THE BREECH-LOADER
ANI> HOW TO USE IT
WITH NOTES ON RIFLES
W. W. GREENER
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
Darlington JMemorial Library
»^f»»,
THE BREECH-LOADER.
AND HOW TO USE IT.
THE BREECH-LOADER,
AND HOW TO USE IT.
WITH
NOTES ON RIFLES.
BY
W. W. GREENER,
Author of "The Gun and its Development," " Alodern Slutt Guns,
"Choke-Bore Guns," "Modern Breech-Loaders," etc.
Jllus^trateb*
SIXTH EDITION.
CASSELL AND COMPANY Limited
LONDON, PARIS &= MELBOURNE.
1898.
[all rights reserved.]
INTRODUCTION,
This treatise is written for that numerous class of
sportsmen who delight in a day's shooting, but have
neither the time nor the means to make the sport
a Hfe's study. PubHshed at a popular price, it will,
it is hoped, reach many who have hitherto been
deterred from shooting, believing it to be an ex-
pensive recreation. The author's aim is to induce
all who can to participate in a manly sport, and to
advance the interests of those who look to the
Gun for pleasure, health, or occupation.
The book is not written for experts, nor for those
who have special opportunities for the acquisition
of the art of shooting ; and in order to make it as
attractive as possible to the general reader, many
matters which would interest the enthusiastic shot
only have been omitted.
CONTENTS.
Part I.
CHAPTER I.
The Shot-Gun : its Invention, History, and Varieties — The
component Parts of a Gun — The Material for Gun-
Barrels — Greener's Wrought Steel — Barrel Welding —
Calibres — Types of Modern Guns — Buckshot Guns —
Weights, and Standard Charges ... ... ... ... i
CHAPTER n.
On the Choice and Fit of a Gun — Spurious, Sham, and
Second-hand Guns — The Quality, Price, and Manufacture
of Guns — Answers to Common Questions 53
CHAPTER in.
Of the Shape and Dimensions of Gun-Stocks — Greener's
Unbreakable Stock — Shooting Unamended by fit of Gun
— Of the fit of Guns — How to choose a Gun that will fit
Correctly — Oliver's Sight-Aligner and adjustable Gun —
Position in Shooting ., ... 81
CHAPTER IV.
Handling the Gun — How to put Guns together — How to
clean and keep in Good Order — How to prevent Break-
ages and Damage— How and when to send for Repairs
— Temporary Breakdowns and the Remedy — Rough-and-
ready Repairs — The Gun Room ... 112
-iii Contents.
CHAPTER V.
listory of Choke-Boring— The Roper Muzzle— Dr. Mab-
berly's Patent Attachable Muzzle— The Essentials of a
Gun— The Flight of a Charge of Shot— Pattern, Pene-
tration, Velocity, Stringing, Spread, Range, Recoil—
Large-Bore Guns — The Pigeon Gun — The Game Gun —
Choke-Bores versus Cylinders — How to Load — Useful
Loads — Swedish Wads — Scatter Loads ...
CHAPTER VL
A Miscellaneous Chapter — Gunpowders — Nitro-Explosives —
The Bursting Strain of Gun Barrels — Shot — Cartridge-
Cases — Ignition — Wadding — To load Cartridges — The
Shot Counter — Loaded Cartridges — Gun-Cases — Clean-
ing Implements — The Weight of Trigger Pulls ... ... i8i
CHAPTER VII.
The Gun : how to Use it— Handling the Gun in the Field —
Positions : Carrying, Waiting, Loading — The Art of
Wing Shooting — Holding Ahead — Theories and Figures
— Holding On — Snap Shooting — Of Position in Shooting
and Aiming .. ... ... ... ... ... ... 211
CHAPTER Vin.
Of Shooting generally — The Etiquette of Field and Cover —
How to obtain Sport and enjoy it — How to find Game
— How to Approach — The Value of Shootings ... ... 243
CHAPTER IX.
Of Trap Shooting — Pigeons and Traps — Boundaries — Rules
of Pigeon Shooting — Modifications — Record Matches —
Hints on Live Bird Shooting — Inanimate Targets— Rules
of Target Shooting — Best Scores recorded — How Experts
Shoot — Performances of the Best Guns at Gun Trials —
Long Shots ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 257
Contents. ix
Part II.
NOTES ON RIFLES.
CHAPTER X.
RIFLES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT.
PAGE
The Invention of Rifling — The Brown Bess— The Brunswick
— The Jacobs — W. Greener's Expansive Bullets — The
Minie Rifle— The Enfield— The Whitworth— The Henry
— The Metford — The Lee-Speed — Trajectories — Tubular
Bullets 294
CHAPTER XI.
THE SPORTING RIFLE.
Early Large Bores— Sir Samuel Baker's Rifle — Forsyth's Rifle
— The Origin of the Express— The '303 Long-range Ex-
press— Weights and Lengths of Double Rifles — Express,
Long-range, and Rook Rifle Cartridges — Accuracy —
Range — Velocity — Energy — Penetration — Bullets— Single
Rifles— Combined Rifle and Shot-Gun— Choke-bore Rifle
— Rifle Powders — Large Bores— Choice of a Sporting
- Rifle— Sights— Rook and Rabbit Rifles 310
CHAPTER XII.
RUDIMENTS OF RIFLE-SHOOTING.
Aiming Practice — Positions for Rifle-Shooting— Prone —
Kneeling — Standing — The Back Position — Positions for
Target and Game Shooting... ... ... ... ... 362
Long Shots 3^9
The -303 AS A Sporting Weapon 375
Index 381
Price List 3^9
THE BREECH-LOADER,
AND HOW TO USE IT.
part I.
CHAPTER I.
THE SHOT-GUN ; ITS INVENTION, HISTORY, AND
VARIETIES — THE COMPONENT PARTS OF A
GUN — CALIBRES, WEIGHTS, AND STANDARD
CHARGES.
The first use of small shot in fire-arms was made
by German peasants and shepherds about the
middle of the sixteenth century, and from the
single-barrel wheel-lock musket of those days the
present almost perfect type of sporting weapon has
been slowly evolved. It was not until the middle
of the seventeenth century that double guns were
made small and light enough to be of use for
sporting purposes, and it was a century later before
ribs were added.
The flint-lock gun, as made at the commence-
ment of the present century, was regarded by the
sportsmen of those days as an almost perfect
weapon. That celebrated maker, Joseph Manton,
B
2 The Breech-Loader,
lived long enough to see the introduction of per-
cussion-caps, and joined in the stormy discussions
as to the merits of detonating balls, caps, and flints
— questions which vexed the sportsmen of his day.
The percussion-cap gun was a great improve-
ment on the flint-lock, and although its day was
short, it may be regarded as the most durable gun
ever made, or probably ever to be made. Gun-
makers then reverted to an ancient principle : that
of breech-loading, and the much over-rated Le-
faucheux gun and the truly great achievement of
making the cartridge-case contain its own means of
ignition were the immediate results.
The principle of dropping down the barrels for
loading is that most generally adhered to by gun-
makers, and has now attained its most perfect form.
The pin-fire, or Lefaucheux cartridge, was quickly
superseded by the central-fire system, introduced
into this country by Mr. Daw, of Threadneedle
Street, about i86i, and so enthusiastically cham-
pioned by him as to become almost immediately
popular. The great advantages of the central-fire
system are— increased safety from accidental dis-
charge, and greater certainty of ignition, non-escape
of gas round the pin-hole, greater cleanliness, and
greater speed in loading.
The rebounding lock by which the hammer re-
bounds automatically until it stands free from the
striker is the latest important improvement appli-
cable to the central fire gun of all systems of
And How to Use It. 3
breech-loading, but has in turn been quite super-
seded by the hammerless gun.
Before considering the advantages of the various
types of modern guns, it may be advisable to give
in detail the component parts of a gun, with such
particulars concerning them as will enable any one
quite unacquainted with fire-arms nomenclature to
understand such technical terms as are found in all
treatises of this kind, and know a gun thoroughly.
BARREL.
The tube in which the charge is fired, usually
of iron rods welded together, sometimes of steel,
drilled or rolled. In double guns the tubes are
brazed together at the breech end, the lumps for
holding the tubes to the breech-action body being
dovetailed into them and brazed. The ribs are the
bands of metal soldered to the tubes from breech
to muzzle, the loop the small lump to which the
fore part of the breech mechanism is attached.
The iron for the manufacture of gun-barrels was
formerly made from scrap and old horse-shoe nail
stubs. The modern way of preparing the metal
for gun-barrels is to make the whole from new
metal as follows : — Bars of prepared steel and
superior gun-iron are placed together in fagots
alternately, then heated to welding heat in a
furnace, and placed under a tilt hammer, and
welded into one bar, which is passed through rolls
and cut into pieces ; then go through the same
B 2
4 The Breech-Loader,
processes of hammering and welding again. The
best metals made by this process are laminated steel
and fine Damascus, the former containing a larger
proportion of steel.
The cheapest kind of twist barrels is that
called scelp twist, as illustrated. It is made from
the commonest gun-iron, drawn out into ribands,
and coiled round a mandril, and afterwards
welded together. When finished and browned, the
figure consists of narrow lines, light and dark alter-
nately, which run spirally round and round the
barrels, from breech to muzzle. This kind of barrel
is used on the commonest guns only.
DAMASCUS.
The Damascus and laminated barrels differ only
in the way that the iron and steel are put together
in the first process.
For the cheaper or single-iron Damascus, a
square rod is taken about four feet long and
five-eighths inch thick, and placed in a forge fire
until about eighteen inches of the rod is brought to
a red heat, when one end is thrust into a square
hole in a block made fast to a frame, and the other
end fixed into a movable head at the other end of
the frame. A rotating motion is then given to the
movable head by means of a winch-handle and
cog-wheels. The rod, being square, cannot turn
round with the head, so is twisted on itself
And How ro Use It.
6 The Breech-Loader,
The cheaper quality laminated steel, which is
also known in the trade as single-iron Damascus, is
made b}^ drawing out this one rod into a riband,
which is afterwards coiled on a mandril and welded
together. The illustration shows the figure of the
barrel when finished. The next quality is two-iron
Damascus or laminated steel, made from two twisted
rods, each three-eighths square, and welded together
and rolled into a riband, with the twisted spirals in
opposite directions, as shown.
Three rods are used, and welded in the same
way for the best barrels. This is the favourite
number for English barrels. Sometimes, but
rarely, four rods are used. Three rods make a
very much finer figure than either one or two
rods.
In Belgian barrels as many as six rods are
sometimes used, but the over-twisting rends apart
the fibres of the iron and the rods are weakened
thereby.
Belgian barrels are considered to be inferior
to those made in Birmingham, on account of the
soft material used in their manufacture, there
being but little steel in their composition. The
figure is frequently obtained by using two differ-
ent preparations of iron instead of iron and
steel.
Belgian barrels are, therefore, not suitable for
full choking.
A\D How TO Use It.
Scelp Gun-Barrel.
Sinsfle-Irnn Damascus Biurel.
\\o-Iron Damascus H'^rn^l.
8 The Breech-Loader,
greener's wrought steel for gun-
barrels.
One of the greatest difficulties with which a
gunmaker has to contend is the "grey" in gun-
barrels. The " grey " is a defect of small actual
importance, but decidedly a blemish on a fine
weapon, and an eyesore in every description of
figured gun-barrels.
The numerous twistings and weldings of gun-
iron rods and ribands are fully described in the
description of the barrel-welding processes, and it
must have occurred to the reader that the Damascus
barrel is one mass of welds from breech to muzzle.
This is so, and unfortunately a certain amount of
burnt metal (or scale) is embedded within some of
these welds, and in the finished barrel this frag-
ment of scale forms a "grey," or small speck of
useless material, which will not colour in harmony
with the other part of the barrel, but is made more
apparent by the finishing processes of polishing
and browning. These " greys " may appear some
time after the gun has been in use, the hard metal
composing the barrels being eaten into by rust, or
the thin coating over the " grey " being worn away.
They are developed in the inside by the chemical
action of the powder gases, and are practically
ineradicable. Sportsmen must not imagine that
" greys " weaken a barrel to any appreciable ex-
tent, and their development in a gun after some
And How to Use It. g
months', or some years' wear, in no way reflects
upon the reputation of the gunmaker.
A barrel eaten right through with rust, at or
near the muzzle, may be fired with perfect safety,
and consequently a " grey " is not to be regarded
as an element of danger ; and barrels after thirty
years' wear, or after firing upwards of 100,000
shots, are safe to use, providing they are free from
dents, bruises, and rust inside. Best quality barrels
can be ruined — and many have been — in a couple
of seasons by rough, careless usage, firing when
dented, and being allowed to rust inside and out.
A welded barrel will not stand a blow given
sideways ; a knock against a hard substance will
dent one barrel and frequently break the other in
the weld. Many more guns are ruined by hard
knocks than by hard wear.
Owing to the great difficulty in procuring per-
fectly welded barrels, gunmakers are now discarding
tubes of the Damascus variety for those of solid
steel, which are free from " greys " and blemishes,
and if carefully chosen and tested will fill every
requirement of the sportsman.
The harder the Damascus barrel the greater the
liability to " greys," and a soft barrel is of no use, as
it will not stand the choking required to make it a
hard, close-shooting weapon, nor, however well it
may be choked, will it retain its good shooting
qualities. For hard work, best steel is to be pre-
ferred to Damascus of any variety ; and, among
lo The Breech- Loader,
other advantages, the following may be mentioned :
dents and bruises more easily raised, barrels less
easily rusted, not so liable to honeycomb at the
breech, and the browning or colouring is more
durable.
