PART V.]

CARTRIDGES.

CARTRIDGES FOR GUNS, HOWITZERS, ETC.

Cartridges for "Gomer" Chambered Guns are cut in two pieces, except for the 12 Pr. Howitzer.

FUZE (BOXER'S).

The wooden cases are made of well-seasoned beech. The composition bore is made excentric with regard to the exterior, and two powder channels are bored upon that side in which there is the greatest thickness of wood. A hole is bored through the mealed powder at the top, and into the fuze composition, to insure the ignition of the fuze composition from the priming. Two rows of holes (the holes two-tenths of an inch apart) are made into the powder channels, and the bottom hole in each row is continued to the axis of the composition bore. The small side holes, with the exception of the bottom ones, are filled with pressed powder, and a small portion of clay. The powder channels contain rifle powder, and the bottom side holes have a piece of quick match placed in them.

A simple boring bit is supplied to each gun, in case the borer, specially made for the fuze, is lost, or damaged.

Captain Boxer's 5 inch fuzes are to be adopted for all natures of guns, and howitzers, one inch in length for Shrapnel shells, and two inches in length for common shells.

FUZE, NAVAL (BOXER'S).

Instructions for Naval Shells, and Fuzes.

All naval shells are now prepared so as to take a metal fuze with a right-hand screw 1.3 inch in diameter (outside measurement) and a pitch of 16 threads to the inch: this arrangement has been made to enable all shells to be used either with the Moorsom, or the time fuze.*

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The "bottoms or "sabots" of all naval shells are hollowed out in order that the shot may be in contact with the metal of the shell when the gun is charged with shot, and shell.

All "bottoms or "sabots" for 8 inch naval shells are tapered, and are suited either for the 68 pounder, or the 8 inch guns.

The top of Boxer's naval time fuze is assimilated to the Moorsom fuze, as regards the arrangement for screwing, and unscrewing.

In the Moorsom fuzes made previous to September, 1858, there are only two holes in the head of the fuze, and these holes are not so far apart as those in the Moorsom, and time fuzes at present manufactured. Two additional pins to correspond with the holes in head of the Moorsom fuze, made previously to the date of the order above quoted, are placed in the new spanners.

Four holes are now made in the heads of both the Moorsom, and Boxer's time fuzes, and these holes are also at the same distance apart in each.

*The time fuzes made previous to September, 1858, cannot be used for the Moorsom shells at present in store-but only for the shells prepared especially for them before the above date.

There are two descriptions of time fuzes for the navy: the one is driven with mealed powder, and burns 7 seconds, at the rate of 1 inch in second and the other is driven with fuze composition, and burns 20 seconds, at the rate of 1 inch in second.

The mealed powder fuze is marked with a red ring on the top of the cap, and with M. P. on the side of the square, and the holes are coloured red. The composition fuze has the holes painted white.

The fuzes are marked according to the time of burning, and not, as in the old pattern, according to the length of composition. Small holes, 2 inch apart, are drilled completely through the metal, and the bore is lined with a cylinder of paper 075 inch thick, which prevents the fire of the burning composition from issuing through the holes.

There are two rows of holes in each fuze: this arrangement is necessary in order to obtain the required sub-division-for, on account of the size of the holes, they cannot be made closer than 2 inch, but by having two rows the sub-division is extended to 1 inch.

A brace, and bit are supplied, to prepare the fuzes for service. The mealed powder fuze should always be used when the time of flight is not required to be more than 7 seconds.

TO PREPARE BOXER'S NAVAL FUZE FOR SERVICE.-Hold the fuze firmly in the left hand-place the head of the brace next the body-insert the point of the bit into the hole which corresponds to the time required, and turn with the right hand till the stop comes in contact with the metal.

FUZE, MORTAR (BOXER'S).

Fuze for 13, 10, and 8 inch Mortar Shells.

The fuze for mortar shells has a spiral row of holes, the centres of which are 2 of an inch apart in the direction of the axis of the fuze.

Directions for preparing the Fuze for any particular range.

Hold the fuze firmly in the left hand, insert the point of the bit into the required hole, place the head of the brace against the body, and turn with the right hand until the stop comes in contact with the wood.

N.B.-The wood bottom of the fuze must on no account be cut off, as it supports the composition, and prevents its being disarranged by the shock at the discharge.

