Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-10-28
TESTING A SHELL.
OrdeaIs Through Which a Big Gun
Missile Must Pass.
THE SOFT NOSE PROJECTILE.
Its Ability to Bore Its Way Through
Heavy Armor Plate Without ExpIod-
ing Until After Its Impact Was Dis
covered by Accident.

Heavy Armor Plate Without Explod-
ing Until After Its Impact Was Dis
covered by Accident.
Everybody knows that the modern
shell is one of the most dlabolical Of
mans inventions, but how many of us
realize that it is also one Of the most
delicate and complicated?
Recently some firms holding con-
tracts for making high explosive shells
took upon themselves to correct a
| detail in the specification. and, as re.
suit, a certain thread was improved"
They will never do anything of the
kind again, because all their work was
rejected. The apparent absurdity-it
is. in fact, an absolute absurdity, from
an engineering point Of view-is de-
signed of set purpose.
There is a somewhat similar anon
ally in the big shell for penetrating
armor plating, which was introduced
in consequence of an accident. One
day a test shell was fired at piece of
armor plating from the soft side, and
the projectile went clean through 1t
and exploded after impact, whereas
similar shell fired against the front
the hardened and tempered side-shat-
tered and left an indentation of only
few inches.
This singular incident set somebody
thinking, and in consequence the high
explosive armor Piercing shell is now
given a soft nose. To the hard point Is
attached cap Of soft metal, with
which addition it will go through the
toughest piece of armor plate. What
happens on impact seems to be this:
The cap spreads, holding the point and
so enabling it-remember that the shell
is revolving rapidly-to force its way
unbroken through the hard face Of the
plate by sort of boring action.
No less curious is another fact con-
cerning the points Of such projectiles.
After the heads have been worked the
shells are left for weeks before they
undergo the next stage, because, strong
as they look. they are liable to snap.
Why? Think Of the razor. Constant
stropping twists the grain, with the re-
suit that the steel gets tired" and will
not yield keen edge. But If you put
the thing away for few weeks the
grain will return to its normal state,
and you can get satisfactory shave.
In similar way the grain of the steel
is affected by working, though of course
to Il much greater extent. and until it is
set the makers must 60 cautiously.
Steel shows like eccentricity in the
making Of test gauges. Some of the
measurements of shells are very fine,
and the instruments employed are so
delicate that they have to be used
quickly lest the heat of the hand causes
the metal to expand.
Now when groove is cut in piece
of steel which is to be used as q test
gauge the work is laid aside for weeks,
perhaps months. Why not finish it at
once? Because the groove, though dead
true when cut out, may be otherwise in
a short time, even though 1t has been
absolutely untouched.
AS concrete proof of the elaborate
nature Of projectile making take the
case of the shrapne shell. The steel
nnptipn tnAnpnnng nh A 90
erations, and the brass cartridge case
attached to the base requires about six.
teen, counting from the disk of sheet
brass to the finished article. Then
there is the fuse. the delicacy of which
resembles matchmaking.
Altogether the shell is subjected to
about forty inspections and may be re.
jected at any stage.
After a shell has survived this ordeal
1t ought to be- one would think, per
feet, but test shell is taken from
every 120 and actually fred from a gun
into a bank of sand. 1t is then again
examined, and If the contour about the
powder pocket is expanded away goes
the whole batch, because If they were
fired the growing might be torn out Of
the gun.
Perhaps the most striking illustration
of the minute care exercised in projec.
tile making is that every shell is weigh.
ed over and over again If you produce
an eighteen FOUNDER high explosive
shell it must be only few drams over
or under its normal weight; otherwise
1t is rejected.
In this connection It may be of inter
est to note that an explosive shell that
weighs only about seventy pounds will
break into a shower of some 1,200
pieces. A single one of the monster
projectiles fred from fifteen inch ma
val gun will weigh 1850 pounds. 1t
takes twelve seconds for the projectile
Of a twelve inch naval gun to reach its
point of impact when firing at a range
of five miles. To fire battleshlp
broadside costs about $4,000. - Elk.
change.