It has been urged against steel barrels, that
owing to the absence of figure, the gunmaker would
be able to substitute inferior metal for best quality
steel, and thus impose upon his customers ; at the
present time matters of equal importance are left
to the decision of the gunmaker, and there is no
ground for the supposition that a maker who values
his reputation would vend an inferior article, or
that a respectable dealer would misrepresent the
quality of the steel in a gun-barrel.
The old method of drawing steel tubes is open
to serious objection, but the present method of
drilling gun-barrels from a solid forged bar enables
the maker to produce a first-class article at a rea-
sonable price. Such steel barrels are absolutely
reliable, there is no dang-er of overheatinsf ; the
proof-house tests discover the weaknesses arising
from any inherent defect in the metal, such as would
result from a "blow-hole " in the raw ingot of cast-
steel ; there is no fibre, and the absence of rolling
and drawing processes precludes the possibility of
the finished barrel having a " cold shut " or similar
defect.
Steel-barrels are therefore to be preferred to
the best Damascus, or any hand-forged or welded
And Ho IV to Use It. ii
tubes ; sportsmen who have used both are in favour
of the steel, and gunmakers can recommend them
with every confidence.
"Wrought Steel" is the name given by the
author to a brand of metal specially suited to the
requirements of the gunmaker for shot-gun barrels.
In this steel the metal is not drawn, but is forged
out of a solid bar, and drilled its whole length.
Barrels so made are of close metal, stronger and
denser than any obtainable by other means.
The *' Wrought Steel " recommended is made
of a homogeneous metal of very fine quality, and
admirably adapted by its great tenacity, or tensile
strength, for use in gun-barrels. It has been
thoroughly tested by the author, as well as at the
Government proof-house, with very heavy charges,
viz., 28 drachms of powder, \\ ounces of shot, this
charge being equal to seven ordinary charges of
powder and four charges of shot. This test, and
many others, it withstands perfectly.
" Wrought Steel " barrels are of sufficient
strength for all practical purposes, and only in
appearance are they at a disadvantage when com-
pared with twisted Damascus and laminated steel
barrels.
Unlike "cast-steel" barrels of the old type,
" Wrought Steel " barrels bulge instead of break-
ing, and increased strain produces an open burst
similar to that of a welded barrel, instead of a
sharp break or a longitudinal rip, as is found to
12 The Breech-Loader,
result with imperfect steel barrels. The quality of
metal is such that it will stand successively more
than double the strain to which a sportsman can
submit his gun with fair usage. And it will not
" rip " or " crack," however sharp may be the ex-
plosive used.
'' Wrought Steel " barrels may be relied upon
as being equal to the barrels manufactured by
the Whitworth Company ; and, further, they do
not add to the price of guns costing over 20
Bulges and burst in a Barrel of "Greener's Steel."
(Reduced to half size.)
guineas, whereas Whitworth barrels cost more on
all qualities.
Many experiments with various explosives have
been made in order to test thoroughly the fitness
of this steel for gun-barrels, and the results have
convinced the author that there is no material which
will excel it, and, as the illustration shows, when
tested to a bursting strain, the break which follows
the bulging of the barrel is similar in character to
the failure of Damascus under like circumstances.
And How to Use It. 13
The bulges shown in the illustration were caused
by placing a small charge of shot between two
felt wads at the spot where the bulges are, and
firing an ordinary charge from the gun.
The burst was effected by increasing the charge
of shot between the wads ; the bulges appeared
about fifteen inches from the breech-end after
firing.
As many as five thick wads may be placed in
any part of the barrel, and the gun fired without
causing a bulge, but experiments have proved that
even the small quantity of J-oz. shot placed be-
tween wads at any place in the barrel will cause a
bulge even as near as nine inches from the breech.
The different sizes of the bulges in the illustra-
tion were caused by different charges of shot. The
shape of the burst indicates the extent of bulging
before bursting.
The illustration is reduced to half size.
As to the shooting qualities of steel barrels, it
is not claimed that they shoot better than those of
ordinary gun iron, as, good shooting is only ob-
tained by skill in boring, but steel being harder,
they should retain their shooting qualities longer
than those of softer metal.
A barrel of " Greener's Wrought Steel," 30 in.
long and 12 gauge, was reduced until it weighed
only nine ounces, the metal in the chamber being
only -038 inch thick, and at the cone '045 inch.
In order to test its strength, the charges
14 The Breech-Loader,
fired from it were gradually increased from 3 drs.
and \\ oz. shot to 5 drs. and \\ oz.
With the last charge the barrel bulged slightly,
as will be seen by the illustration D, which is an
actual size representation.
This experiment proves conclusively that in a
barrel of an ordinary light game gun there is
ample reserve metal to ensure safety with the
heaviest charges.
It is necessary to announce that, owing to a
trade-mark dispute, the author has discontinued the
w^ords, " Sterling Steel," in connection with this
metal, having adopted as a trade-mark an ele-
phant in combination wath the words " Greener's
Wrought Steel."
SIEMENS STEEL.
The process here described is the miost common
in England for the manufacture of Siemens steel
shot-gun barrels,
A piece of steel is taken, about ten inches long,
and having a diameter of two inches ; a hole is drilled
through it. It is then placed into a furnace, and,
when at a sufficient heat, is passed through rolls,
and drawn out to the required length. Barrels so
made are fairly reliable, but there \s a possibility of
the steel getting overheated, which deteriorates the
metal. Again, should there be a speck in the steel
at the commencement, the process of rolling draws
it out into a very fine split, imperceptible, perhaps,
And How to Use It.
15
o
^ -a
"''luiJi
•i6 The Breech-Loader,
but still a serious fault, and one which may cause
a burst.
The only reliable method of manufacturing
steel barrels is to forge out the metal into a solid
rod, and afterwards drill the whole length.
The Siemens steel used upon the author's
lower-priced guns is so drilled, and can be recom-
mended as the next best to wrought steel.
Other steels may possess the tenacity re-
quired of the material for shot-gun barrels, but
none have yet proved so reliable. The alloys of
iron, manganese steel, nickel steel, aluminium steel,
and other materials possessing essential features,
are not yet made of such uniform quality as will
admit of their adoption by gun-makers of reputa-
tion for making into shot-gun barrels, although
undoubtedly of such an alloy the guns and rifles of
the future will be manufactured.
THE CHAMBER.
The annexed illustrations show a section of the
breech end of the barrel of an ordinary light
i2-gauge game-gun, exact size and shape of
cartridge chamber, and thickness of metal. The
thinnest part is at the commencement of the cone
at the extremity of the cartridge chamber. To
prove that there is sufficient metal to ensure safety
with heavy charges, a i2-gauge barrel was reduced
until it presented the appearance of Fig. B, the
And How to Use It.
i
I
I
i
CO
«-^^-^->.,— Ki
iS The Breech- Loader,
metal at the weakest point being 0055 inch thick.
It bulged slightly after repeated firing with 3 J drs.
No. 4 Alliance powder, and \\ oz. shot. An exact
representation of the bulge is given in B. At
6 inches fron:i breech, the barrel was but ^V i^ch
thick, and there was no sign of bulging.
THE BREECH-ACTION
consists of the body to which the barrels are fitted,
and in which the lock-work is arranged or at-
tached, the bolts to secure the barrels to the body,
the lever-spring, etc., to work the bolts, the joint-
pin on which the barrels are hinged by the barrel
lump, and the knuckle-joint against which the fore-
part abuts.
FORE-PART.
A detachable piece which completes the
breech mechanism, and forms the knuckle-joint ;
it lies under the barrel, to which it is secured by
a fastener engaging with the barrel loop. {See
Illustrations.)
LOCK-WORK.
The firing mechanism of the weapon consists
mainly of a spring, which is compressed as the
hammer is cocked, a scear which enters a notch in
the tumbler to hold the hammer at cock until the
trigger is pulled, and such firing pins, nipples,
pins, bridk*s, etc., as arc necessary to secure the
A AD How TO Use It. 19
mcchan'sm to the lock-plate in the breech-action
body, and communicate to the percussion-cap in
the cartridge-case, the force of the blow given by
Grip.
FOKE-ENDS.
Anson.
Deelev and Edq:e.
the liberated mainspring. It also includes safet\-
bolts and various devices to protect the user of
the gun from the accidental discharge of the
weapon.
STOCK.
The handle of walnut-wood to which the gun
20 The Bkeech-Loader.
is fixed, in order that it may be fired from the
shoulder, aligned, balanced, and the various
mechanisms manipulated with ease. The furni-
ture of the stock consists of the heel-plate,
trigger-guard, etc.
TYPES OF MODERN GUNS.
The modern gun is made in various styles, of
divers types, and several principles of breech-
action. The characteristics of these are illustrated
by the following descriptions : —
The original Lefaucheux gun, with lever moving
horizontally to the right, and lying under and
parallel to the barrels when the gun is closed, is
rarely seen in this country. On the Continent and
in the French, Portuguese, and Dutch colonies it is
still found in daily use.
The English modification of the Lefaucheux
principle is known as the Double Grip, and is
applicable to the central-fire system. It is still in
favour with Indian sportsmen, and also for large-
bore guns and rifles. The accompanying illustra-
tion (Plate I.) is a reproduction by photography of
a ball and shot-gun ; it also represents a large-
bore rifle made on this system of breech-action,
and, next to the Treble-Wedge-Fast, is recom-
mended as being simple and efficient.
The side-lever snap-action gun has one staunch
adherent in the English gun trade ; it was at one
time much patronised by American sportsmen, but
The Modern Rebounding Gun Lock
and its Parts.
(i^ MainsTing • (2) the bridle and scear-spring pins • (3) the swivel ;
tumbler.
The Bkf.ech-Loader,
And How to Use It. 23
the consensus of opinion is now in favour of the
top-lever form of breech-action in one of its several
varieties. With the lever on the top of the breech,
it is possible to carry the gun in any safe manner
without catching or displacing the lever. The
sportsman cannot be mistaken as to the gun being
properly fastened, whilst its position and short hori-
zontal travel to the right make it the handiest, as
well as the easiest, to manipulate.
There are many forms of breech mechanism
actuated by the top-lever. The most common is
that known as the double-bolt. This bolt travels
in a longitudinal slot in the breech-action body,
and engages with the lump on the barrel by enter-
ing two notches cut one into each division of the
under lump. Occasionally it is made to engage
with one only, that nearest the breech, which is a
single bolt ; and in some special guns the lump pro-
jects rearward from beneath the barrels, in order to
form a better and stronger bearing for the holding-
down bolt. As may be inferred, this form of breech
mechanism serves to hold the barrels down upon
the bed of the breech-action body, but does not in
the least secure the breech ends of the barrels to the
face of the standing breech.
The firing of every charge exerts the greatest
strength in a line with the barrels. The tendency
is towards the barrels and standing breech being
forced asunder, and consequently the two should
be bound together as solidly as possible. Unless
24- The Breech-Loader,
provided with some specially designed mechanism,
the gun on every discharge will open at the Joint,
through the springing of the metal of the breech-
action body, which cannot be made of sufficient
strength and substance to prevent this movement,
although the better the metal and construction the
less is the gaping-. Every gun provided with a
holding-down bolt only will, as a result of wear,
gape permanently at the breech, and longer use will
increase the g-aping until it becomes absolutely
dangerous to use the gun.
Many contrivances have been invented to pre-
vent this gaping-, the following being probably the
one most generally adopted.
A doU's-head, or frustrum of a cone, reversed and
attached by a narrow neck to the upper rib of the
barrel, and acting as a dovetail when dropped into
a mortise in the standing breech. This system is
applied to many of the cheaper gnns ; that shown
is {see Plate II.) a cheap but strong gun of excellent
shooting qualities, designed specially for American,
Canadian, and Australian sportsmen. It has re-
bounding locks, low hammers, and is choked on
Greener*s method. The value is put into the
barrels, locks, and shooting, and the finish, although
substantial, is quite plain. The list price is about
£g. Another system of breech-fastening is shown
in the next illustration. The " Trap Gun " is very
similar in construction to the one described, but
has a third bolt in the extension, or doU's-head.
_I f^
And How to Use It. 25
The gun is tastily engraved and finished, and has
all the recent improvements applicable to hammer-
guns. The shooting of each gun is guaranteed
The price is 10 guineas (Plate III.).
Several forms of engaging-bolt are used in
connection with the doU's-head, but a better plan
than all is to make the projection a plain one, and
drive through it transversely a round steel wedge-
bolt, which will secure the breech-action body and
barrels together in the most effective manner it is
possible to devise.
The well-known expert, "One who has Fired
some 20,000 Shots at Marks," wrote to T/ie Field
that " in my opinion Mr. W. W. Greener's treble-
wedge-fast cross-bolt action is by very far the
strongest, the most durable, and consequently the
best action that has ever been produced ; " and as
this opinion was endorsed by the late Mr. J. H.
Walsh (" Stonehenge "), and every expert of
standing, it may be accepted as the consensus
of practical opinion.
The lock mechanism, in so far as guns with
hammers are concerned, resolves itself practically
into a question of taste. The bar, or front-action
lock (Plate II.), is the one generally preferred, as it
does not weaken the stock to the extent the back-
action lock (Plate I.) and the back work-bar lock
do, and it is by many considered the most elegant
form of gun.
The front - action lock may weaken th^
25 The Breech-Loader,
action to a dangerous extent if the gun is im-
properly made, but, as already stated, a properly
made cross-bolt action is the strongest part of any
gun. and with this form of mechanism bar-locks
may be used advantageously.
Plate IV. is a facsimile representation of a
hammer-gun of medium quality, costing about
25 guineas, and made on Greener's treble-wedge-
fast system of breech-action.
