Whit'worth Ball

(Gun.) A peculiar projectile for rifled fire-arms, invented by Mr. Whitworth, of Manchester, England.

☞ In Mr. Whitworth's system, the bore of the gun has an hexagonal section, and the twist is much more rapid than is usual, being such, in the small arms, that the ball makes one complete rotation in passing over a space of twenty inches. The ball, which is pointed in front, is made to fit the bore accurately, and is very much elongated, its length being about three and one half times as great as its diameter. Scott.