Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-05-08
R1FLED GUNS AND SMOOTH BoREs.


Armstrong, (the inventor of the Armstrong
gum to the London Times, which has been al
luded to in the papers:
To the Editor of the Times SIR So
much Misrepresentation prevails as to the rela-
tive merits of riAed and smooth bore guns, that
l am led to offer a few observations on the sub
ject
will take for comparison the 110-pounder
rhed and the 6S-pounder smooth bore guns as
being the most powerful of their respective ma
lures at present in the service.
With a charge of 14lb. of powder the 10
FOUNDER rihsd gun propels its shot with a ve-
locity of about l,2l0 feet cecond, while with
charge of l5lb. of powder the 64-pouuder
smooth-bore gun gives velocity of about l.
$50 feet second.
The force of a projectile is equal to its weight
multiplied by the square of its velocity so that
the damaging affect of these two shots would
be as 110 X 1902 for the 11O-pounder, and
as 6S Y 1892 for the 6S-pounder, or very
| nearly as II to l6 favor of the 6S-pounder.
This small difference is scarcely so much as is
due TO the difference of charge, so that with
equal quantities of powder the riaed gun would
have rather the advantage.
When the charge of the riaed gun is in
creased to 20b the effect of its shot upon plates
at short distances exceeds that of the 6S-poun-
der to an extent fully equal to that due to the
excess of charge. This has been proved by
many experiments, made against plates with
gun rihed on the shunt plan, of the same cali
bre as the 1l0-pounder, but made heavier and
stronger, to bear the larger charge. In
short. both theory and practice show that the
batterng effect at close quarters is pretty near
ly proportionate to the quantity of powder used,
and that very little is either gained or lost by
riding the gun or increasing the weight of the
projectile.
These observations, however, apply only to
very short ranges. The spherical shot, meeting
with s"eOto~ atnAaspharic resistance in relation
| to its weight, loses velocity so much more rap
idly than the elongated shot, that at the dis
tance of only go yards the two projectiles
move with equal velocties. Hence at that
! point, the force Of the Hob. shot will not ex-
ceed that of the 6Slb. shot in the proportion of
the weight, or as 10 or 6S As the distance
increases the superiority of the heavier shot is
further augmented, and at $500 yards the riAed
projecile strikes with fully four times the effect
Of the 6S-pounder shot.
This is fair statement of the case so far as
battering effect is concerned, but to Judge of
the relative merits of rihed and smooth-bore
ordnance we must consider also their compare
tive efficacy as shell guns. Now, the shell of
the 6S FOUNDER smooth-bore contains IA lbs.
of powder, but the shell of the 1l0-pounder
rihed gun holds bursting charge of Slb. So
also the form and capacity of the 1l0-pounder
segment shell make it far more effective than
the corresponding sharpened shell of the 6S-
FOUNDER. The rihed gun has therefore enor-
nous superiority over the smooth-bore in the
destructive effect of its shells.
l can see little advantage in the smooth bore
over the riied gun, unless it be that the spheri-
cal projectile, being lighter is more rapidly
ln1 hat ha UtIn bpinp h.
ected to the excessive strain incident to the use
of elongated projectiles, can be more easily con-
structed.
have stated that the penetrating power of
gun at short ranges depends chiefly upon the
amount of its charge. When, therefore, we
are told that the Americans are using proectiles
of 200b and are preparing guns for projectiles
of l,000lb., we can form no opinion of the
power of their ordnance, unless we are also in
formed of the quantity and strength of the
powder they employ. Our own service no.
FOUNDER has been repeatedly fred with projec-
tiles of l,OOOlb., but we should greatly err in
estimating the power of the gun by that cri-
terion. Judging the American ordnance by the
results of the late naval conflict, we must con-
clude that it is greately inferior in penetrating
effect to ours, for we know that defensive struc-
lures closely resembling those applied to the
Merrimac and Monitor, both in thickness and
construction, nave, IN experiments at CuOe'
buryness, really yielded to the fire both o
,, 6S-pounder and l10-poundcr guns.
Yet, though l consider our 1l0-pounder
weighing 81 cwt., to be amply sufficient for fir
ing shells, it must be conceded that neither i
: nor the 6S FOUNDER snooth-bore, weighing 81
cwt., nor any other gun as yet in the service o
this or any other countries, is sufficiently pow
erful to operate with effect against ships pro
teeted like the Warrior. 1t is not by piercing
small clean cut holes with steel shot that VT
can hope to disable such ship. To act witt
proper effect, we must knock large ragged hole
in the side, and render the interior untenabl
: from splnters We now know that gun o
> u tons weight, fred with charge OF 0Olb. o
= powder, will break through the side OF tn
- Warrior the strongest ship aiioat. Aga!ns
y such gun the extemporlzed Monitor and Mer
! rimac would be little better than timber ships
), for the cast-ron shot, in passing through tn,
d ormor. breaks into a thousand pieces, and woul'
}, act like shrapne OH the crew within. But W
:; must be prepared for vessels stronger thai
l, these-stronger even than the Warrior, an
d should, therefore, 90 on increasing the size c
: our guns until we reach some parctical lim
Is The weight of such guns, however objection
able. must be accepted as necessity, and shin
must be adapted for their reception. The me
chancal problem of the working monster gun
Z. at sea seems already wel-nigh solved by Cap
Coles method but if difficulties vet remair
+. we may rest assured that they are of natur
IS to be overcome by engineering skill. 1 hay
, the honor to be, Sir,
n Your obedient Servant,
n