Plate V. shows a superior quality gun, value
about 45 guineas, of the same system.
This form of breech-action is applied to guns
with hammers, at prices ranging from 13 to 55
guineas ; also to hammerless guns and ejectors, as
hereafter described.
In the hammerless guns the firing mechanism,
in.stead of being arranged outside the gun, consists
of fewer pieces, all contained within the breech-
action body. The hammerless systems are legion ;
they date in the present breech-loading central-fire
form from i860 ; but Mr. Murcott's gun, patented in
1 87 1, was the first to become popular. The locks
were cocked by the lever used to actuate the hold-
ing-down bolts of the breech mechanism, and four
years after its introduction its successor, the barrel-
cocker, was patented by Messrs. Anson and Deeley,
the inventors. Instead of using manual force to
compress the mainsprings, and cock the locks, the
weight of the barrels when falling to load is
utilised to raise the lock to full cock by means of
A AD How TO Use It. 27
levers pivoted on the same centre as that upon
which the barrels are hinged, and turning with
them. These cocking-levers engage with the arms
of the tumblers (or hammers), extended forward for
that purpose. The lock mechanism, tumbler springs,
scear, etc., is of the simplest and strongest design,
Anson and Deeley Hamnierless, showing Lock Mechanism and Trigger
Bolting Safely.
and is arranged in slots cut in the breech-action
body beneath the barrels. The Forester hammer-
less gun (Plate VI.) has mechanism on the above-
described principle. It will be seen that the shape
of the body has been altered to give it a neater
appearance than formerly. The cocking-dogs have
also been redesigned, to permit of the gun being-
put together without having first to cock the locks.
It has also the additional advantage of Greener's
Treble-Wedge-Fast action, and the barrels are
choked on the author's principle. Such guns are
listed at 14 guineas. A similar gun, but with old
28 The Breech-Loader,
shape action, and quite plainly finished, is supplied
at one guinea less, and is the cheapest hammerless
gun made by the author. Of the various modifi-
cations of the Anson and Deeley, that improved
form, known as W. W. Greener's Facile priitceps
mechanism, is the best known and most popular.
There is in this no cocking-dog, but the forward
ends of the tumblers are turned in, and engage with
either a cocking-swivel pivoted in the under lump
of the barrels, or by a sliding-rod abutting against
the iron of the fore-part, and working in the barrel-
lump and turning with the barrels.
The Plates Nos. VII., VIII., and IX. illustrate
Greener's hammerless guns with the Facile princeps
mechanism, and are listed at 20, 25, and 40 guineas
respectively. Other qualities are obtainable from
16 to 60 guineas, but the three shown are chosen
as being the most popular qualities, and as best
exemplifying the difference in design and finish of
the cheap and more expensive weapons.
In the accompanying woodcut the mechanism
of the Facile princeps system is fully illustrated.
It will be observed that it possesses fewer parts
than any other well-known hammerless gun ; that
all the limbs are solid and strong, and, being
properly placed, all work in perfect harmony, and
with the greatest ease to the user of the gun. The
mainsprings are heavy, which ensures freedom from
miss- and hang-fires, yet the weight of the barrel is
sufficient to cock the locks. The balance is good.
A. YD Ho IV TO Use It. 29
and guns on this system, light, strong, and of
graceful outline. The treble-wedge-fast breech-
Mechanism of Faci 'e princeps Hammerless,
action is applicable to, and always used in connec-
tion with, this principle.
Some guns on the hammerless system are made
with the lock-work arranged upon, and affixed to,
side lock-plates, similar to those of a hammer gun.
It is claimed for these locks that they permit of the
mechanism being readily inspected ; but there
would seem to be no advantage in this, provid-
ing the mechanism works well without constant
30
Thr Breech-Loader,
inspection or frequent repairs, and the alternative
method of arranging the mechanism in slots within
the breech-action body has advantages which
greatly outweigh those claimed for the detachable
locks.
A weakness of several barrel-cocking mechan-
isms lies in the fact that a very short breech-action
Coil-spring Mechanism for " Sovereign " Hammerless Guns.
body is necessary to their successful working.
The coil-spring lock mechanism was produced in
order to obtain a gun breech action with a body
of extra length, and at the same time more
simple guns with the lock-work arranged on de-
tachable side-lock plates. The lock mechanism
consists of a tumbler and scear pivoted in the
And How to Use It. 31
breech-action, the cocking being effected by a sHd-
ing rod, capable of a reciprocating motion, and
mounted in a hole drilled diagonally from the
hinge joint to the back of the body ; one end of
the rod is slotted to engage in a projecting stud in
the tumbler, the other, having a larger diameter,
forms a shoulder against which one end of the coil
mainspring presses ; the extremity of the rod
projects through the knuckle of the action, pre-
sents an inclined and rounded nose to the back
extremity of the fore-end iron ; a recess is made in
the fore-end iron, in which, when the tumbler is
down, the cocking- rod is freed. Upon the barrels
being dropped for loading, the rod is pushed back-
ward, and the gun thereby cocked. Upon the gun
being closed and fired, the rod moves forward,
carrying the tumbler with it, and, having entered
again the recess in the fore-end iron, it is once
more ready for cockin^^
More recently improvements have been made
in the lock-work of the Anson and Deeley and
other hammerless systems, and in the breech-
locking mechanism used, so that an extra long
body may be used, and the V main-spring retained.
The coil spring is inferior, being less certain in
action.
The illustration (Plate X.) represents a VV. W.
Greener hammerless gun of royal quality, value 55
guineas, being the very best as regards material
and workmanship. The gun is most tastefully
32 The Breech-Loader,
finished and artistically engraved, either with scroll
designs or sporting scenes, the finish, balance,
build, and style are perfect.
There are also guns which rebound to full cock,
and by closing the barrels the extra pressure re-
quisite to give the downward blow is given to the
opposite arm of the mainspring. There are also
guns which are normally at full cock, and require
pressure to be put on the mainspring by other
leverage — such as gripping the gun for firing be-
fore the lock can fire ; but neither of these prin-
ciples can be recommended in preference to those
already described.
Modern guns of the highest class eject the fired
cases, throwing them clear of the gun immediately
it is opened if they have been fired, withdrawing
them a quarter of an inch or so only if they are
loaded. A separate extractor is used for each
lock ; the tumbler of each lock, when the trigger is
pulled and it is freed, falls into such a position
that the extractor mechanism will engage with it
as the gun is opened, and the fired cartridge be
thrown clear of the gun. This is the principle of
the double ejector gun, the idea of which originated
with Mr. J. Needham ; and the principle has been
adopted by all makers of ejecting guns, though the
modification of the Needham mechanism, as im-
proved by Mr. W. W. Greener, remains the simplest
and most perfect form of self-acting ejector.
The cocking mechanism of the W. W. Greener
And How to Use It.
33
automatic ejector Is substantially the same in
principle as that of the Facile princeps already
described, but the cocking-swivel is furnished with
a stud, situate about midway between its ex-
tremities, and immediately beneath this stud the
lower extremities of the ejecting levers are ar-
ranged so as to project. Presuming that the gun
has been fired, the action is as follows : — On
Mechanism of Greener's Ejector.
opening the barrels, the tumblers are raised by their
turned-in extremities bearing on the additional
stud of the cocking-swivel ; when raised nearly to
full cock they slip past this stud, and fall sharply
on the lower arms of the ejecting levers, and
the extractors, already withdrawn by the usual
extracting mechanism to the ordinary extent, are
violently propelled to their full extent by the force
34 The Breech-Loader,
of the blow, and the empty cases are flipped out.
If one cartridge only be fired, the other lock re-
maining at cock does not engage with the cocking-
swivel or put the ejecting mechanism in motion ;
consequently, unfired cartridges are withdrawn to
the ordinary extent in the usual manner. The
available power for ejecting the fired case is that of
the mainspring falling ; the mechanism effects the
ejection perfectly.
This gun requires most careful adjustment, and
although the parts are few, simple, and very strong,
to ensure their perfect working the utmost pre-
cision is necessary in centreing, shaping, and ad-
justing the various limbs. The gun can be made
by highly-skilled workmen only, and must neces-
sarily be of the best quality throughout.
The prices range from 30 guineas, to the Royal
quality at 60 guineas^ and, for special presentation
or exhibition, the Imperial quality, at 85 guineas.
A gun of this type is illustrated in Plate XI.
Plate XII. represents a 35-guinea quality
Greener Self-Acting Ejector Gun.
Another form of ejector is that in which a
separate lock mechanism is provided to effect the
ejection of the fired cases. The two best known
of this type are the Dceley and Perkes ejectors, in
which the additional lock mechanism is placed in
the fore-part of the gun, and consists practically
of a second lock, with hammer, scear, mainspring,
scear-spring, etc., which is cocked by the action of
And How to Use It. 35
closing the gun, the tumblers of the ejecting lock
being carried back to cock by the extractor legs ;
the force required to accomplish this is consider-
able, and the closing of the gun consequently hard.
When the gun is fired the " travel " of the main-
spring is utilised as an automatically acting trigger
to release the scear of the ejector lock, and leave
it free to act by its tumblers striking the leg of
the extractor upon the gun again being opened.
Greener's Trigger Safety.
Of the other parts of a gun's mechanism
it will be necessary to refer to one only. Ham-
merless guns and some hammer guns are pro-
vided with safety bolts. The object of these
mechanisms is to protect the shooter and others
from the consequences of an accidental dis-
charge. They are of various kinds : some act
automatically, others require to be moved on and
off by the user of the gun ; some lock the
tumblers, some the scears, and some the triggers.
A well-made hammerless gun is safer than a
gun with hammers — that is to say, it is not so
liable to accidental discharge as the hammer gun ;
D 2
36 The Breech-Loader,
consequently, the necessity for safety bolts is not
apparent. To make doubly sure, a self-acting bolt,
which, by means of a spring, " intercepts " the
tumbler or hammer, should it be jarred from cock,
is often provided ; when the trigger is pulled, it
also is moved, and the tumbler, instead of being
caught by it, is free to reach the cap or striker. A
second scear, acting quite independently of the
primary scear, effects the same purpose.
It is also usual to provide a bolt which locks
the triggers so that they cannot be pulled. This
should be independent — that is to say, it should not
be so arranged as to automatically lock the triggers
every time the gun is opened. Such an article
is a nuisance, and lessens the advantages of the
hammerless gun. A safety, such as that illustrated,
which bolts the triggers effectually, and is easily
put on and off with the thumb, is much better
than a safety on the top of the break-off or grip of
the gun, as illustrated in the A. and D. Hammer-
less, for these all weaken the gun-stock, some very
considerably, at its weakest point. Those which
are worked by a spring to put them on and off
automatically by gripping the gun are likely to
get out of order, and not be " on " when it is ex-
pected that they are. They also prevent one from
carrying the gun with comfort.
When putting a hammerless gun away, it is ad-
visable to lower the tumblers by pressing the triggers
when the gun is open and gently closing the gun.
And How to Use It. 37
With an automatic safety this is impossible, as
the triggers are bolted when the barrels are open,
and cannot be released until the gun is closed.
STANDARD WEIGHTS, LENGTHS, AND LOADS.
Large-Bore Guns for Wild-Fowling. — Guns of
the largest calibre which can be fired from the
shoulder are usually made single barrel and of
4-bore, the average diameter being 1.052 inch.
There is a 2-bore paper case made by Messrs. Eley
Brothers, Limited, but the calibre is practically
that of the 4-bore thin brass case. The cases do
not hold a larger charge, nor do the guns shoot
better, if so well, and the cartridge-case has not the
advantage of being so perfectly water- and damp-
proof as that of brass ; therefore, the 4-bore gun for
brass cases is that recommended.
These large guns are made in four styles of
breech-loading, the mechanisms being, first, the
cheapest, with double-grip lever under guard, back-
work lock, and outside hammers ; second, the
treble-wedge-fast, with top cross-bolt, top lever, bar
lock, and outside hammers ; third, the treble-wedge-
fast top cross-bolt, hammerless mechanism ; fourth,
similar breech mechanism, but with the addition of
self-ejecting lockwork. The gun should weigh from
15 lbs. to 18 lbs., the barrels being 42 in. to 46 in.
in length, as fully choked as possible, to obtain the
best results, with charges varying from nine to ten
drams of powder, and 3J to 3f ounces of shot.
38 The Breech-Loader,
Strong serviceable guns, with first-class shoot-
ing, can be had with the cheapest form of breech-
action for twenty guineas, or with Treble-Wedge-
Fast action from twenty-five guineas, Hammerless
from thirty guineas, and Ejectors from forty guineas.
Double-barrel 4-bores are occasionally made,
and with 42-inch barrels weigh about 20 lbs., and
cost, with Hammers, 40 guineas, and Hammerless,
45 guineas ; but on account of the size and great
width across the breech, are considered cumber-
some and awkward to handle. For this reason
they are rapidly being superseded by the more
handy and much lighter 8-bore, which, when
properly constructed, chambered, and bored
specially for the brass cartridge case, is capable of
firing a charge of 3 ounces of shot.
Double 8-bores may be divided into three
classes : —
The " Magnum," weighing about 15 lbs., having
barrels 36 inches long, chambered for the 3|-inch
" Perfect " case, and firing a charge of 7 drachms of
powder, with 2f to 3 ounces of shot. Such a gun is
suitable for use from a boat, or from behind a
screen, being too heavy for carrying any distance.
It is, however, with this style of gun that the best
patterns are made, the usual standard being 90 to
100 pellets No. i shot in a 12-inch selected square,
at 40 yards, or an average of four pellets to the
square foot on a four by three foot square target
at 100 yards.
