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 during the year, with the re-
sults of their performances in the various practices,
compiled from the returns received from the corps

nsyueetaahre
yfbeeairnt being
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 an 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 of the corps during 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
has fallen off. The percentage is less than last
year, although still large in several
dsl
2ere
Sergeant
gghiei
eisma
pointsne tn t
Ks i
naspyse,hcoil-ostt.
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
shooting in the majority of the regiments has im-
proved, particularly in the case of the 91st Foot,
and the percentage of non-exercised men is the
smallest in the army.
"thebr breech-loading
ci
hs
c-saltovaaat
dle
cavalry
gi
practised
carbines
thearb ilnness p ewacnit
tdohr
t-
hGthe Inspector-General's eri Ft
s:
Victoria
arn report o
riflert
Terry'sththa ti. 8
car-
bine ; the Royal Artillery with the artillery
bine ; the Royal Engineers with the Lanchastther
rifiwiteiasilNinefo.
elliptical-boresGh
Guards
ar
rt d s rifle,
a
L ia e,w rifle;
pattern i t thlh
set
sh3e;long Rifleand
tEnfieldhe Battalionshai
" figure of merit" being - ,
of .
Foot is the best shooting regiment .
the infantry,
army eu to the 49th
is Itth eapbeseta"shforootminGg
its "figure of merit" being 51-54. It is true that
annual practice returns th2a2t.it3healnst
dth Dragon
that
aa
list.tg a: Of i aPt
ThlehPe49 b. Guardstbest
s t
practice for 1862-3 300 yards,
shooting
todeottecotihnyo2a:
the table;
rnoottcommenced,
sbetesnotwithstandinghi
luopooe battalionacemnaetne,hesbp.iibate,aeeuontnsstxtrhdtubty,,
e.2ebeetacasniiijouhnntnebethotegieaohtntthdtrFheNtwodraiioeneiseontohlonkrstoiba:tioiutrnrtrh2n,harmaiom,
natdecifioihhayngicvs:
insaneesaahfstubpno:
vio,ienrcfrecaoiegsnoorr
ougnafpteirlrhiysfa.
]..mteeriofie4tirrei et ,
0,
battalion
onts7mle. Regiment,
i openaf company
a49Ft
Foot,
0 Ft, oo
who
,
shoot-
ing in the first class
ac;
kazdn,tsht4eOPl°paoctseot
" The shooting
with the subjoined remarks
performances who obtained 27
experience furnishes
dis-
tances is Corporal S
points in the first class,
year's thest battalion best
ho fFoot,
s ho
ef
st
ph
re
oaorfm,
if
yf
eneral concludes his able expose
The In
practices m an c easr,
are
nd thesatisfactory.
results
Aofntohtehejradygeiaurgs
distance
required, of
them soundness and racticabilit of the system of
musketry instructionwhich has for some time past
hsuacahimwperreoved
required
n last
been in • •considered
force in the army ; and when it 18 this
that only 12 days in the ear are devoted to
34
branch of the soldier's training; indeedl'reaandlyyac-
hours for drill and practice the results
again mention
complished are wonderful. s I wooe
ddhaogse
'figure of
that the shooting of a
regimentt whose
when under
merit' is under 40 is only model?
that when under
35 it is very indifferent, a
an
sidered by many who
dne
30 it is decidedly ba. It
is
:ondthe present system of
have not carefulltihd:
::e are not a sufficient num-
musketry practice c
ber of rounds fired ath o
tatth
the short distances. To this
answer that no man is allowed to
objection I would
beyond 300 yards, except by
fire at distances
that he can shoot fairly and under
quali-
fication, to prove
hat of the 90
rounds allowed for
that distance, and t
the training of the recruits and the annual practice
of the drilled soldiers 70 are expended by the former
and 50 by the latter at and under 400 yards. No
mail is allowed to shoot between 300 and 600 yards
rounds,
who does nut obtain 15 points at least in 20
when firing at and under 300 yards, nor at distances