, 1864-05-22
TEE BATTLE OF THE GUNS


Il kA.E AAA 4 AG VE l. AAG "VANS
Armstrong W.. Whftyvortfs.
There hhs been great deal Of controversy
respecting the relative merits Of the Arm-
strong and Whitwolth guna. In order to
settle the question, the Board of Ordnance
have ordered q competitive examination Of
most severe description to take pace. The
Tines Of tho e1st ult thug speaks Of the
trial:
The contest betwean these rival pieces Is
fast reaching stages at which decisive results
On either side may halpen OF anx moment,
and nrc to certain extent looked for every
dag. On afonday the trials were for destruc-
tive effect; on Tuesday ons Of tue most &c.
sete res.s Of all-yapld and contiano..ss rr,,v
-Waa applied. Up to the present ali ths
guns have fired more th,n six hundred
rounos, rather shove the arerage Of what cast
guns VIII stand, but as yet none give any
apptsc'able Sign Of having eyer been fired at
The trials on Monday were to prove how
e each Eun-the Armstrong shunt gun, the
1Mhitworth, and the Armstrong breech-
loader, would act against common brick
Work walls md villages, both with shot aud
shell But the walls erected to test the value
OF tnis experiment were not by any means the
ordinary rubhle masonry Of villages Or COM
mon nstck work, but were, in truth, most sub.
stantial structures, built In the best manner,
three bricks thick, laid in ce,uent. a wall
was provided for each gun, eight and half
feet in height by outfourteen feet vide and
t#cnty.etght and half inches thick, md at
these the gnns we're first expected to open at
W. 5afda; The committee, however, gave OF
H4 r hat f6ay yaH
and the ili.luck Of commencing and finding
the range fell to Mr.. Nhitworth's lot. Four
shots Wefe allowed for this purpose, aud at
tue fourth the target was hit 1t Is Of elera-
ton, and the ffscen rounds to which each
gun was limited, i've Of round Rhot, five OF
colnmcnced with Mr Whitworth's gun. Tho
result was utterly unexpected. II was be-
lieved that aa q she'll gun MF. Whitworth's e1-
pioelfo power was weak, but the accuracy OF
tae piece vas known to beperfect Every ono
therefore looked to the gun, which wss laid hy
Mr. Whftworth's = most Experienced aaaktnnts
hitting the wall each time, but ciItctfn.r cnn,s
paEatively little with either It's shrapnei Or
common shell. ExtnordInaryas as 1t may seem.
thls really large target for . raage Of 1,100
yards, as It turned out to be, In 'act received
ont OF the fifteen rounds only seven direct
hits, was missed altogether six times, and bit
once sitter ricocbet. Of the five rounds of
solid shot two bit fairly, and two hit after
touching the ground close In front. OF tue
common shell three hit and two missed Al
tcgether, oi the ehrapnel shell two only hit
aud three missed. The gun dnring :heae
rounds, after the frat range had been ascer-
tanned, was only altered two minutes Of
degree-that Is, from 1;45 to 1:41, md this
variation should, If the gun shot accurately rs
TO iongttnalha rangc-that, is, III to tho place
n which the shot dropped, have only given
difference Of one foot higher OF lower In the
spot IT struck tie WALL But slight AZ was
this change Of elevation, it was, from some
unexplained reason, enough when al LIS to
make tue shot strike in front and ricochet
Ssed 6sed aq Rhsm - iset Ta'l or on the other
miss tbs wall altogether. Such an cratic
performance was what no ono expected,
though the supporters OF the Arnlstron.
GAINED that 1t entirely bore ont their theor;,
that the gun, though shooting With wonder
IN taeenIass as regards deviation, either right
or lett Of the true line, is not to be relied on
70 the exactitude Of its longitudinal range
taat at the same elevation and tho same
range and with the same charge, it will drop
It's shots In true line, but at most varying
distances. As impartial recorders Of facts,
wa arc bound to say that this theory is not
uee at long ranges. On the other hand, how
esef, q Is to great extent confirmed By the
shooting at targets, at which ten have been
nfeu at from different ranges, and Sir Will
ham Armstrong has Claims to have won seven
When the the Thttwor,h hs ! done FIRING st, v,,-
liam comtnenccG pi,h nJa hta op1g ebmnt M
At he same ranpc MIN ads us sn1n hsagt, wn.so
tjce Out 5f III * sudaS Sn, 'ss' e seenut ~. H
direct sra he ~ Ists ~ , sno - strass ~ Inc "s!t
brukcn mart Tsis'ng tJ1n gazed !. u st sas o.
lii. Int nthsr,stsa a,o1 ols ~ a.n uuas W nAAs
The cxnmins,tan sn ooang OF no oamse: ~ eh,,,, to,
lowed these traSs ~ ne ne twiiiebt Wss them
deepening too fast s ~ tne contnne The ~" e7ner. %
eres1 ere1. % eho, oseeeSiosa % I ~ s11Msa tb snat
msss,xs sf.,at. anot ~nsSa oau nts y .nese leauy
fben srith ~ anea ms.es naa zone c'ear In19aen
Twf, NJ Sir Ht,i.s,n5 ne nost Rss h5 @ eas
through Tie sane % boz. s and one, Is We have have
na damsra any ~. g1azea a. tae ;op, & oun vn noae
doted ia ,ctat 1su! zoe "aots EN- WI o Wa adaps:
Al, ,iiract;nns sAs.s, 1att o. holes ctAea ,s n
wo1E n;e1na1,aa ano "ita @ masseS ~ " . ns oetes-
well direetea shots '1s would ID evidently T have baye