And How to Use It. 39
The " Medium " 8-bore has barrels two inches
shorter, and weighs from a pound-and-a-half to two
pounds Ughter, but giving results nearly equal to
the above. The usual charge is 6 drachms powder,
with 2 1 to 2| ounces No. i shot, which should give
a pattern of about 80 in the 12-inch square, at 40
yards.
The light 8-bore, with either 30- or 32-inch
barrels, weighing 11 lbs. and 12 lbs. respectively.
It should be chambered for the 3 J^inch perfect case,
to fire 2\ to 2\ ounces of shot with same charge
of powder, making a pattern of about 75.
All 8-bores should be full choke. Thin brass
or " perfect " cases are recommended in preference
to all others for both 4- and 8-bores, as these cases
being of larger bore internally than the paper cases
— although nominally the same — take the large
charges better, and will be found to give the best
results. Also, being thin, they crimp easier.
Cheap 8-bores should be avoided ; many light
and inferior weapons are offered, the shooting of
which will not equal a good 12-bore, even though
double the charge of shot may be used. It is not
merely the size of the bore which gives superior
shooting. Everything must be in proper propor-
tion, and the boring must be most skilfully
executed to obtain the high patterns here re-
corded.
The pattern of 8-bores, as well as all other
sporting shot-guns, are tested at 40 yards, this
40 The Breech-Loader,
distance being more convenient than a range of
100 yards ; and it may be taken for granted, if the
selected 1 2-inch square of the pattern at 40 yards
contains 85 to 90 No. i pellets, the shooting at the
longer distance (100 yards) will equal 3J to 4 to
the square foot. Further, it is difficult to place
the charge central at distances above 80 yards,
and therefore a defective aim would give a wrong
idea of the shooting capabilities of the gun.
It is considered by some no test to plate an
8-bore at 40 yards, but, from a gunmaker's point
of view, it is the most useful range, since he is able to
compare the results obtained with all other bores.
He knows that if he is able to make an 8-bore shoot
No. I shot in a better proportion than a 12-bore full-
choke pigeon gun does No. 6, he has a good
shooting 8-bore, and until it will make such a
pattern at 40 yards it is only wasting powder and
shot trying it at any longer ranges.
The number of pellets contained in an ordinary
12-bore pigeon load is 340 (being \\ oz. No. 6
shot, 270 to I oz.), and the utmost pattern ob-
tainable from it at 40 yards is an average of
260 in a 30-inch circle ; while that of an 8-bore,
when using 7.\ ozs. of No. i shot (260 pellets), is
about 220 pellets, which is a far better proportion
of the charge than 260 No. 6 with a 12-bore.
Sportsmen wishing to test their 8-bores should
first do so at 40 yards ; if they find the results
below a certain standard it is useless to prosecute
AxD How TO Use It. 41
their experiments further. Several 8-bore guns,
constructed for the paper cases, and by high-class
makers, have recently been sent to the author for
testing and to improve the shooting ; upon trial
the results given were far below the usual standard
of what an 8-bore should do. In some instances
the shooting first obtained was very little better
than a 12 -bore firing only \\ oz. of shot.
The following notes form a short resume of some
experiments carried out recently by *' Fleur de
Lys," the results of which were published in TJie
Field and Land and Water in February and
March, 1894.
The gun used throughout the trials was a
double-barrel 8-bore by W. W. Greener, weighing
about 15 lbs., 36-inch barrels, chambered and con-
structed for perfect cases.
With 6\ drs. No. 4 Alliance powder, 2f ozs. No. I
shot, average on target 4 ft. x 3 ft., at 100 yards, 40
pellets = 3 "3 to square foot ; 7 drs. x 3 ozs. No. i at
100 yards=about 4 to square foot ; 6i drs. x 2 J ozs.
No. 4 at 80 yards, average 127=10 pellets per
square foot on target ; 7 drs. x 3 ozs. No. 4 shot
average in 30 in. circle at 80 yards, 57 ^ 11^
to square foot ; 6 drs. x 2f ozs. No. I at 80
yards, average in 30-inch circle 53 = 10^ to square
foot ; 6 drs. x 2\ ozs. No. i at 80 yards, average in
30-inch circle 48 =9^ to square foot ; 6 drs. x 2 J ozs.
No. I at 60 yards, average in 30-inch circle 130.
At 40 yards with 6 drs. x 2\ oz. No. i, 2^=90 to
42 The Breech-Loader,
97 in selected 12-inch square ; with 7 drs. X3 ozs.
No. I an average of about 100 was obtained.
Many advantages are gained by the use of Nitro
powders in 8-bore guns, among the chief being less
smoke, less report, less flash, but, more especially,
less recoil than developed by the black powders.
Guns intended for use with Nitro powder only,
can be made considerably lighter than the weights
given in this chapter as standards. The reduction
might be from ij to 2 lbs. for the Magnum, and
I lb. for the light 8-bore. It is simply a matter of
recoil, and for this reason guns intended for large
charges of black powders are built heavy. There
would be ample strength in a Magnum 8-bore —
made as it should be — weighing only 13 lbs. to
withstand any charge of black powder possible to
get into the case, but the recoil produced would be
much too severe for the average wild fowler.
What is the greatest killing range of an 8-bore
gun } is a question frequently asked through the
columns of the leading sporting journals. It in-
variably brings forth numerous replies and
opinions.
" Fleur-de-Lys," although, perhaps, going be-
yond most people, states in his letters to The
Field: — "I am of opinion that with No. i shot a
good 8-bore (equal in powers to the Greener used
in my trials) if held straight, is certain of a duck at
80 yards ; that is to say, I think ten or eleven
would be bagged out of twelve shots. With
And How to Use It. 43
the gun in question, at 80 yards a flying duck
would receive on an average three to four pellets
of No. I shot, and a sitting duck two to three
pellets."
With this opinion, which is the outcome of
many experiments, the author agrees.
It should be noted, with regard to the
wadding employed in 8-bore cartridges, that an
extra Field wad or two between the powder and
shot may be used with advantage, if with the usual
loading the charge does not fill the case to within
\ inch from the top. The pattern will be improved
considerably by their use. After numerous experi-
ments, extending over many years, the author has
proved that No. 4 Alliance powder is most suitable
for 8-bores, giving the best patterns and penetra-
tion, although No. 6 and No. 7 give less recoil.
For the minimum recoil, Schultze or E.G. powder
is recommended.
The loads recommended by " Fleur de Lys "
are : — " For ducks and widgeon up to 60 yards. No.
4 shot ; beyond 60 yards up to 100, No. i or No. 2
shot. Beyond 100 yards I think the chances of a
successful shot are problematical, and therefore I
believe in big shot, B B for an 8- or 4-bore, so that
if a bird is hit it receives such a crushing blow
that it is killed outright, or completely crippled,
and can be easily gathered.
"For plovers, small waders, etc.. No. 4 up to
80 yds. ; No. i or 2 beyond.
44 The Breech-Loader,
" Never anything bigger at these birds, as they
are easily killed." {See also pages 369 et seq)
Small-Bore Duck Gims. — A 12-bore can be
made from which excellent shooting is to be ob-
tained when using 3 J to 4 drs. of powder with
i^- ozs. of shot: such a gun must be purposely
built to give even moderately good results. It
should be from y\ to 8 lbs. in weight, and con-
structed for either 2f or 3-inch cases, and bored
expressly to give the best possible results with the
above load of shot, and of any size shot from
No. 5 to buck-shot.
Such a gun is particularly suitable for firing
ijoz. of shot. It will not shoot \\ oz. equal to a
pigeon gun, but far excelling it with the larger load.
For all-round shooting it is a most useful
weapon, as it is capable of shooting any charge
of shot from \\\.o \h As a good modified with
\\ to i\ oz. shot, and as an extreme choke with
\\ oz., its own special load ; it also will be found
an excellent shooting gun with buckshot.
The lo-bore has been for some years the
favourite size for a duck gun, and regarded as the
best size for the wild winged game of America.
Of late it has fallen out of favour, and it is re-
markable how quickly the 12-bore is supplanting it
in the United States. The common type of lo-bore
was 10 lbs. or more in weight, with 32-in. barrels, and
was used with a charge of 5 drams of powder and
\\ oz. of shot: a charge in which the quantity of
And How to Use It. 45
powder is out of proportion with that of the shot
used. The most generally useful type of lo-bore
is that of 8 J lbs. to 9J lbs. in weight, firing either
brass or paper cases, and using as the standard
charge 4 drams of powder and i\ to if oz. of No. 4
or larger size shot. Such advantages as the lo-bore
possess are obtained from the use of large-size
shot; for use with small shot, a 12-bore of 7 J lbs.
or so, and loading i^ oz. only, is quite its equal.
lO-bore guns cost £1 is. more than 12-bores of the
corresponding styles and qualities.
The Standard Size for Game and Trap. — With
4i drams, and \\ ozs. of No. 2 shot, pattern in 30-
inch at 40 yards, 160 pellets ; penetration, 25 sheets
of strawboard. Same charge, distance, etc., but No.
I shot, pattern 135, penetration 31 sheets of straw-
board. At 60 yards. No. 4 shot, the pattern should
average 65, and penetration be 18 sheets ; with No.
I shot, the pattern 50, the penetration 26 sheets.
The 12-bore gun is, and in all probability ever
will be, the standard calibre. The ordinary game
gun of this bore should not weigh more than 'j\ lbs.
The favourite pigeon gun for trap shooting
is just under 8 lbs. in weight, and has 30 in.
barrels, chambered for 2f in. cases, and regu-
lated to shoot a charge of 3 J drams and i J oz.
of shot, and when choked to the fullest is a
perfect weapon for a strong man whose handicap
distance is thirty yards. This style of gun is used
by Captain Brewer, who in one match fired at 250
46 The Breech-Loader,
birds, and his opponent, who made the highest
score on record (199-200), used a gun \ lb. lighter, but
in other respects similar. The 7J lb. gun of this
bore should have 30-in. barrels, chambered for the
ordinary paper cartridge case, 2yV in. long. The
standard load will be 3 drams and \\ oz. of shot,
which may with advantage be increased to 3 J drams
and If oz. when birds are wild. The gun should
also shoot well with 3 J drams and i J oz , a load suit-
able for pigeon shooting. The 12-bore can be made
with 30-in. barrels, 7 lbs., 6| lbs., and even 6i lbs.
in weight. If so light as 6\ lbs., one barrel should be
cylinder or only modified choke. With 28-in. barrels,
6\ lbs., 6J lbs., or 6 lbs. ; with 27-in. barrels, as light
as 5 1 lbs.; and with still shorter barrels the weight
can be proportionately lessened.
Longer barrels than 30 inches are occasionally
made, but experiment shows that no advantage is
gained either in pattern or penetration by their use.
In the Cape 36-inch barrels are very common,
and are specially suitable for use from horseback,
the object of extra length being to get the muzzles
well clear of the horse's head.
A gun-barrel, to be in proper proportion to the
bore (according to the early gunmakers), should be
40 diameters in length. This same rule applies
to-day, and if followed will prove the most satis-
factory, both as regards shooting and handiness.
Guns of 12-bore are made of every quality. A
sound serviceable gun may be obtained for ^10, or
And How to Use It. 47
if hammerless, from about ;^i5. Fine guns and
ejector guns cannot be purchased under ^30. The
ordinary type of gun, of reliable quality throughout,
well made, and fitted well, costs about £2^. The
reason for the difference in prices and qualities is
more fully explained in the succeeding chapter on
the choice of a gun.
GUNS FOR BUCKSHOT.
A special gun is required to shoot large shot of
three, four, or five to the layer, with the best
results, and such guns of 12-bore, if correctly con-
structed, will shoot at long ranges with such force
and accuracy that they may with advantage be
substituted for rifles for small deer shooting.
The following is an extract from a letter which
appeared in The Field on February 15th, 1887, and
will convey an accurate idea of the nature and
power of a true buckshot gun : —
"Mr. Greener sent me a No. 12 hammerless
gun — 30 in. barrels, weight y\ lbs. — which I re-
ceived last June. It has more than met my most
sanguine expectations, and fully verified my opinion,
not only shooting buckshot with the certainty of
killing a deer from 100 to 150 yards, but also
proving a remarkable shooter with small shot.
" During the past summer I only got shots at
six deer, killing each shot. The longest shot was
91 yards, the deer being struck with three shot, one
breaking the back, and the other two just below.
48 The Breech-Loader,
I shot too high, the deer being in the act of leap-
ing high, and the remaining six shots passed into
a gum-tree above the height of the deer.
" In a number of trials at a 30-in. circle, from
100 to 156 yards, not a shot was fired that would
not have killed a deer. At the distance of 156
yards a shot made by Dr. Hargrove, three shots
would have entered the side of a deer.
" A number of shots were fired by John A.
Skannall, Money Brian, and George Conway,
gentlemen distinguished for their fine shooting.
At 100 yards from five to six shots were put in the
target out of a possible nine at every discharge.
At 125 yards never less than four shots would have
entered the side of a deer.
" At a trial made in Shreveport a number of
distinguished gentlemen attended. They were
sceptical as to the long range of this gun, and
would not believe, unless they measured the dis-
tance, and shot the gun. They brought a tape
line and measured 125 yards.
"They themselves shot my gun with results simi-
lar to what I have above stated, putting from two to
three shots in less than 3-in. of the centre of a 30-in.
circle at every discharge. — Geo. D. Alexander."
In a more recent trial (1894) made by Colonel
Alexander with buckshot from the same gun ex-
cellent results were obtained with the equivalent
to 3 drs. E. C. powder, and the usual quantity of
shot— 9 to the charge.
