antle; thickness at tip 0.8 mm.;
gradual decrease at sides to 0.4 mm. 3. Mauser; pointed dome tip, steel
mantle plated with copper alloy; thickness at tip 0.8 mm.; gradual
decrease at sides to 0.4 mm. 4. Krag-Joergensen; ogival tip as in
Lee-Metford; steel mantle plated with cupro-nickel; thickness at tip 0.6
mm.; gradual decrease at sides to 0.4 mm. The measurements of the sides
are taken 2.5 cm. from the tip. Note the more gradual thinning in the
Lee-Metford mantle.]

These points of comparison having been made, it only remains to consider
one other point, that of the relative stability of the bullets. This is
a matter of the greatest importance as regards the regularity or
otherwise of the wounding power of the projectile, and, as far as my
experience went, I believe the Mauser to far exceed the Lee-Metford in
instability of structure.

The core of all four bullets is composed of lead hardened by a certain
admixture of tin or antimony, but the mantle differs in composition,
thickness both general and in different parts of the bullet, mode of
fixation, and consequently in its power of resistance to violence.

Fig. 15 gives an exact representation of the relative thickness of the
mantles, and shows the general tendency to a thickening of the mantle at
its upper extremity, designed to increase both the stability and
striking power of the projectile. It will be noted that in general
stoutness the Lee-Metford stands first, as the case increases gradually
in thickness from base to apex.

Beyond this it must be noted that the Lee-Metford is the only one of the
four that is ensheathed with a mantle composed of a definite alloy, this
consisting of 80 parts of nickel and 20 of copper. Two of the remaining
bullets, the Mauser and Krag-Joergensen, are ensheathed with steel
covered with a thin coating of an alloy of copper or cupro-nickel, to
take the rifling of the barrel, while the third has a plain steel mantle
which is covered with a layer of wax to take the place of the nickel
used in the manufacture of the two others. It is interesting to mention
here that the Boers evidently found the copper alloy coating
insufficient for its purpose, or at any rate not satisfactory in
preserving the weapon from the ill-effects consequent on the friction
between the steel case and the rifling of the barrel, as at about the
middle of the campaign they began to use their bullets waxed, as in the
case of the Austrian Mannlicher; hence the