The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-15 00:00:00

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' More easily but More rapidly than the Brunswick rifle;
and doubtless particularly so at night. I have known a
solitary instance or two where the ball has required consi-
derable force (from the cartridge having been carelessly
handled) to drive it home, but I never saw it jammed. If
the ball, which should be placed about half its length in
the muzzle, is pushed in too far, the cartridge paper will
not break off, as it should do, clean from the ball, and
grains of powder, if any remain in the paper, are liable to
get between the ball and the barrel, but certainly not be•
tween the paper and the ball. The cone of the ball is
fitted tightly into the bottom of that portion of the cart-
ridge which contains the powder, in a Cup, strongly formed
and lined with paper, by which the ball and powder are
Perfectly and securely separated.
With regard to the comparative accuracy and range of
the Minie rifle, I beg to give the particulars of a trial
which took place at Whitstable, between two Horse Ar-
tillery six-pounders and a Minie rifle by Mr. :Yonge, Rifle
Brigade, a fair and good, though by no means a practised
shot.
Two six-pounders fired. 10 rounds between them, at a
barrel floating in the water, and calculated at 600 yards.
A SIX-POUNDER FIRES FIVE SHOT TO A MINIE'S THREE
AND A lIALP THE Rotas-D.—The Minie rifle fired in the
same time (one minute and twenty seconds) three rounds,
and was again loaded when time " was up," which the
guns were not. The guns did not strike the barrel at all,
some shots being good, others very wide, even to falling
200 yards short.
The Minie struck the barrel once, placed its other two
shots within two feet on each side !of the barrel, and the
fourth shot discharged, though not counted in the trial,
struck the barrel. All this from the shoulder.
I have now, I believe, replied to all the questions his
lordship pressed on me, and have only to notice the two
last points in your letter. Firstly—
DETERIORATION.—From first firing the ammunition in
our pouches and replacing with the new issue, I am only
enabled to speak of ammunition that has been in the
pouch for about a year. I have examined it carefully ;
there is not the slightest deterioration, the powder, perfect
to a grain stands the test of rubbing on white paper
without staining it (which, were it in the slightest degree
injured, would have a very different showing), whilst the
folds of paper which envelope or closely enfold the ball,
are as moist with the tallow as the day on which it wax
sent out.
GREASE.—You will see by the foregoing that the neces-
sity for this is obviated in forming the Minie cartridge.
I have yet to give the weight of 60 rounds of Minie ball-
cartridge, and 60 rounds of spherical.
. rs.
Minie, GO rounds 6 1 lbs. oz 5
d 0
Musket, 60 rounds
I have the honour to be, &c.,
W. NORCOTT, Major, Rifle Brigade.
•
SECOND BATTALION RIFLE BRIGADE.—Return showing
the practice made with the Minie and Brunswick rifles; 10
rounds per man, half of which was fired from the shoulder.
MIME AT 300 YARDS.—Number of men who ut in—
Over half, averaging 7 each, 33 ; under half but over three,
each, 12.
averaging 4
Total, 5 6-14th9, s each, 14; under three, averaging 2;:,
MINIE AT 400 YARDS.—Number of men who put in--
Over half, averaging 6 7-15ths each, 15 ; under half, but
over
averaging three
2i each , averag32 ing 4
Total 19-27tha each, 27; under three,
, . , 74.
BRUNSWICK AT FROM 150 to 200 YARDS.-1\ umber of
men who put in—Over half, averaging 6 1-10th each, 8;
under half, but over three, averaging 4 5-14ths each, 14;
under three, averaging 2 17-50ths each, Total, 70.
United Service Magazine.