Note.-The 13, and 10 inch shells at present in store have larger fuze holes than those which will be hereafter cast. Fuzes on a similar principle, but larger in diameter, will be supplied with these shells.

The fuze holes of the old shells being irregular in size and shape, the fuze must be rasped if necessary.

GREASE.

The composition used for greasing wheels is composed of equal parts of tallow, and coarse sweet oil melted together, and it is made up in kegs of 28 lb. each. In warm weather the proportion of tallow must

be increased.

GRENADES, HAND.

A Land service Hand grenade weighs 1 lb. 13 oz., and may be thrown from 40 to 60 feet. The diameter of the fuze composition is • 2 of an inch, length 2.25 inches, and weight 3 drams.

Bursting charge, 11⁄2 ounce.

GUNPOWDER.

The component parts of Powder are 75 parts of nitre, 10 of sulphur, and 15 of charcoal.

Cylinder powder is made from charcoal that has been burnt in iron cylinders; and Pit powder from charcoal burnt in common pits.

Gunpowder, when ignited, expands with a velocity of about 5,000 feet per second; and the pressure of the fluid is about 2,000 times that of common air.

One pound of Powder measures 32 solid inches.

A cubic foot of Government powder weighs about 58 pounds.

Gunpowder is manufactured by reducing the nitre, sulphur, and charcoal to powder; they are then mixed, moistened with water, and again mixed in a mill for five or six hours, or until the mixture is as intimate as possible, for upon this the strength of the powder chiefly depends.

When taken from the mill, the composition is put in a press, and formed into hard cakes about a quarter of an inch thick; these, when dry, or nearly so, are broken by wooden mallets into small pieces, and reduced into grains by being put into sieves, and forced by means of a wooden roller through circular holes of the proper diameter.

Good powder should be devoid of smell, and of uniform colour, approaching to that of a slate. The particles should be perfectly granulated, and free from cohesion. It should admit of being readily poured from one vessel to another.

In powder that has become damp, large lumps are formed: should the damage, however, not be very considerable, these concretions may be reduced by drying the powder in a hot-air stove, rubbing and loosening the grains; but powder thus affected never thoroughly regains its lost strength.

To test the purity of powder.-Lay a dram of it on a piece of clean writing-paper, and fire the heap by means of a red-hot iron wire: if the flame ascend quickly with a good report, leaving the paper free from white specks, and without burning holes in it, the goodness of the ingredients, and proper manufacture of the powder may be safely inferred.

Good powder blasted upon a clean plate of copper should leave no track, or mark of foulness.

Powder exposed for 17 or 18 days to the influence of the atmosphere ought not to increase materially in weight. One hundred pounds of powder should not absorb more than twelve ounces: if it increase in weight more than one per cent., the powder should be condemned.

Proof of Gunpowder.

To prove the strength of large grain, or common powder, 2 ounces are fired from 8-inch Gomer mortars (at an angle of 45°), placed on stone beds, and so fixed as not to recoil. These mortars are loaded with shot weighing 68 pounds, and the average of the ranges, with Government powder of Waltham Abbey, is 250 feet. Powder made of common pit charcoal will only project such a ball, under the same circumstances, about 220 feet; and powder that has been re-stoved will only produce a range of from 107 to 117 feet.

A musket, charged with two drams of fine grained, or musket powder, should drive a steel bullet through 15 or 16 half-inch elm boards, placed three-quarters of an inch from each other, the first board being set at 40 inches from the muzzle of the musket: with re-stoved powder, the bullet will only perforate from 9 to 12 of the boards.

The quality of large grain powder is ascertained by its general appearance, its firmness, glazing, uniformity of grain, and density.

POWDER MARKS.

The various sorts of Powder are distinguished by the following marks on the heads of the barrels :

*Red L G, or F G, denotes powder of the best quality. † White L G, or F G, is an inferior Powder for salutes, &c.

POWDER MAGAZINES.

To ascertain if a Magazine is damp.—Soak a piece of sponge in a solution of salt of tartar, or common salt and water: let it be well dried, and weighed, and then be placed in the magazine, which, if damp, will cause the sponge to become heavier.

A small weight, suspended by a piece of catgut, or hair, will also discover moisture, causing the former to contract, and the latter to lengthen.

POWDER BARRELS.

Whole Barrels contain 100 lb., and Half Barrels 50 lb., of powder, whether fine, or coarse.