John Breed, Diary and Training diary, item 135

• March 31, 2017 22:35:58 Cheryl Ellsworth

  N.B      Advantages of Elongated Shell

  Pointed Shell

       The ordinary Field Shell has an ogival

  head stuck with an radius of 2 diameters, by using a more

  pointed shell, on the principal of the modern pointed bullet,

  a longer range and flatter trajectory can be obtained giving

  better shrapnel effect.

  Thus the Armstrong latest Field gun fires a shell with a 4

  diameter head, the pointed form involves a certain loss of bullet

  capacity for the same weight of shell, but this is compensated

  for by the flatter angle of descent, the reason why pointed

  shell have not been introduced for existing equipments is

  that their introduction would render the present limbers

  and wagons useless, as the pointed shell would be

  too long for them, the large existing supplies of ammunition

  would become obsolete and all sights would have

  to be regraduated

  (1) longer + heavier shells can be fired, consequently

  more roof for Bullets

  (2) Greater range + greater power obtained + less resistance of Air

  (3) By varying length of shell different weights can be used.

  (4) Allowance can be made for deviation as flight is

  regular.

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