And How to Use It. 49
Three pellets were put into a 30-inch circle at
150 yards. This was done on two occasions by
himself and friend. The other shots were so close
to the 30-inch circle that Colonel Alexander ex-
pressed the belief that nearly all would have been
put into the body of a deer broadside on.
Guns of Small Bore. — The i6-bore gun was at
one time a favourite size with Continental sports-
men, who now for the most part prefer the 12-bore,
and for use in England certainly not more than
one gun in every five hundred is of i6-bore. . The
16 calibre has been proved to shoot as strong as
the 12, but the killing circle is less, and, moreover,
not being in such general use as the 12-bore, it is
not always so easy to procure cartridges in out-of-
the-way places, or, in the event of running short,
of borrowing a supply of a friend. The standard
weight for i6-bore was 6\ lbs.; and the barrel,
30 inches in length, regulated to shoot 2| drams
and I ounce of shot, or with 28-in. barrels, 6\ lbs.,
but 6 lbs. is now considered to be quite heavy
enough for any i6-bore, with 28-in. barrels. The
one advantage of the i6-bore is its lightness, and
when built in the same fashion as the miniature
i2-bores, they may be 5 J lbs., with 28-in. barrels ;
5i lbs., with 27-in. barrels, and about 5 lbs., with
barrels as short as 26 in. The lightest i6-bore the
author ever made had 25 -in. barrels, and weighed
4 lbs. 1 1 oz. only.
The 20-bore has been strenuously advocated by
50 The Breech-Loader,
writers in the sporting papers, but there are very-
few sold — the proportion is perhaps one 20-bore to
twenty of i6-bore. The 20-bore should not have
barrels longer than 28 in., nor should it be
heavier than 5;^ lbs., and the full standard load is
2\ drams and I ounce of shot. They can also be
made 28-in. barrels, 5 lbs.; 27 in., 4f lbs.; 25-in.
df\ lbs. ; and so on in proportion.
In the 1875 Gun Trials, W. W. Greener's gun
was first in the class for 20-bores with a gun using
only 2i drams of powder and i ounce of shot,
beating in both pattern and penetration heavier
guns shooting larger charges. A frequent error,
and one which is of importance, is the overloading
of small-bore guns, for sportsmen overlook the
point that the gun does not fail to kill owing to a
lack of penetrative force, but because the pattern
is not sufficiently close. With moderate charges
the penetration of any well-bored gun is sufficient.
The 28-bore was brought prominently into
notice by " Young Nimrod," the boy-shot, who,
before he was in his teens, did wonderful shooting
with a little 28-bore gun made for him by W. W.
Greener. It may be judged how tiny was this
young expert when we say that the stock mea-
sured only II J inches from the fore-trigger to the
butt. The 28-bore is loaded with \\ drams and
I ounce of shot, No. 7 or 8 by preference, as with
small shot the spread is increased ; and such guns
are not intended for shooting at long distances.
Aa'd How to Use It. 51
although Sir Frederick Millbank killed a pheasant
at fifty-three yards with one the author made
for him, and also killed a hare " stone dead " at
thirty-four yards, the charge used being ij drams
of black gunpowder and f ounce of No. 6
shot. In public matches " Young Nimrod " was
placed at twenty-seven yards from the centre
trap, and on more than one occasion killed thirty-
eight out of fifty of the best Blue Rocks.
Small-bore guns require great care in every
stage of manufacture. It is always advisable to
buy them of the best makers, and it cannot be too
often reiterated that cheap light guns should be
avoided ; and more especially is this the case with
small-bores, for in them the material must be of
the very best, the internal pressure exerted in the
barrels of small calibre being greater in proportion
than that of larger bores ; and the same rule applies
whatever the proportion of the loads.
Guns of Odd Size. — Guns of 24 and 32-bore
have been made — as, indeed, have 14-bore guns ;
but so rarely are they made, and of such little
utility are they, that they may be dismissed with
the merest mention. The 28-bore is the smallest
of any practical use as a game gun, but the 410
and other sizes are suited to the requirements of
naturalists, and for such weapons as walking-stick
guns.
Remarks applicable to all Guns. — The weights
given, except where stated to the contrary, refer in
£ 2
52 The Breech-Loader,
every case to double-barrel guns. Single guns can
of course be made lighter, but there are gun-
makers, with no reputation to lose and nothing at
stake, who recommend 28-bores, weighing less than
4i lbs., for brass cases to take loads of 2 drams
and I ounce : in our opinion a charge altogether
out of proportion to the calibre of the weapon, and
the use of which may prove as dangerous as the
recommendation is mischievous.
All guns from 10 to 28-bore, if properly con-
structed and regulated, will shoot the thin brass
" Perfect " cartridge cases quite as well as they
do the ordinary paper case. The chambers for
the two are identical, and, although previously the
author made guns with a larger bore in order to
correspond with the increased internal diameter of
the thin brass cases, he has discontinued so to
make them for two reasons : Firstly, guns so
bored shot very badly with paper cases ; and se-
condly, the patterns obtained with nitro powders
were not as good as those made with black powder.
And How to Use It. 53
CHAPTER 11.
ON THE CHOICE AND FIT OF A GUN — SPURIOUS,
SHAM, AND SECOND - HAND GUNS — THE
QUALITY, PRICE, AND MANUFACTURE OF
GUNS — THE GUN THAT WILL SUIT — ORDER-
ING BY LETTER — CHOOSING FROM STOCK.
The choice of a gun should be determined, first, by
the purposes for which it is intended to be used ;
secondly, by the physique of the person by whom
it will be used.
It will be preferable to preface the considera-
tions of these particulars by some general advice
respecting the purchase of guns generally.
There is, in the first place, much misconception
as to the value of guns, and to the casual observer
there is often no perceptible difference between a
fairly good gun and a really good one ; often the
experienced sportsman finds himself imposed upon
as readily as the tyro. In order to distinguish a
good weapon from one which appears good, it will
be necessary to examine minutely into the details
of its construction, and anyone who carries out the
instructions given here, and will carefully observe
the points indicated, need not fear to make a
purchase upon his own estimate of a gun's worth.
54 The Breech-Loader,
Do not, therefore, purchase any gun without first
examining it, unless from a person of whose standing
you have no doubt, and who will agree to exchange
the weapon or return the money, if required. The
purchase of a pig in a poke is always attended with
risk, which no respectable dealer or gun-maker re-
quires a customer to run. Many advertisements of
the " catch-penny " type appear in the general
newspapers, and are occasionally found in the
columns of the sporting press. Offers of guns
at an extremely low price will not delude the
common-sense man into parting with his money.
Some people, in the hope of securing a bargain, get
caught on the well-baited trap ; less frequently the
reckless advertiser is prosecuted and convicted.
The following specification, copied from a gun-
maker's list, is a never-failing catch : — " i2-bore
gun, laminated steel barrels, left choke-bored, top-
lever, snap-action, purdey double bolt, extended
rib, rebounding, and low hammers ; patent fore-
end, figured walnut, half pistol-hand stock, horn
heel-plate, scroll engraving. Price, 60s." The
same description might be applied to a sixty-
guinea gun with as much truth. Until a sports-
man knows something about guns he should
purchase of a respectable maker. Even " friends *'
will seek to benefit by a young man's inexperience
more frequently than will the dealer, who wishes
to secure his custom, and looks forward towards
future orders as well as to present profits.
And How to Use It. 55
Take first in hand the cheapest gun made for the
wholesale trade. Such a gun is not usually found
in a country gun-maker's shop ; but it may be
offered to a quite inexperienced buyer. To all ap-
pearances, the gun is as others. It has two barrels
locks, triggers, a stock well varnished, and has a new
look about it, which may be mistaken for " finish."
Let us examine the gun carefully. The parts, as
the bed of the breech-action body and the lock-
plates, which should be flat and square, are rounded,
and the surface uneven and scratchy ; parts, such as
the knuckle-joint and the barrels, which should be
round, are also uneven, irregular, and have flats
upon them ; the hammers are not a pair, and when
placed down upon the nipples, at half-cock and at
full-cock, will be found to stand parallel in one posi-
tion only. In cocking the locks, one will "squeak,"
the other will make no sound, one striker will push
outward and upwards, the other at a different, but
not a corresponding, angle. The extractor may
have a crooked leg, and will probably be rusty
underneath. Wherever two parts come together
there will be a wide joint and no close fitting. The
action body barely touches the barrels. The hold-
ing-down bolt is a crooked contrivance in a
crooked hole. The fore-part will drop from the
gun when fired, or cannot be pulled off however
gripped. The stock will show marks of file-teeth,
and probably exhibit a rough open grain through
the varnish or '* oil finish." The chequering will be
5,6 The Breech-Loader,
irregular, the lines overrun, and several of the
diamonds missing. The engraving will consist of
ill-shapen, deeply-cut furrows and meaningless
scratches, put on by the dozen with a shading-
punch. The butt-plate will be of pressed rubber,
and probably have a sporting design, in high relief,
stamped upon it. The rib will be crooked, irregular,
uneven, and probably more on one barrel than on
the other, instead of midway between them. All
these faults arise from the " cheapness " of the
article. The work is scamped, and the gun will
give no satisfaction, at whatever price it may be
purchased. On trial, it may fail to go off, the
striker being too short or not central. This
rectified, it may be found that the other striker is
too long or too sharp, so that after the gun is fired
it cannot be opened. This is altered, the main-
spring is so poor, its elasticity has departed, and
mis-fires ensue. A new mainspring is fitted, and
from the time this first new piece is fitted the old
ones break in turn, until at last the barrels drop
apart, owing to having been soldered with sal-
ammoniac as a flux, instead of resin, and a new
gun has to be purchased.
A serious danger arises from the use of too long
strikers in hammer guns. The striker is so near to
the hammer face at half-cock that a blow upon the
hammer will discharge the gun. Very cheap guns
are usually very defective in the breech-action
fitting, and if this is not a source of immediate
And How to Use It. 57
danger, the gun being, to some extent, safeguarded
by the compulsory proof, the mechanism will soon
fail. In like manner, parts of the lock mechanism,
instead of being of hardened steel, will be made of
common iron, and tumblers and screws are so soft
that in a very short time the heads become worn,
and the hammer will not stand at cock. The
danger that accrues from the use of such a weapon
is so great that this cheap gun may be regarded as
increasing the risks of shooting a hundredfold.
A gun, however poor in principle, if not of
inferior workmanship, is worth purchasing at a
price, and the quality of workmanship is indicated
to the tyro by the attention paid to details : as, for
instance, the proper smoothing of the iron-work,
the close fitting of wood and iron, the pitch of the
strikers to correspond with each other, and the
hammers made to stand each as high as the other
at both full and half-cock, the extractor well made,
and closely fitted, and smoothed underneath ; the
rib is put on properly, its edge will appear to be
level, its surface flat and regular, and the engraving
of some design. In better grades there is a smooth-
ness and flatness of the lock-plates that is at once
noticeable, and if the thumb is drawn lightly round
the barrel it will not detect those flats, which even
the eye cannot see. The pins will be carefully
fitted flush with the surface, and the slits in them
regular as to size and depth, and lying all one way.
Unless attention be given by the workman to every
58 The Breech-Loader,
piece, no matter how seemingly unimportant, the
gun is not well-made, and may fail just where least
expected.
The machine-made and machine-finished gun
may be distinguished : First, by its rough " metal-
lic " appearance ; second, the heads of the screws
will be found to be rounded down, not filed off
flush with the lock-plates, breech-action, butt-plate,
etc., the slits of the screws lying at different angles ;
third, inequalities in barrels and rib ; fourth, the
stock shaped like an army musket. In hand-
finished machine-made weapons many of these irre-
gularities will not be noticed ; but as long as the
gun is interchangeable, many matters in construc-
tion and finish have to be sacrificed, and, as a gene-
ral rule, the further removed a machine-made gun
is from interchangeability the greater is its worth.
The spurious gun may be either a gun repre-
sented as being of a quality it is not, or as a
production of a maker other than the real one.
After taking all into consideration, it is the first
class which is the most dangerous to the unwary
buyer. The vapid platitudes of the salesman
spread a glamour over the transaction, and the
sportsman purchases a gun which will trouble him
more and more as he gets to know it. Against the
purchase of this class of gun the sportsman must
always be on his guard.
The second class of gun is simply a forgery.
Belgian guns are sent to England to be proved, or
And How to Use It. 59
the English proof marks are imitated ; " English fine
twist" is engraved upon the rib, or a7iy maker's
name is put on to the order of the importer.
All the leading makers, or their retailers, now
advertise, so that the exact name of the maker
wished is easily obtained. See that the gun bears
this name, and rightly spelled, for the change of
a letter is often made, the maker of the forgery
thinking that his liability is lessened ; and foreign
forgers make dreadful havoc with English names,
whereas probably no careful maker has ever turned
out a gun wrongly or incorrectly named, so far as
HIS name goes.
As to the more general forgeries, they will be
found to be changes rung upon the name of a
maker of reputation. No one would forge " Smith "
or "Jones," and happy the gun-makers who possess
such names ; but names as " Greener " will be
spelled "Greenen," "Purdey" as '* Purdy," " \V. C.
Scott & Son" as "J. N. Scott's Son;" whilst of the
imitation of " Westley Richards " the name is
legion. The alteration in the initials of the
Christian name or address is more frequent, and
all "Horace Greener," "Albert Greener,""]. H.,"
"W. H.," "A. H.," and other "H. Greener" guns
are practically forgeries.
Before purchasing a second-hand gun, unless
you know its history or are well acquainted with
the person offering it, write to the makers of it,
give its number, and ask, as a favour, to know its
6o The Breech-Loader,
original list price and the date of its original sale ;
the gun-maker will never refuse this information.
