finished during the warm
months of the year, when the lacquer can be best applied.

103. Whenever shot or shell are to receive lacquer care must be taken
that the quantity applied does not increase the diameter more than is
indispensably necessary, and in no case above the established high
gauge. Old lacquer and rust should be removed by scraping, as far as
can be conveniently done before a new coating is applied. For use at
the Navy Yards, a milling machine performs this very expeditiously.
Neither hammering nor heating is to be resorted to for this purpose.

NOTE.--After numerous experiments upon different lacquers employed
for the preservation of shot and shell from rust, the French have
abandoned all of them.

The shot and shell are simply piled, under sheds when practicable,
or in the open air, and when put on board ship cleaned of rust and
rubbed over with whale oil--the same means adopted every three
months during the cruise.

PREPARATION OF SHELL FOR SERVICE.

104. The fuzes for shell will be prepared at the Laboratory in the
Ordnance Yard at Washington, and distributed to other Navy Yards as
they may be required. All fuzes taken from shell, or returned from
ships which have been more than one year in service, are to be sent to
the laboratory to be refitted. Fuzes of over two years date of
manufacture, are not to be issued for service, but returned to the
laboratory.

105. The charges of powder for spherical shell are to be as follows:

|XV- |XI- |X- |IX- |8- |32- |BOAT AND FIELD
|INCH|INCH|INCH|INCH|INCH|PDR.|HOWITZERS.
| | | | | | +----------------
| | | | | | |24-pdr.|12-pdr.
---------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+-------+--------
|Lbs.|Lbs.|Lbs.|Lbs.|Lbs.|Lbs.| Lbs. | Lbs.
Bursting or Service Charge |13 |6.00|4.00|3.00|1.85|0.90| 1.0 | 0.5
Blowing Charge | 1.0|0.25|0.25|0.25|0.25|0.25| |
---------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+-------+--------

NOTE.--The weight of charges for shells will vary slightly from
those given in the table according to the size of the grain and
density of the powder.

106. All empty shell, whether in store or in transportation, shall be
most carefully protected from dampness, and their fuze-holes
invariably closed with wooden plugs