(d) The ammunition is never to be struck with the rammer-head, but pushed home, and with very moderate force; particularly omitting a very common practice of forcing the charge after it reaches the bottom of the bore. In pushing home the charge, No. 2 should always keep his body at the side of the chase, and not before the muzzle.
(e) It is not necessary to pierce the cartridge when percussion-primers are used; their fire being always sufficient to pass through it.
(f) It is only necessary to give the compressors a turn, or a part of a turn; this will relieve the nip completely, and time is saved subsequently in compressing.
(g) Some will take hold of the standard of the carriage-bed that receives the loop of the piece, others of the breech or bed, as may be convenient, to run out the gun.
(h) In tightening the thumb-screw that holds the breech-sight in position, do not turn it too hard; the thread may be stripped by continuing to do so. The sight may descend by the shock of the discharge, but this is of no moment.
In point-blank firing, the breech-sight is not required; the eye must then range along the cylinder and muzzle-sight.
(i) The charge may not be fired; if this arises from not properly drawing the lock, it will be evident at sight, as the wafer of the primer will not flash; in this case No. 2 throws back the lock.
If the primer explodes without acting on the charge, care must be taken not to approach the piece too soon, as it may only hang fire, and the recoil will injure any one in the way of it. After a seasonable pause, the Captain of the howitzer will remove the residue of the primer, pass the bit down the vent, and insert another primer.
PIVOTING THE HOWITZER.
28. The sweep allowed by the stem-pivot is about one point and a half, starboard or port; if this is not sufficient to train the piece on the object, without diverging too much from the course or position of the boat, then the bow-pivots may be used.