mmediate attention.

The principle of the gyroscope to the effect that a body would maintain
any desired position while revolving at a high rate about the proper
axis was known and it was found desirable to adopt this principle in
some practical manner to the development and improvement of the
projectile. It was believed that were it possible to give a high
rotative speed to the projectile about its major axis the desired
object of keeping that axis co-incident with the vertical plane of the
trajectory would be accomplished.

Among the first steps towards the development of the modern rifled
artillery and elongated projectile we find certain improvements to have
originated in the small arms pieces. In his "Report on the Art of War
in Europe in 1854, 1855, and 1856" Colonel R. Delafield, U.S.A.,
gives the first reference of immediate importance to the subject in
question. The small arms bullet was of lead which readily adapted
itself to such configuration as was desired. Great contrariety of
opinion existed as to the best form of ball and principle, even, by
which it was caused to partake of the rifle twist of the gun barrel.
The following are some of the first forms and methods adopted and are
worthy of consideration:

[Illustration: Fig. 1]

Among the French and some others the "tige principle" was employed. It
consisted in forcing the base of the ball open so "as to fit the bore
and rifle grooves by driving it on a projecting spike in the bottom of
the gun attached to the breech, and rising through the charge of
powder," as in Fig. 1. For this purpose a countersunk rammer head to
fit over the head of the ball had to be used.

[Illustration: Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7]

In the English Enfield rifle a form of ball was used consisting of a
hollow cup or cone in the bored-out base of the ball (Figs. 2 and 3)
the action of the powder driving this cup into the ball causing it to
expand and take the rifling. Iron cups were used in the Crimea but
because of occasionally cutting off and leaving in the bore a ring of
lead were discarded for solid wood or papier mache cups (Fig. 4). Figs.
5 and 6 show forms of hollow base balls used by the French and
Russians, in which the direct action of the powder on the base caused
the sought for expansion into the rifling.

The Russians at Sebastopol employed also a fourth principle consisting
of two short projections or lugs on the cylindrical part of