a drift and mallet; cut off from the lower end with a fine saw,
or sharp knife struck with a mallet, the proportional part required,
and insert the upper part in the stock, forcing it down with a few
gentle blows with the drift; screw on the water-cap. It is preferable,
however, when circumstances will admit, to take up such distance as
will correspond with the time of flight of one of the regulation
lengths. When firing against ships or earthworks, the fuze should be a
little longer than necessary, in order to reach the object before
bursting; but a little shorter when firing against boats or masses of
troops, in order to insure its bursting in front of them.

328. The Bormann fuze is fitted to the 24-pdr. and 12-pdr. howitzer
ammunition, and all shrapnell. It has also been fitted to certain
shells used for special firing. The length of fuze is the limit of the
distance within which this fire is effective.

This fuze is opened at the required number of seconds, by cutting
close to the right of the mark on the index-plate. The cut should be
made down to the plane of the table, in order to expose the
composition; and is best made at two or three efforts, instead of
trying to effect the cut at once. This fuze should be carefully
explained to the men, as shells have been taken from guns with the cut
made into the priming-magazine, which would explode them at the
muzzle.

329. There are also on trial for the rifled cannon the percussion and
time fuzes of Schenkl, Hotchkiss, Parrott, and others.

No reliable percussion or concussion-fuze has as yet been arranged for
spherical shells.

330. These fuzes will be exhibited and explained by the Ordnance
Officer on the application of Commanders of vessels, who, with the
Executive Officer and Gunner, are enjoined to make themselves
thoroughly acquainted with this most important part of the equipment.

331. Commanders of vessels will carefully note and report the
efficiency of all fuzes fired in action or exercise; giving the
elevation of the gun, the estimated or measured range, the number
fired, the name of the inventor, whether percussion or time, the
number of failures to explode the shell, premature explosions, and
satisfactory action. Great waste of ammunition is frequently
occasioned by an under-estimate of the distance.

332. The times of flight and length of fuze for all projectiles, so
far as ascertained at the Experimental Battery at Washington, are
given in the