If the gun has been stolen or lost, and he is
acquainted with that fact — as he probably will be —
you will at once be advised, and in any case the
information he gives will prevent you from being
induced to part with more money for the gun
than it actually cost when new. Many succeed in
making money out of the purchase of cheap guns,
which they use for a few times, and then offer as
second-hand weapons of very superior quality.
Gun-makers who sell guns ranging from ten to
fifty guineas not unfrequently have slightly-used
guns of their cheaper qualities represented as being
of their best make, and instances are on record of
guns purchased at the full retail price of fifteen
guineas being sold as a bargain at twenty- five
pounds when second-hand. It is far better to go
to a respectable maker, who has a reputation to
keep up, and purchase a new gun at from ten to
fifteen guineas, than lay out the same amount on
a second-hand one, which may be worn-out. There
are numbers of makers in Birmingham who can
supply good guns at the above price.
Shop-soiled guns, with various faults, blemishes,
and sometimes guns with serious defects, are sold
to dealers in second-hand goods, are sent to auc-
tion sales, or, as a last resource, are pawned ; so
the purchase of a second-hand gun is even more
risky than buying a horse in market overt.
And How to Use It. 6i
OF THE MANUFACTURE OF GUNS.
The quality and cost of modern guns are chiefly
dependent upon the design and workmanship of
the weapon ; the most expensive to manufacture
being ejector guns.
The material employed in the manufacture of
sporting guns is usually the best procurable, but
as this material is capable of being improved by
the proper manipulation of the metal in the pro-
cesses which are necessary to convert it into gun-
barrels, there is, and must be, a wide divergence
between the prices of a good serviceable gun-barrel
and one of the first quality. With respect to
Belgian barrels, they are made of much softer metal
than English Damascus barrels ; they will not stand
full choke-boring, and so soft and yielding are they
that they bulge at the choke when fired, and cannot
be made to retain their shooting qualities. These
remarks apply to all qualities of Belgian Damascus
barrels.
OF ENGLISH GUN BARRELS.
Of English Twist barrels there are two types
— the machine-made, which have a rather coarse
appearance, and often present irregularities of the
figure ; and the hand-welded barrels, which con-
tain a larger percentage of steel, and are now very
difficult to obtain.
The best hand-made English Damascus, or
laminated steel barrels are made at Birmingham
62 The Breech-Loader,
only, and are, without a doubt, unrivalled the
world over for beauty, durability, and reliability.
These barrels are closely imitated by Belgian
workmen, and find a ready sale in this country,
especially amongst the London gun sellers.
The " figure " of the barrels may be recognised
from the illustrations in this book, and when
examining a barrel of this kind, if the figure is
regular, small, and light in colour, they may be
regarded as of good quality.
Steel of the right quality has been found to
possess sufficient strength to resist the strain to
which a shot-gun barrel is ordinarily subjected.
The safety of the weapon with any charge
should be guaranteed by the English Government
Proof House : an institution for which the gun-
maker is heavily taxed. Poor as our Government
proof test has been, it has ever been the strongest
and most thorough of any obligatory test yet
imposed in any country.
At Liege the proof is done with a quality of
powder so poor, that even in the cheapest Con-
tinental-made breech-loader, both barrels may be
proved together, without the probability of a reject.
At St. Etienne the proving of guns is not
obligatory ; the superior proof is with an explosive
chosen by the gun-maker.
In America no proof-house exists.
Even the English proof test cannot be con-
sidered a perfect guarantee of a gun's safety.
A. YD How TO Use It.
63
^
6]
6d I
64 The Breech-Loader,
although the buyer will, of course, reject at once any
weapon not possessing it. The guarantee, in this
respect, must be the name the gun bears. The
proof charge (definitive) for an ordinary i2-bore
gun is 6J drs. of powder with i § ounces of shot.
BREECH-ACTIONS.
In the choice of breech mechanism a top-lever
will certainly be decided upon ; side and bottom
levers will not be chosen, save for very special pur-
poses, or to accommodate a sportsman habituated
to this form of lever from long use. The top-lever
so conveniently placed enables even the most de-
termined adherent to any other form of lever to
quickly and comfortably manipulate the breech
mechanism. As to holding-down bolts and cross
or grip bolts, and the number and position of the
barrel lumps, the sportsman will demand two
binding and well-fitted bottom lumps or lugs
substantial in size, and the back lump so shaped
as to correspond with the circular front of the
slot in which it is embedded, and so well fitted
that when the gun is closed and free this portion
of the lump shall take a part of the strain. This
matter of fitting the barrels is termed " circle
jointing," and the accompanying illustration will
convey a better idea of its nature than a verbal
description. A gun so made will last longer and
be stronger than a weapon with ordinary lumps;
the need for more lumps at the bottom has never
And Ho IV to Use It.
65
66 The Breech-Loader,
been proved, and the mere multiplication of them
for the sake of complication is an error.
It is advisable to have a sound top connection
between the barrels and the breech action. Such a
connection adds greatly to the strength and life of
a gun, and is a protection to the sportsman in all
cases. On arms of some descriptions it is prac-
tically necessary to provide an adequate top con-
nection, although guns of the ordinary type, when
very carefully built and used with moderate
charges, have been known to stand even continuous
wear for years without the aid of a top connec-
tion ; it is, however, ridiculous to contend that
they would not be better, safer, and stronger with
an efficient top cross-bolt. The common top con-
nection is a " doll's-head," fitting more or less badly
into an ill-shaped hole, hollowed out in the stand-
ing breech to receive it. {^See No. 3 in the accom-
panying illustration.) This useless encumbrance
is affixed to guns to appease the ever-increasing
demand for an efficient top connection which the
success of the author's and the Westley Richards'
mechanisms has produced. No. 2 of the illustra-
tration shows the Westley Richards', the best form
of " doll's-head." The strain upon firing is in
the direction of the arrow, but at the same time
the expansion of the barrels conveys to the exten-
sion a tendency to move in the direction of the
shorter arrow (a) ; the bolt into this top exten-
sion in some measure prevents movement in the
' AxD Ho IV TO Use It.
67
? 2
68 The Breech-Loader,
direction of A, but much depends upon the
manner in which the bolt is fitted.
The Greener Treble-Wedge-Fast Top cross-
bolt makes the strongest breech action known.
The bolt securely binds the breech ends of the
barrels to the breech-action body, and is worked
by an arm on the top lever. It is far superior in
strength and lasting power to the double-grip
action.
A double 4-bore and a double 8-bore were
made on this, the top cross-bolt principle, in 1874,
for Mr. G. P. Sanderson, Superintendent of the
Government Elephant Keddahs, Decca. They
have been in continual use ever since, firing 2 oz.
bullets with 12 drams, and 4 oz. bullets with 16
drams of powder "hundreds of times," and to
quote Mr. Sanderson, ** the breech actions are as
sound and close as when they left the factory
nearly eighteen years ago." These rifles are still
in use and doing excellent service.
A Greener Treble- Wedge- Fast gun may be
fired hundreds of thousands of times without any
repairs being required. To the author's knowledge
the gun he supplied to Dr. Carver in 1878 was
fired one hundred and thirty thousand times with-
out any repairs being done or required ; and the
gun is still in use, and has had possibly thousands
of shots fired from it since the author last saw it.
With a top cross-bolt barrels may be fired
together without the least possibility of the breech
And How to Use It. 69
action giving way, and as this is a contingency
that may at any moment accidentally arise, it is as
well to be furnished v.ith a gun that will stand
both barrels being fired together.
The sportsman will choose a gun with top
cross-bolt, providing that he wants a gun that will
fire any charge without the breech action giving
way, providing he requires a light gun — a gun for
very heavy charges — a gun for hard wear — a gun
that will last him and always be satisfactory.
HAMMER, HAMMERLESS AND EJECTOR GUNS.
A hamnierless gun is to be preferred to the
hammer gun, as being safer to use and easier to
manipulate. The hammerless gun is stronger than
the hammer gun, less liable to damage, less com-
plex in construction, more durable, in all more im-
portant particulars the superior of the hammer
gun.
The hammerless gun of inferior make is as
dangerous as the inferior hammer gun, if not
more so ; and in the choice of a hammerless grun
the sportsman will be guided by, ist, the simplicity
of the mechanism; 2nd, the efficiency of the me-
chanical parts introduced to effect that hitherto
performed by hand ; and 3rd, the reputation of the
maker whose name it bears.
All guns cocking by means of mechanism
geared on, or in any way connected with, or de-
pendent upon, the motion of the top breech action
70 The Breech-Loader,
lever for effecting the cocking of the locks, will be
at once rejected, because they are liable to miss
fire if the lever does not snap "home," and
because they are generally fitted with weak main-
springs, and often require great force to open.
Of those guns cocked by the falling of the
barrels, or closing of the gun, will be rejected all
that, ist, do not permit of the barrels being placed
readily upon the stock ; 2nd, that may be wrongly
put together and so cause a breakage ; 3rd, that
require a jerk to open or shut ; because all such
guns will be an annoyance to the owner, and in the
case of the last objection will cause undue wear at
the hinge joint and need early repairs.
There are several guns which will fulfil
every requirement of the sportsman so far as
mechanism goes. The hammer gun, notwithstand-
ing the use of the rebounding locks, which saved
the many accidents that resulted from the half
cocking of the locks, cannot be so safe as hammer-
less, as hammer guns have been known to go off
unexpectedly owing to a twig wedging in between
the hammer at half-cock and the striker, and many
more owing to wear or faulty construction have
exploded when at the rebound by means of an
accidental blow upon the hammer. The most
common cause of accidental discharge in the
hammer gun is when placing the gun at full-cock
from half-cock, or the reverse, the hammer is likely
to slip from the thumb and explode the cartridge.
And How to Use It. 71
With some hammerless guns, nothing short of
pulling the trigger can fire the gun.
However expert he may become in manipu-
lating the locks and loading the gun, a sportsman
armed with a weapon of the ordinary type is
heavily handicapped by the sportsman provided
with an arm in which, without any trouble or
extra exertion on his part, such processes as
cocking the locks and taking out the fired cases
are performed for him more quickly and more
surely than they could be were he the most expert
manipulator.
The self-cocking of the locks is in itself an
immense advantage, and the self-ejecting of the
fired cases, by reducing the number of movements
to be made by the hands when loading, is decidedly
worthy of support. The ejecting mechanism as
made by the author has been tested in every
quarter of the globe and under all possible con-
ditions, it has been found thoroughly reliable in
every climate, and is consequently recommended
by all who have made use of it ; at the present
time it stands at the head of sporting guns, the
nearest to perfection.
For speed the self-ejecting gun is ahead of all
magazine or repeating shot-guns, and not only can
it be fired more quickly, but it is free from any
liability to "jam" when rapidly manipulated,
whilst the repeating mechanism of shot-guns is
more prone to "jam" than the mechanism of a
J2 The Breech-Loader,
rifle, owing to the use of paper cartridge cases,
turned down to various lengths.
THE PRICES OF GUNS.
Much nonsense is written, chiefly by sportsmen
who think they know all about trade matters, con-
cerning the price of guns and the cost of producing
them. In one book, which is intended as a work
of reference for sportsmen, a detailed list is given of
the cost of producing a gun, and to every item
in that statement exception could be taken, and
whatever its utility it may safely be asserted, that if
the full value of every item there given be used in
making one gun the result would astonish no one
so much as the man answerable for that bill of costs.
A double-barrel, central-fire, i2-gauge breech-
loader can be purchased wholesale for about thirty
.shillings. A best gun with hammers, a really sound,
useful sportsman's weapon, is sold at sixty guineas
by some makers, and will not be sold for less. The
difference, it need not be said, is not for the name
of the maker engraved upon it. The best gun,
even when made in the centre oi the gun-making
industry, costs very much more to produce than
sportsmen or critics suppose. The barrel is made
of a splendid quality of metal, costing a fabulous
sum per ton. In constructing a pair of tubes i8 lbs.
will be used, and the metal will be worked at a red
heat, and from its multitudinous welds, as well as
from its inherent quality, will gain strength, i.e.,
And How to Use It. j^
tenacity. This i8 lbs. of iron, by hand labour, has
to be reduced to 3, and the superfluous metal must
be removed just as and when required, or the
barrel will be worthless. Through twenty-six
succeeding processes these tubes have to be handled,
worked, and treated with care, and may, after
receiving every attention human skill can devise,
prove defective at the last moment, and instead of
figuring in the best gun be relegated to the waste
heap.
It is in the attempt to make something of really
superior quality that material is spoiled and work-
manship wasted. To produce a best gun, not only
must a staff of skilled workmen be obtained, and
every man must not only be able, but inclined to
do his best, both with respect to his own work
upon the weapon, and with due regard to the work
of those who have taken, or are about to take, a
part in the production of that gun.
The best gun must be tried in various stages,
and must pass in each before proceeding to a suc-
ceeding stage ; hence time as well as money is
needful to its production. The well-finished gun
is one in which the design is good and carefully
executed, every portion being exactly shaped,
rightly placed, and perfectly adjusted, with that
accuracy of detail which skill and practice alone
can give. Finish consists of the due relation of
each part to the whole, and is a thing apart from
the ornamentation or embellishment of the weapon.
74 T^HE Breech-Loader,
A gun made and finished in the best manner
will stand more hard wear than- an ordinary gun,
even if the principle upon which the commoner
gun is constructed be superior to that of the best
gun. Common guns always give way first in small
details : a pin works loose or breaks, and as soon
as it is replaced, and the gun is made good in one
place, it gives way in another, whereas a best gun
is practically indestructible, and, barring accident,
will last a lifetime. If, therefore, you purchase a
gun in order to enjoy sport, have a best gun ; if
you must shoot, and do not mind when, take an
ordinary gun ; it may fail you when you have a
first-rate chance to bag game, but the best' gun is
always good alike, and thirty seasons' hard wear
will leave it as good as new for all practical
purposes.
