Small Arms Trials

Reports on individual arms and wider trials of British military small arms.

• Measuring Precision - The system used to define the precision of rifled arms during Victorian times was the "Figure of Merit".
• Measuring Velocity - The ballistic pendulum invented by Benjamin Robins (1707 - 1751), was first used in 1740, with the object of measuring the velocity of projectiles and the resistance of the air. Electro-ballistic apparatus was seeing use by the mid-19th Century. Oen such device was Navez Apparatus, which saw use in Great Britain with both small arms and artillery.
• Lancaster Oval Bore - The "Army (Rifles)" report of 1863 commented favourably on the large bore Lancaster.
• The Soper Rifle - Sent for trial at Woolwich, the rifle and was rejected on the ground of "complication of breech arrangement." [1867].
• Thomas Wilson his Patents, Arms and Ammunition - Researching the little known Victorian Engineer, Thomas Wilson and his rifle systems work conducted during the 1860’s and later.