The following table exhibits the amount of firing during the month on these lines: Coehorn mortar, 357; 8-inch siege mortar, 509; 10-inch siege mortar, 103; 30-pounder Parrott, 609; 4-inch gun, 63; 100-pounder Parrott, 1; field guns, 3 rounds; making a total of 1,645 rounds, weighing about 32 tons, or at a rate of about 1.1 tons daily, an amount less than in any preceding month.

There has been so much discussion of late as to the merits of the different kinds of guns and ammunition now in use in our service that I have decided to report upon certain records which I have been accumulating here, remarking that it is possible that future firing may modify the results obtained:

First, as to endurance. The only failures have been the bursting of a 24-pounder Sawyer (rifled), and the blowing off of the muzzle of a 30-pounder Parrott, caused by the explosion of a shell in the bore. The gun was not destroyed; the face was cut smooth with a cold chisel, and its accuracy seems not impaired. the following table shows the extent of the tents, the record of a few guns showing the largest amount of firing being selected:

One hundred-pounder Parrott.- Numbers 11, fired 302 times; Numbers 13, fired 533 times; Numbers 15, fired 304 times; Numbers 20, fired 458 times. All old guns; irked an unknown number of times before coming into my possession.

Thirty-pounder Parrott.- Numbers 100, fired 1,210 times; Numbers 101, fired 1,404 times; Numbers 121, fired 970 times; Numbers 255, fired 1,487 times; Numbers 256, fired 1,472 times; Numbers 259, fired 1,392 times; apparently uninjured.

Four and one-half-inch ordnance.- Numbers 41, fired 457 times; Numbers 89, fired 578 times; Numbers 96, fired 499 times; Numbers 97, fired 519 times. All rendered dangerous from not being botched when made; this is a great defect in these guns which should be removed.

Eight-inch siege mortars.- Numbers 20, fired 1,530 times; Numbers 24, fired 1,614 times; Numbers 25, fired 1,521 times; Numbers 26, fired 1,536 times; Numbers 32, fired 2,015 times; Numbers 36, fired 2,016 times. Apparently uninjured, the vents, even, not showing much wear.

Second, as to ammunition. the following tables explain themselves; they include February:

Kind of gun. Projectile. Number Uncer- Number

fired. tain. tested.

100-pounder Parrott.. 1,355 87 1,268

Parrott.

100-pounder Rebel 22 ... 22

Parrott. (captured)..

30-pounder Parrott.. 8,596 1,738 7,218

Parrott.

30-pounder Schenkel, 178 56 122

Parrott. banded..

30-pounder Rebel 43 1 42

Parrott. (captured)..

4.5-inch Schenkel.. 2,662 520 2,142

ordnance.

4.5-inch Dyer.. 1,364 142 1,222

ordnance.

4.5-inch Absterdam 239 30 209

ordnance. (lead)..

20-pounder Parrott.. 572 67 505

Parrott.

20-pounder Schenkel.. 49 ... 49

Parrott.

5.8-inch Sawyer Sawyer 10 ... 10

a. (flanked)..

3.67-inch Sawyer. Sawyer 125 20 105

(lead)..

Kind of gun. Projectile. Took Tumbled. Per

gives. cent

service

-able.

100-pounder Parrott.. 1,223 45 0.96

Parrott.

100-pounder Rebel 21 1 0.95

Parrott. (captured)..

30-pounder Parrott.. 6,924 294 0.95

Parrott.

30-pounder Schenkel, 70 52 0.57

Parrott. banded..

30-pounder Rebel 40 2 0.95

Parrott. (captured)..

4.5-inch Schenkel.. 1,767 375 0.82

ordnance.

4.5-inch Dyer.. 981 241 0.80

ordnance.

4.5-inch Absterdam 65 144 0.31

ordnance. (lead)..

20-pounder Parrott.. 432 73 0.85

Parrott.

20-pounder Schenkel.. 46 3 0.93

Parrott.

5.8-inch Sawyer Sawyer 10 ... 1.00

a. (flanked)..

3.67-inch Sawyer. Sawyer 81 24 0.77

(lead)..

a Gun burst.