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worthy than those of other nations; that one hears of failure, after failure; that one hears of the guns rapidly wearing out, even if they do not give way; and that one does not hear of these things in the case of foreign guns. Further, it is made a matter of complaint that if there be some mode of construction better than another, our guns are not all made in accordance with that mode, but that they vary, and that some are inferior.
Let us see how the facts are. In 1874, the 12-inch 38-ton muzzle-loading rifled gun, having a shot travel of 14 calibres, composed of a steel tube with wrought iron coils around part of it, was the foremost piece of ordnance we possessed. The projectile of this gun weighed 700 lbs., its extreme length was 3 calibres, its velocity on leaving the muzzle was 1410 feet per second, and its muzzle energy was 9650 foot-tons.
Let us take our present gun of the same calibre. It is 12 inches bore; weighs 45 tons; is breech-loading; is rifled with multiple grooves, taking a rotating ring and not a gas-check; it is made entirely of steel, and has a shot travel of 21⅕th calibres. The projectile of this gun weighs 714 lbs.; it has an extreme length of 3 calibres; its velocity on leaving the muzzle is 1900 feet per second; and its muzzle energy is 18,000 foot-tons.
You will see that in these few years we have converted a muzzle velocity of 1410 into one of 1900, and have done so with the same projectile, and that we have all but doubled the muzzle energy, although the addition to the weight of the gun does not amount to more than 20 per cent.
I call this progress, and very good progress.
Again, as regards dimensions of weapons: whereas in 1874 the 38-ton muzzle-loader was the largest gun we had ever made, we are now making 110-ton guns, entirely of steel and breech-loading, having a shot travel of 25 calibres, a weight of projectile of 1800 lbs., a muzzle velocity of 2100 feet per second, and a muzzle energy of 55,040 foot-tons.
I call that substantial progress.
With respect to progress in construction, I may remind you
