RANGE

RANGE, is also the distance to which a shell or cannon-ball is thrown from a piece of artillery, by the explosion of gun-powder. See the articles CANNON and MORTAR.

The flight of a shot is distinguished, by artillery people, into two different ranges, of which the first is called the point-blank; and the second, the random-shot. To these also may be added the ricochet, or rolling and bounding-shot.

Whatever has been observed, in other parts of this work, with regard to the flight of a shot from a piece of artillery, is on the presumption that it describes a right line in its passage to the object. This, however, is not strictly true; because by its weight it inclines to the earth every instant of its motion: but as its velocity is very great when first discharged from the cannon, the weight does not sensibly affect the direction in the first instant of its motion. Thus the line it describes, as represented in plate III. extending from fig. 16. to the ship under sail, is apparently straight, and the extent of this line is called the point-blank range of the piece; which accordingly may be defined as the extent of the apparent right line; described by a ball discharged from a cannon.

Plate III

This range is much less than the greatest range, or random-shot; but the piece cannot be levelled, or, as it is generally expressed, pointed at an object intended to be battered, if that object is not within the distance of the point-blank range; for beyond that, the stroke is very uncertain.

A piece is said to fire at random-shot, when the breech rests upon the bed of the carriage, so that the ball is carried to the greatest possible distance. But as, in this method of firing, the ball cannot be directed to any determinate object, it is rarely used in the sea-service, and only when the shot cannot sail of doing great execution in the place whereon it falls.

Besides the two ranges above described, there is the ricochet, invented by the Marshal de Vauban (Ricochet signifies duck and drake, a name given to the bounding of a flat ftone thrown almost horizontally into the water).

To fire a piece by way of the ricochet, the cannon is only charged with a quantity of. powder sufficient to carry the shot along the face of the works attacked. The shot, thus discharged, goes rolling. and bounding,. Killing, maiming, or destroying all it meets in its course, and creates much more disorder by going thus slowly than if thrown from the piece with greater violence.

Reference Works