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Unfortunately, neither Manton nor any Board of Ordnance member seemed aware of the advantages inherent in the use of cylindrical projectiles. Good as the rifling was it could do little to improve the ballistics of spherical shot. Thus the rifled guns performed but marginally better than the smooth-bore, which led the Board to conclude that any advantage lay not so much in the rifling as in Manton's cups. They therefore decided to accept the cups for general use but to discontinue tests on rifled ordnance.
In 1792 Manton and the Board wrangled over payment for the cups which by this time Manton had patented. The Board offered him one farthing (¼ cent) royalty for each cup manufactured, but Manton wanted a lump sum of £30000 ($60000) which the Board refused. No further action was taken over the cups even though adopting them would have improved the performance of all SB equipments.
In 1821 Lieutenant Croly of the 1st Regiment, British Army, proposed a rifled breech-loading (RBL) gun firing a lead-covered projectile, but he made no progress.
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WL Ruffell Issue 94 June 1997 |
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