results are satis-
factory, although the " figure of merit" of each bat-
talion has decreased, as compared with that of the
last year, which is traceable to a falling off in the
platoon and skirmishing practices. The Ist batta-
lion Scots Fusilier Guards is the best shooting bat-
talion. With respect to the army in the East
Indies, Major General Hay observes that the mus-
ketry instruction of the corps and battalions in the
Bengal Presidency has been conducted on the whole
regularly. The shooting of the regiments has im-
proved on that of last year, except in the 7th Dra-
goon Guards, 19th Hussars, Ist battalion 7th, 46th,
48th, 79th, 90th, and 101st Regiments, in which it
I has fallen cff. The percentage is less than last
I year, although still large in several regiments speci-
fied in the Inspector-General's report. The rifle
training of the corps and battalions of the Bom-
bay Presidency has been conducted regularly,
although the results are not as satisfactory as they
might have been. The shooting of many of the
regiments has fallen off, and that of the 28th and
106th is bad. The musketry training in the Madras
Presidency has been correctly carried on, and the
im-
proved, particularly in the case of the 91st Foot,
shooting
being
goa
Hay's
:sithesuie4pa .
awarded
ibr
ee:sgtrlhapi
ttmethegieceis nyatfi_tvtoiprsracrustiehertheoyefs:
14trhie9tdist
8h
and the percentage of non-exercised men is the
s
smallest in the army.
It is stated in the Inspector-General's report that
" the cavalry practised with Sharp's and Terry's
breech-loading carbines and the Victoria rifle car-
bine ; the Royal Artillery with the artillery car-
bine ; the Royal Engineers with the Lancastertlie
elliptical-bore rifle; the Rifle Battalions with. 5
o_
short rifle, pattern 1853 ; and the battalions t
bean issued
Guards and Line with the long Enfield rifle.
to only 300
annual lt a p
pp ears
practice
cr st i
of reorme
returns
is the best shooting regimoe3n
and that of the 49th
" figure of merit" being 22•
-, .
regiment of the infantry,
Foot is the best shooting reg
the battalion has forfeited the post
that
its ~ figure of merit
being No, 2on the list. The best
i
battalion was executed in advancing from 400 to
ithat t h
tes
ti: ofn Drar a sont. G upa radese
yards,
notwithstanding an order ,
calling
attention to the subject when the ' course' for 1862-
06t2.
nhf3odeoti
the
edai
yards,
commenced,bdao battalion l
°tea n;l, idhaonnt
td:2et
anis tehti Foothnheons h
ui.
retiringrror
skirmishing
had b .
company in the army for the year is
10 company 49th Foot, its
pointsGe"l e r
ai
In the
concludesfirst class,
his
" figure of - _ No.
merit" being
55.67. The best shot in the army •
in the yearly
year's performances,
course of practice for 1862-3 is Sergeant Kay, let
battalion 22d Foot, who obt • amed 22 points in shoot-
ing in the first class ; and
the soundness and the best judge of dis-
tances is Corporal Jackson,
who obtained 27 •
sFhoooottißneggiment,
Ist battalion 24th Foot,
The Inspector-
with the subjoined
remarks ~....
" The shooting
of the army has improved on last
able expose
distance practices
are satisfactory. Another year's
and the results of the jadging
experience furnishes proof, if such were required, of
stem of
musketry instruction which has for some tirse past
been in force in the army ; and when it is considered
practicability of the system
that only 12 days in the year are devotsdotnol
34
branch of the soldier's training;
2, mention
complished are wonderful. 1 would,%e `figure of
that the shooting of a regiment "
hat when under
merit' is under 40 is only mound !
ttenat when under
35 it is very indifferent,
sidered by many who
hours for drill and practice, the resitrildtseaeffinlr'eadyy tie-
present system of
have not carefully
bderr:arenot a sufficient num-
musketry practice thattth
:short distances. `Co this
ber of rounds fired
30 it is decidedly bad. I.t is Tithe
ateseer that no man is allowed to
an nd 300 yards, except by quali-
ofibrjeecattioduistln
would
l beyd o
fication, to prove he can shoot fairly
that and under
that distance, and that
s
allowed for
h
aiping of the recruits and the annual practice
tofe tir tte drilled soldiers 70 arc expended by the former
and 50 by the latter at and under 400 yards. No
man is allowed to shoot between 300 and 600 yards
who does not obtain 15 points at least in 20 rounds,
when firing at and under 300 yards, nor at distances
of the 90 raund