Between the cheapest gun and the most ex-
pensive there are weapons which serve the needs of
a very large number of sportsmen. Those guns
which are sold at the lowest prices, and are actually
the best value for money, are the weapons of a good
type which are out of fashion. Guns with double-
grip action, with side-lever action, with under-lever
snap action, with non-rebounding locks, with
hammers of large size and standing high, have
much depreciated in market value; from £t^ to
£\0 is sufficient to give for such a gun, unless it is
by a maker of very high standing, when, even
as a second-hand gun, it may realise £2^^. Good
And How to Use It. 75
serviceable hammer guns with a sound top con-
nection, fine barrels, and of honest "workmanship
throughout, may be purchased new from about 12 to
13 guineas. And hammerless guns, upon a principle
which every practical sportsman and expert will
endorse as being good, may be purchased at about
15 or 16 guineas. There are writers and advocates
who will contend that this price is too low for a
reliable hammerless weapon, but such writers judge
from prices asked in the most expensive shops, and
are not acquainted with prices current at the centre
of production. It is generally admitted that guns
are made in Birmingham of quality equal to those
produced in any other town in the world, also that
they can be produced more cheaply there than in
any other town in Great Britain. Verhim sap.
The high prices obtained for Birmingham guns
the last few years go to show how highly they are
esteem. ed by sportsmen. Twenty years ago 35
guineas was considered a very high price for a
Birmingham gun, now the modern breech-loader of
two or three makers sells at 45 guineas, complete,
whilst the author's Royal Gun realises 60 guineas
without a case.
The author trusts that he has made clear to his
readers the necessity for close investigation of work-
manship before purchasing. In general appearance
a cheap untrustworthy gun may closely resemble
one of good quality. It is the practice of some
manufacturers to make the outward appearance of
j6 The Breech-Loader,
their weapons exhibit some fine, if not careful,
workmanship, and a few shillings spent upon
polishing, hardening, chequering, engraving, etc.,
will make a badly-fitted gun look the same as a
fine gun to the eye of the average buyer — even to
be preferred to one of much superior quality, in
which the money has been expended in the fitting
of action work, lock mechanism, barrel boring, etc.,
etc., all of which are essential to the gun, and really
determine its worth.
Very fine workmanship, elaborate finish, and
the best of material, is a combination always costly.
Good material, sound workm.anship, and careful
finish are more easily obtainable, and these points
should be required in the cheapest weapon. Inferior
workmanship, indifferent material, and " elaborate "
finish cost less, and are more often found, as makers
hope, by imitating the well-designed and executed
patterns of the best makers, to convince purchasers
that the copies are of equal quality. For instance,
the polish and gloss outside a pair of barrels is of
small importance, yet a few shillings saved in the
boring and shooting, and half of the money so
saved expended on the polish and bronzing of the
barrels will "fetch" more buyers than a gun in
which all the money has been spent upon essential
points.
An expert will tell whether a gun action is well
fitted or not — whether the locks are well filed, or
badly made. The average sportsman cannot, hence
And How to Use It. yy
gun-makers tempt buyers by appealing to the eye,
instead of expending money where the result
cannot be seen^ but is found by experience. Some
London makers and others have followed the
author's plan of producing guns quite plain, almost
musket-like in their outward appearance, and the
money usually expended upon polishing, engraving,
chequering, and otherwise embellishing the weapon,
spent where it is absolutely required. The result
is a sound, serviceable gun, at a low price, and bear-
ing a name which is sufficient guarantee of its
reliable quality. If the gun cost quite as much, and
various prices were cut down, and others increased,
so that a prettier gun might result, the manufacturer
of good reputation would not care for it to bear his
name. A cheap gun of flashy appearance should
be avoided. A pair of good straight barrels, well-
fitted breech-action, and reliable locks, may not
show to advantage by the side of a pretty stock,
glistening barrels, and artistic engraving, but in the
field are worth very much more.
ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS.
1. A gun chambered for the standard length case
(2 fV inches) may be used with longer cases if they
will go in the chamber, but increased recoil and
greater strain upon the breech-action and barrels
will result ; with light guns, and more especially
when using nitro-powders, the practice is dangerous.
2. Guns chambered for the 2f-inch and 3-inch
78 The Breech-Loader,
cases may be used with shorter cases. The pene-
tration will be equal, but the pattern slightly
inferior.
3. Small charges in long cases : It is recom-
mended to fill up the space with wads (between
the powder and shot) in order to bring the charge
to within a quarter of an inch of the end of case,
just leaving enough to obtain a nice " turnover" or
"crimp." Too much "turnover" does not give
such good results.
4. Thick wads should not be used over the
shot, unless it is desired to scatter the charge.
5. The strain produced upon a gun is consider-
ably greater when using smaller sized shot than
No. 5. With No. 4 the charge of shot may be
increased with advantage. A further increase
may be made with No. i shot, or the charge of
powder reduced. By this system of loading the
range of a choke-bore is extended.
6. Shortening barrels : Choke-bore barrels can-
not be shortened without spoiling the shooting of
the gun ; when shortened, they may be rebored
to shoot equal to an improved cylinder only.
7. When cutting down the barrels to reduce the
weight, a 1 2-bore loses about four ounces for every
two inches, as the stock is hollowed as well, in
order to retain the balance.
8. Twenty-seven-inch barrels are the shortest
from which good shooting is to be obtained. Twenty-
four inches is the shortest length recommended for
And How to Use It. 79
the barrels of a shot-gun, and are suitable only for
covert shooting, or special purposes.
9. Before any alteration is made to the boring
or chambering of a gun It Is advisable to seek the
opinion of the maker. The ordinary 2xV case Is
capable of containing a charge sufficiently heavy
for pigeon shooting, and the deepening of a
chamber to 2 J or 3 inches is without advantage, and
would, in most instances, weaken the barrels to a
dangerous extent.
10. When a gun is required with two pairs of
barrels, of the same calibre, for one stock, one pair
full-choke, and one cylinder, the latter cannot be
made more than 4 oz. lighter than the choke pair.
11. Gun-makers are sometimes instructed to
make guns having a pair of lo-bore and a pair of
1 2-bore barrels for the same action. This plan cannot
be recommended, as the weight and balance of the
gun has to be sacrificed to one pair or the other, if
not to both. The action must be large enough for
the lo-bore, therefore the 1 2-bore barrels must be
very thick at the breech ends.
It is better to have two guns than such a weapon
as indicated. The weight of the gun with 12-
bore barrels cannot be made much lighter than
with the lo-bore barrels, as sometimes supposed.
A pound difference is quite impossible if the weapon
is to be satisfactory with either pair of barrels.
12. The cost of fitting new barrels to old guns Is
usually about half the original price of the gun, for
8o The Breech-Loader,
fine guns, but no barrels can be fitted properly for
less than ten guineas, as much hand-work is re-
quired, and that of the best skilled gun-smiths.
13. For answers regarding the "Conversion of
Guns," see page 1 30.
14. It has already been stated that the quality
and cost of modern guns is chiefly dependent upon
the design and workmanship of the weapon.
The difference between a gun costing 60 guineas
and one at £\2 is not in engraving and ornament-
ation alone (a very small item in the cost of
production), but in the quality of materials and
workmanship throughout every stage of its manu-
facture, as explained in the preceding chapters.
15. The usual shape of the rib of a sporting
gun is that of the barrels ; its top should follow a
line parallel to the top of the barrels. This is
termed a swamped rib. Sometimes it is made
level from end to end, when it is termed ^'straight."
A " flat " rib is flat from side to side, whilst a
" hollow " rib has both its upper edges raised, so
that in shooting the eye looks down a groove.
Thus it is possible to have a " hollow " level or
" straight " rib, and a " flat " swamped one. Sports-
men often use these terms as though they were
synonymous, whereas they indicate different forms
of the rib.
And How to Use It. 8i
CHAPTER III.
OF THE SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS OF GUN-
STOCKS.
There is no definite authority for the prevaiHng
fashion in gun-stocks, and the dimensions and
shape of this part of the gun have given rise to
more frequent discussion amongst gun-makers and
sportsmen than anything else connected with
shooting.
The measures of the gun-stock include the bend,
length, and cast-off. These are of great importance
to the user of the gun, and must suit his particular
method of handling the gun, as well as the stock
being of such dimensions as the shooter's build,
i.e., length of arm, breadth of chest, etc., may
determine.
The measures of the gun-stock may be ascer-
tained as follows : —
Take a piece of wood or iron, with a perfectly
straight edge, sufficiently long to reach from the
sight on the muzzle to the extremity of the butt ;
lay this straight-edge along the rib, and measure
the distance from A to HEEL, and from B to COMB.
This is the BEND. The LENGTHS required will be
from the centre of the fore or right-hand trigger to
82
G 2
84 The Breech-Loader,
the HEEL, CENTRE, and TOE respectively, and the
depth from the heel to the toe. The circumference
of the hand may be obtained by passing a string
round it immediately behind the trigger-guard,
measuring the string. In taking the length, measure
Showing how to Balance a Gun.
the extreme length, and not to the edge of the heel-
plate. The dimensions given on p. 82 are in due
proportion, and as usually made for English and
American sportsmen respectively.
Cast-off is the amount the stock is thrown out
of truth with the barrels in a lateral direction.
Most gun-stocks are twisted over — that is, the toe
of the butt is more "cast-off" than the heel — the
usual '* cast-off" is fVths for heel, and -^.ths for toe.
The object of "cast off" is to admit of a proper
aim being easily taken, and the amount will vary
according to the build and physique of the person
for whom the gun is constructed.
Balance. — This is always to be measured from
And How to Use It. 85
the breech-ends of the barrels. It is best to balance
the gun on thin string.
A i2-bore with 30-in. barrels weighing 7 lbs. or
over should balance at about 3 ins. from the breech ;
if with 27-in. or 28-in. barrels and 5I lbs. to 6 lbs.,
about 2f ins. from the breech would be considered
a good balance.
The measures given in the illustration of the
English gun-stock are the dimensions usually
adhered to by gun-makers in this country, and
guns so built are found to suit quite 80 per cent,
of British sportsmen.
Americans use guns with stocks much more
crooked, as, when shooting, they keep the head
erect, and many English colonists follow this rule,
the crooked gun-stock being quite common in
South Africa.
The lengths of the gun-stock from fore-trigger
to toe and heel will regulate the angle of the butt,
and the cast-off will throw the butt over a little, so
that unless the butt were rounded or champfered,
its edge only would touch against the shoulder.
The amount of champfer required will depend upon
the amount of " cast-off," and the build of the person
for whom the gun is intended. Dr. W. F. Carver
always shoots with a heel-plate, not only much
hollowed — i.e., very much shorter to centre than to
the extremities — but also champfered so as to fit
squarely against the muscles of his shoulder.
Many shooters will find it more comfortable to
86
The Breech-Loader,
And How to Use It. 87
shoot with a gun having the butt so rounded, or
sloped, than with the usual butt, which is of equal
length to either edge.
Guns with stocks from 14 in. to 141 in. long,
measured from the fore-trigger to the centre of
heel-plate, will be found in most gun-makers' stock,
and the common " cast-off " is ^V in. at heel, and 4 in.
at toe. A sportsman, above the average height,
should take a gun-stock longer than usual, and also
one slightly more bent. The longest stock the
author has made is 15J in., and the greatest bend
4I in. It rarely happens that stocks shorter than
13I in. are required. A shooter with sloping
shoulders will find that a stock about 2f in. bend
at heel and if in. at comb, will probably suit him
best.
The gun-stock must be so fashioned that the
butt shall be at a right angle, or nearly so, to the
barrels, and the gun will stand with the barrels
almost perpendicular. Some, however, prefer that
the gun when stood upright shall be such that the
sight and the centre of the butt shall be in a
plumb-line.
The "cast-off," as already explained, is the
lateral deviation of the stock from the common
axis of the barrels. This permits of the barrels
being more readily aligned.
A thin man requiring but little cast-off to his
gun, whilst a stout man with broad shoulders may
need a gun much cast off.
88
The Breech-Loadkr,
Shooting a Straight Stock Gun.
Explanation. — At the time of firing the whole of the butt-plate
should be in contact with the shoulder of the shooter. When firing at
ground game this is almost imp>ossible with a straight gun stock having
the usual amount of toe. Usually the gun stock projects much above
the shooter's shoulder— as shown — the result being that the recoil causes
the gun to jump up. If theg^n be fired whilst held as shown above, the
cheek of the shooter would have to sustain a goodly share of the force of
th? recoil.
AxD Ho IV TO Use It.
89
Shooting witn a Rational :5iock.
Explanation.— The rational stock is, at the time of firing, squarely
bedded against the shoulder of the shooter, and whether firing at ground
game or at birds flying straight over, must always have a greater portion
of its butt-plate in contact with the shoulder of the shooter than it is
possible to get when using the ordinary straight stock.
90 The Breech-Loader,
The pistol-hand gun-stock, especially in that
form shown in the illustration of the American gun-
stock, and known technically as half pistol-hand, is
the common form throughout Canada and the
United States, and is also being adopted by the
sportsmen of Australia and South Africa.
Amongst English sportsmen the use of the
pistol grip is confined chiefly to double rifles
and large-bore guns, and it permits of a firmer
grip than the straight hand stock, but is not
so convenient for pulling the left trigger in quick
succession to the right. With the straight grip the
hand may slide backwards, but with the pistol grip
it is necessary to bend the trigger finger more to
fire the second barrel rapidly. Some sportsmen,
whether using straight or pistol-hand stocks, find it
more convenient to pull the near trigger first and
move the hand forward to fire a rapid second.
greener's- unbreakable stock.
