New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-17
SMALL-CALIBRE GUN TESTS
THIN ARMOR PLATES YIELD TO THE
NEW-MODEL NAVAL ARMS.
EXPERIMENTS AT THE INDIAN HEAD PROVING
GROI DS-EXTRAORDINARY VELOCITY OF
PROJECTILES DEVELOPED

GROtNDs-EX VELOCITY OF
PRoJEcTILEs DEVELOPED.
Try TELYGRAPn TO THE TRIBUNE
Washington. Sept. 1.-the oiiica. report Of tho
contest between thin plates Of specla, manufacture
and sma.l-calibre guns. recently he'd al the Naval
Proving Grounds al Indian Head has been received
AT the Navy Department. The report IS signed by
Ensign Tisdae. the acting inspector Of ordnance at
Indian Head who conducted the tests. Il contains
interesting Information ra.ating % the expernenA
which novel In many respects. ami shows that
In such contests the gun Is superior to the plate
special feature Of the report gives the results Of fir
ing against the plates tested with the model
naval small arms. Ensign Tsille says tina, FIVE
plates were tested by him. Taree OF the number
one-half inch thick. AMI two one-quarter inch
thick. The Chrome Steel Works. OF Brooklyn and
the Midvale Company submitted one representative
OF each c.ass. The fifth pate tempered cop
per sheet. one-ha.f inch in thickness. wslch rad
been treated By a secre; process alI supplied by f.
q. Salter, Of Detroit. AS the p.ates were INTENDED
for shields for gunrcrs. they mounted plvoA
with an inclination OF 10 degrees 90 on board ship
The first firing directed against the Brooklyn
company's half-!nch chrome steel pate. which was
IS inches long 81 inches wide. and weighed 2j6 poundG
Three rounds discharged from H);chklss ore
FOUNDER average muzzle ve.ocity of 1850 foot
seconds In the first round the shell penetrated the
pate and broke up Two through cracks were de-
velope!. each about three inches long The shohols
%. inches By Is. inches. TIE plate iishad
threa-eshihs of an inch The second proeciils aso
penetrated the plate and broke up \ through crack
six inches long and face crack II the same width
and .ength were developed. In the third round
piece OF the plate was broken of. and through
crack 70 the bottom and face crack 10 the top were
made. The steel was broken of at the hand score.
but the point and ogiva remained In good condition.
The dimensions of the half-nch Mdvale ordinary
eel ~
Inches. Ii weighed 2s3 pounds, and was subjected
10 three impacts by one-pounder armoriierelng pro-
jecties fired from Hotchkss rapld-are gun In
the frs, round the striking velocity l,2S foot.
seconds. The shell struck the pate toward the bot
tom and TO the left Of the centre line. IL broke up.
after having "gouged" the target depth Of three
eighihs Of inch. The second projec;.le had
striking velocity Of 1870 t1otssconds. 1t penetrated
the pate. and developed two cracks. and tWo
inches long respectively. the left side. The shot.
hole three inches long and one and ha.f inches
wide. and showed gouge its under side. The
plate dshei about five-eighhs ~ inch around
the point Of impact. The back bulge and
one-quarter inches high In the third round the s;rk
ing velocity was reduced 10 93e .oOt-secon!s. The
shell struck the plate normally. and reooundei about
100 feet practically ur!njured. Five rad!ai star
cracks were developed in the pate. each about one
and onehalf inches long. The diameter OF the shot
hoe IA inches, and the back bulge was l 50
inches high
The Salter copper plate was next tried and owing
the feet that much claimed for 1t. and
little known OF Its resisting qualities. the test
was undertaken with unusual interest. The results
disappointing to the experts conducting the
experiments The mounting inclination OF the plate
and other conditions OF the test the same as
in the previous trials OF the ordinary and chrome
steel plates. But two rounds were fired, In the
first round the shell had striking velocity Of
the plate. about twenty-five inches FROM the bot.
tom. and went through without breaking up OF
"A. m Ia
was smooth .he fringe five-eighths OF an inch hign
and the back bulge seven,eighths OF an inch r In
lH fo9t,sec9nds again the shell struck S,o 6ms
being broken up ,' or defor r The plate was
dshed tve-egh.hs OF an inch at The point o. im
as the plate showed but slight resistance 10 pene-
tration 1t failed TO come up TO the requirements
which was Of ordinary steel was first tested ihree
she'll having a reduced striking Velocity OF 7s2 foot;
seconds. penetrated the plate and broke on small
projectile had velocity OF only 81, footseconds;
II did not strike the plate fairly ard sIShhtss
OF an inch deep In the third round the ,b ye Sas
through without being deformed Through ora'A'
wo .hoa we're the s pa in e rooRn
panys ne-foTrh-ineh CHROME plafe The ,,r nri
the middle line near the top and went ,nr %s,ai
the target breaking out circular piece OF mt two
inches long. were made in the plate me d'sT lied
one-fourth OF inch. The second shot iiT
to penetrate the plate and rebounded uhInia,k.
a through crack from the point OF impact W . .
right edge of the plate. and another running scuf
inches below. were developed The dish was a'0'
one-half inch. 49, .u,u
The experiments with the .256-nch calbre sn
arm were highly satisfactory TO the a1,vViysje
OF the reduced bore. Fired against the .rsin
ore fourth inch plate. steel-jacketed ls,sof
riflite penetrated the target az dlstahcs o the
feet. At $50 yards one bullet went throus" In
,Srookyn Company's one-fourth-inch plate. ,,s
firing at the one -haf-inch copper plate az Late
ance OF 100 yards. bullet bene,rated IN was
The extraordinary velocity or 2o'o fool-seco"''
developed in the firing a.. >,, Bureau
In reply to direction from me NaNast. HE re-
Of ordnance Ensign Tisdale submits WIN ~ the
mort interesting conclusions on the results the
several tests described. He says, IN par nj at the
Velocity OF $50 seconds may be county, rnges
To nenetrate one half-inch steel plates AZ se the
varying from 200 to so yards, even IN "a and
MIA fes are pitched at angle or forty similar
that nro iectes from the same gum under mates
CONDITIONS vii! go through one-fourth-ncnn
and break chrome steel plates as tar on on target
wards In the shot could strike " lives Il
normally and not on an angle. MT ltsi stNrs mem
ms his opinion, that. under the cond 'Ioono,rated
TONED. a one half-inch plate would nc " the new
nj distance OF 1000 yards Bullets IRON IRON an ordi-
model small arm. can he says go thr" n thick be-
nary steel plate one-fourth or an ,nch chrome
tween 30 and lO0 yards, 4 one ioui and a
steel plate between $50 and 2W ya'o or over
half-nch copper plate at 100 yaru' -
A singular coincidence happened Sr' nIay the
formancr of Hail Gaines successful p.' law The
Manxman" at Leeds. England the , Christian, the