§ Mr. COURTHOPEasked whether the proposed new 303 ammunition with pointed bullet will consume its own gases in the barrel of the short service rifle?
§ Mr. HALDANE:The reply is in the negative. No ammunition consumes its own gases in the barrel of the rifle.
§ Mr. COURTHOPEasked the Secretary of State for War whether he can give the following particulars of the flight of the new bullet when fired from a 303 service rifle with the proposed service charge of M.D. cordite, stating in each case whether such particulars are estimated or ascertained, angle of departure for ranges of 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, and 2,500 yards muzzle velocity, remaining velocity at 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, and 2,500 yards, impact in foot pounds at 50, 100, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 yards, greatest height of trajectory for ranges of 500, 800, and 1,000 yards, ballistical co-officient, spin as compared with the present service bullet, and wind resistance, lateral, as compared with the present service bullet?
§ Mr. HALDANE:Angles of departure for the various ranges mentioned have not yet 151W been ascertained, but trials are now in progress to obtain the sighting curve, and until this is obtained it is preferable not to give any calculated angle.
The muzzle and remaining velocities are as calculated:—
Muzzle. Remaining. 500 yards … 2,490 f.s. … 1,503 f.s. 1,000 yards … 2,490 f.s. … 1,014 f.s. 1,500 yards … 2,490 f.s. … 820 f.s. 2,000 yards … 2,490 f.s. … 658 f.s. 2,500 yards … 2,490 f.s. … 522 f.s. The striking energy is estimated as:—
50 yards 2,033 ft. lbs. 100 yards 1,819 ft. lbs. 500 yards 802 ft. lbs. 1,000 yards 365 ft. lbs. 2,000 yards 158 ft. lbs. The height of trajectory from actual trials is:—
500 yards 2.4 ft. 800 yards 8.3 ft. 1,000 yards 16.6 ft. As far as it can be calculated at present, the ballistic co-efficient is 387. As regards the spin, if the number of revolutions per second at the muzzle is required, it is 3,280, as against 2,680 with the present service bullet. As regards wind deflection, which is presumably referred to, sufficient data are not at present available to make a calculation.
§ Mr. COURTHOPEasked whether the alteration of the sights of the 303 service rifles and machine guns, necessitated by the adoption of the new bullet, can be effected by regimental armourers without the return of these weapons to the Ordnance Department or to depots?
§ Mr. HALDANE:The method of altering the sights of the rifles for use with the new ammunition is under consideration. There is no reason to doubt that it can be done locally without return of the rifles to the Ordnance Department, but special armourers will have to be sent to carry out the work.
§ Mr. COURTHOPEasked whether the new bullet is ogival in form; and what is its total length, length of curve, and radius of curve?
§ Mr. HALDANE:The new bullet is ogival in form; its total length is 1.269 inches; length of curve 762in., and radius of curve 2.3in.