Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-04-07
4 sls Issh Gan rsars oat shot An~s
shat 81 Iaartsoa. rpsed.


shat al BasrSsos. speed.
some important experiments werr car
ned out a, the artillery range of sir w.
q. Armstrong. Mitchell & Co. The
principal object of trial was q an inch
quick firing gun % % calib-rs of length
on a mounting q new design, specially
arranged 10 ~ suitable FOR either tho
upper decks 90 the between deck bat
trrie. % our new cruisers. Another
feature - this trial was the use of cord
iie. the new sInoknles gunpovdcr.
which has becn the subject Of extensive
trial during the last twelve months and
seems likely "a make q completes rvvolu.
ton In artillery warfare. Tho proof Of
this gun was carried out by the Wool
wich authorities At Silloth, when the
remarkable velocity % ?.C69 T. a was
obtained with charge of oordits pow
der.
The programme began by firing Eve
rounds with a charge Of T. l. powder
and =eryice projectile for rapidity. The
total time % hrng thess five rounds wa
driy-one seconds. Tho same experiment.
was then carried on. with a charge OF
cortlite. but after ,hrce rounds the firing
was stopped Tor afcw minutes 10 remoye
a burr In the threads - the brecch &C
ton, causci 10y sand getting into the
gun. The first thr-e rounds of this seriss
were iired in twcnty.four seconds, and
the second two ip fifteen seconds. Five
rounds were then fired with y X y
powder mon -smOkelessl and service pro-
jectile at q target which consisted 81 two
casks lashel together with fag above.
them. at QoO yards range.
There being no wind the smoke hung
a great deal. and the firing WA therv-
fore directed by an observer who stood
clear of the smoke. The five rounds
wero fred In siNty-one seconds. tho tar
grt being struck twice. the other thrce
shots Just missing.
To show the advantage % cOrdits over
the T. y l. powder five rounds were then
fir,.l with the former at the same target,
the fiAg aud staf Of which still remained
upright. ~ the tide b-ing low the target
r-ts,l on sand. II was found quits feas-
ible % fire with the utmos, rapidity, and
yet. on account % the smokeless quality
of the powder. 90 aim each shot delibsr.
aiely. The result wN that out Of the
Eve shots the target was actually struck
four time- (which completely destroyed
the casks and perforated the fas several
timesl. and the Last shot wa only i've
yar,ls short: and these i've rounds with
the above remarkable accuracy were got
OF In the surprisingly abort time Of hfty.
five seconds
Five rounds with l. X L were now
fred. changing from one target 10 an
other, three targets being placed ut
ranges go, 400 and 500 yards. and
spread out 40 that the gun had 10 Be
trayersed through . considerable arc OF
training In going frOm one to the othcr.
The results were A. follows: I. 800 yards,
hit target. 2, 90 yards, hit target; .,
LOO yards, fifty yards over; 4, Loo
yards, hit target; o, 800 yards, hit tar.
get. cutting flagstaff.
The total time Of these Eve rounds
was Q minutes and q seconds. but
few seconds delay was occasaonsd
by the cap Of q cartridge case, which
was only temporarily secured for thsss
experiments. falling Of In the gun
during loading. which neoessitatel ~
loading. Five rounds Of cortite. under
similar conditions 10 the last series, were
now fired at the 200 and 400 yards tar
gets. the i.soo yards one being no "us9
visible. The results were - follows
I, 90 yards. hit target; 2, 800 yards, hii
target, cutting flagstaff; 8, LOO yards,
ten yards over; 4. 100 yards, i've ysrds
over; 8, 400 yards, twenty yards ovsr.
The total time for these five rounds ~
minute 81 seconda
The gun was then fired with dsQ.
10 degs.. i2 degs.. IS degA and % degA
elevation, with charges Of Z xE and
cordite. TO test the mounting. and excsp<
Tor little difiiculty In running ont vbsu
at 20 degs. elevation everything vsst
perfectly. .-londoo Tina