The necessity for such additional strength to
the usual gun-stock is fully proven by the numerous
orders received for extra butts to be supplied with
new guns and rifles intended for use in India,
Africa, and other wild countries.
The author has designed and patented a gun-
stock which is practically unbreakable. The stock
is fastened to the breech-action by a long butt-pin
passing through the centre of the hand, and screw-
ing into the back of the breech-action (similar to
And How to Use It. 91
the Martini), and thereby firmly securing the butt
to the action, and, at the same time, strengthening
the weakest part of the stock.
The diameter of the butt-pin is reduced at
intervals to allow for the expansion of the wood,
and prevent the stock splitting.
We have had a gun fitted with this improve-
ment in use for the last two seasons, purposely
submitting it to very rough treatment, in order to
thoroughly test it, such as striking it against
wooden rails and other obstacles, dropping it from
a dog-cart, letting it fall from horseback, and
throwing it several times from a tree (20 ft. in
height) on to the ground, and many other similar
tests, all of which it withstood perfectly. One
cannot conceive a use to which a gun could be put
that this stock would not withstand.
Another advantage claimed for this improve-
ment is " the perfect rigidity of the stock." The
steel pin passing through the hand prevents the
92 The Breech-Loader,
" springing " of the stock, which has been proved
to exist in some guns, causing them to shoot low.
Extract from The Field, July 30th, 1892 : —
" A {itw months ago we were shooting a light
game gun at the target, and were surprised to find
that the centre of the charge of shot struck the
target about 12 inches low. After a few trials it
was found that the phenomenon was due to the
recoil springing the hand of the stock, so that while
the charge was passing through the barrel the
stock became more bent, and therefore caused the
gun to deliver its charge below the point aimed at.
After pieces of wood had been glued to the
* hand ' of the stock, so as to prevent it spring-
ing, the charge was thrown perfectly true and
central."
The unbreakable stock is specially suitable for
Express and large-bore rifles, duck guns, and guns
for rough wear, and for use abroad.
There are other shapes of gun-stocks, with some
of which sportsmen may be acquainted, but to
others they will be novel and offer certain advan-
tages.
First, there is the horn guard, equivalent to the
scroll guard of the old-fashioned English rifle.
This guard is supposed to allow abetter and firmer
grip of the gun to be obtained with the right hand
— the same advantage as claimed for iho. pistol-hand
stock, which, moreover, prevents the second finger of
And How to Use It,
93
the right hand from being bruised by the back of
the trigger-guard.
The horn guard is much used by some Conti-
nental sportsmen, and the German gun-makers
particularly fashion it into an ornamental fitting
for either the shot gun or rifle.
The Horn before Guard Gun- Stock.
Another Continental form is the shield guard,
94 The Breech-Loader.
or horn before guard. With this style of stock the
gun is grasped just in front of the trigger-guard by
the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, the palm
of the left hand and the remaining fingers being
firmly pressed against the guard. This style of
holding the gun is not to be commended, but it
must be admitted that many fine shots are to be
found who never hold their gun differently.
The rational gun-stock was introduced by the
author some time ago, and it embodies qualities
long sought in pistol-grip guns, and the undeniable
advantage of the straight stock.
In this stock, as will be seen from the illustra-
tion, there is more than the usual bend at the bump
or heel, and that the comb is not straight, but arched
slightly ; and as the cheek touches the stock about
midway between the heel and the thumb, it is there,
and there only, that the stock need be straight.
With the usual English gun-stock, put up in the
usual manner, it will be found that about one-third
of the upper part of the butt projects above, and
has no bearing against the shoulder. This leaves
the sharp narrow toe to steady the gun and to take
the recoil.
With the rational stock the face of the shooter
will be resting upon the stock when the bump or
heel has reached a level of the shoulder, and the
whole of the butt will find a bearing in the hollow
of the shooter's shoulder.
The bend of the gun will, with the " rational "
y6 The Brrech-Loader,
stock, be about 2\ ins. at heel, \\ at comb, and i|
m id way between heel and comb.
In the rational stock the wood is left thicker at
the toe, and thinner than usual at the heel. This
enables the shooter more easily to get his gun into
proper position ; with the large heel and thick
butt the stock often catches against the shoulder,
diud jumps afterwards to the position from which it
is fired. It is believed that by reversing the taper
of the butt the gun will invariably be brought with
greater certainty and speed to its proper bearing at
the shoulder.
The rational gun-stock also, instead of being
straight from, trigger b )w to toe, is arched slightly
near the end of the grip. This shaping of the stock
is a very modified form of pistol grip, and allows
not only of a firmer and easier grip being taken,
but also permits the elbo.v to fall lower and to a
more natural position when the gun is at the
shoulder and about to be fired.
Of gun-stocks built for special purposes the
most common is that for use from the right
shoulder, but to be aimed with the left eye. This
form of gun-stock shows in an exaggerated form the
utility of cast-off. The stock is bent over not until
the rib is convenient for the right eye, but until it
is in a position to be readily aligned by the left
eye, when the gun is brought up to the right
shoulder.
The author when treating of the handling of the
A. YD Ho IV TO Use It. 97
gun and the art of wing shooting will point out
exactly of what value a correctly-fitting stock is
to the shooter.
Many sportsmen and some gun-makers are in-
clined to overrate the importance of the fit of the
gun, even going so far as to say that one's
shooting may be greatly improved by having an
exactly-fitting gun-stock. In this connection the
experience of many sportsmen will bear out that of
" F.," who wrote to the Field of April 9th, 1892, as
follows : —
Extract from The Field, April 9th, 1892.
"SHOOTING UNAMENDED.
'* Sir, — I am but an average shot. After reading
much correspondence concerning the utility of try
guns, and their power of improving a man's shoot-
ing twenty per cent, I went to a well-known gun-
maker to see what I could do.
"After a certain amount of shooting which
seemed to point to the fact that I shot high to
the left, the try gun was altered, and with it
properly adjusted I certainly seemed most suc-
cessful. I accordingly ordered a gun to pattern, the
gun-maker saying I ought to be a good shot, as I
shot so regularly in the same place, and it was
only that my gun did not suit me.
'* I have now been shooting a great deal, but I
find to my astonishment that it makes not the
H
Breech-Loader, and How to Use It. 99
slightest difference which gun I have in my hands.
One (the nevv^ one) has a fair bend and much cast-
off; the other (my old gun) is very straight with
no cast-off.
'* The only thing noticeable is that after a change
of guns the gun seems to come up awkwardly the
first shot or two. But now if I change my gun,
before beginning to shoot, I put the gun to my
shoulder a few times, I find that my left hand goes
a bit farther forward on the bent gun, and that I
am inclined to move my head a little to the right
with the gun without cast-off, which I take it
is the natural consequence of the difference of
make.
" But if I take the precaution to put the gun
to my shoulder a half-dozen times or so before
shooting, what gun I have in my hand signifies
nothing.
" I offer these remarks on the utility of fitting
a gun, in case any of your correspondents might
wish to comment on the fact of my experience.
I should much like to find a gun which would
really improve my shooting.
" At present I am far from gun-makers. I am
afraid I feel convinced that a good eye alone can
make a good shot, and provided the gun is of good
make and pattern, fitting is of little or no im-
portance.
"Central India.
loo The Breech-Loader
OF THE FIT OF GUNS.
The fit of a gun is a truly personal matter, for
although the majority of sportsmen can shoot well
with the gun which suits eighty men out of every
hundred, unless the gun is liked by them they will
never feel that they shoot so well with it as they
should, as no two persons are alike ; therefore
every person to be exactly suited with a gun will
require something different to that which will suit
another, but in practice the difference is often so
slight as not to be noticeable. The most important
point is the weight of the weapon, for many sports-
men sadly overweight themselves with needlessly
heavy weapons ; the gun when put up at a mark
for trial does not seem heavy, but after carrying it
for a few hours or when fatigued by walking,
waiting, or working, the gun will not be " put up "
as it was when the sportsman was fresh. The
lighter the gun the greater control the muscles
have over the gun to align it properly, and the
longer they retain that power. The ability to
handle a gun with precision is more likely to fill
the game-bag than the possession of a perfectly
fitting weapon. The really good shot can shoot
well with almost any gun ; a perfectly fitting stock
will never make a good shot out of a bad one.
There is no reason, however, why the sportsman
should use a gun that does not suit him, nor need
it be advanced that because Mr. E. D. Fulford.
And How to Use It. ioi
who grassed 194 pigeons consecutively, Dr. Carver,
Captain Brewer, Mr. J, Elliott, and other world-
renowned shots, were never " measured " for a gun,
other sportsmen may not avail themselves of the
best methods for getting a gun that will suit them.
Most men align a gun with the right eye, that
eye usually being the stronger. If the sight of the
left eye is stronger than that of the right, the
shooter must close his left eye when aiming, shoot
from the left shoulder, or have a gun so made that
it is alignable with the left eye. To ascertain
which eye is the stronger, take a finger ring and
hold it put at arm's length, look through it with
both eyes open at some object twenty or more feet
distant ; close the left eye ; if the right eye still
sees the object through the ring, which has not
been moved, the right eye is the stronger, and may
be trusted to align the gun, and the sportsman
may with advantage dispense with shooting cor-
rectors, two-eyed sights, et id genus omne, and keep
both ej^es open in shooting.
TO CHOOSE A GUN THAT WILL FIT CORRECTLY.
Take a gun and put it up to the shoulder two
or three times without aiming at anything in par-
ticular ; if it seems to come up easily and be under
perfect control, look at a mark ten or twenty feet
distant and slightly higher than the shooter's
shoulder, fling up the gun quickly whilst looking
steadily at the mark, and immediately the gun is
I02 The Breech-Loader,
at the shoulder, close the left eye, and glance at
once along the rib, the sight on the muzzle should
cover the object at which the shooter was looking
as he brought up the gun. If, upon this manoeuvre
being repeated several times, it is found that the
gun each time covers the mark at which it is
aimed, it should be tried in like manner at other
marks, at different distances and elevations ; if
these marks are covered in the same manner, the
gun may be considered a fit, and a little practice
will make the shooter quite at home with the
weapon ; it should then be tried at a target, take
a few snap shots at a bull's eye, and if the shots are
not placed central, something is wrong with either
the gun or the shooter. If a man cannot hit a fixed
mark at thirty to forty yards every time with a
shot gun, he cannot expect to hit bir^^s on the wing.
The sportsman who can make his choice out of
a large stock of guns or with the assistance of an
experienced man to guide him, has a great advan-
tage over the man whose trials must be made with
a few weapons and without the help of an expert
to correct any faulty actions which may escape the
observation of the shooter. For instance, a person
adept in the art of gun fitting would detect at once
whether a second aim was taken in aligning the
gun, and could immediately so alter a dummy try
gun as to come up in the way desired ; whereas
the shooter, if alone, must note where the gun
points, and calculate what amount of alteration
And How to Use It. 103
is necessary. If a gun is pointed much below the
mark at which it is aimed, the stock of the gun is
too crooked, too short, or the gun too heavy.
If it points above the mark at which it is aimed,
it is too straight or has too much toe upon the
stock. It is much better to use a gun that is too
straight than one that is the reverse, as we shall
try to prove in our chapter on the use of guns.
If it points to the right, it is cast-off too much ;
if to the left, the cast-off is not sufficient. If it is
not horizontal, but twisted over so that the right
barrel is the higher, the stock requires to be twisted
over by casting off the toe more ; if the left barrel
is higher, which is very rarely the case, both the
cast-off of the gun and the shape of the butt must
be altered.
The straighter and longer the stock which can
be manipulated with ease, the better and quicker
will be the shooting, and less fatiguing the work of
a heavy day's shooting. All good guns are so re-
gulated that, aimed point-blank and dead-level
along the rib, they will centre on the mark at forty
yards' distance.
Some trap shots require their guns to carry as
many as 6 in. high at forty yards ; this is preferable
to using a gun which shoots high because, being
too straight in the stock, it is aimed too high.
Misses with a shot-gun, as with a rifle, more fre-
quently arise from errors in elevation than the
misdirection of the aim.
I04
The Breech-Loader,
And How to Use It. 105
The hand or the grip of the gun must not be so
thick that it cannot be grasped with ease ; it may
be of oval section, or ^^^ shape, with the smallest
point at top, or, to afford a better grasp, even dia-
mond shape in section : it must not be round, or
have too fine or too flat a chequering, or feel
clumsy, and the fore-end must be narrow, standing
high from the barrels, and fall full into the palm
of the left hand, gripping the barrels.
A short gun-stock assists the shooter to get up
the gun freely, but is against his holding it firmly
against the shoulder ; a large butt, not too flat, and
with a fairly broad toe, is the best for bedding
firmly against the shoulder ; it should, in most
cases, be slightly shorter to the left edge of
the butt-plate than to the right. The better and
more truly the butt fits the shoulder the more com-
fortable will be the gun in use, and the less appre-
ciable will be the recoil.
The " try gun " is a gun-maker's tool, which
permits of the stock being altered to any length,
bend, cast-off, and shape of the butt, and is of use
in fitting a sportsman who needs a gun of special
build. Most of these guns are capable of being
fired, but, as not one of them handles at all like
an ordinary gun, it does not follow that, because
a shooter is able to use it with success, a proper
gun made with the same measurements of stock
will prove quite suitable. It is a gun- maker's
tool only, and can be used to good advantage
io6
The Breechloader,
And How to Use It. 107
only when in the hands of an experienced gun-
fitter.
OLIVER'S SIGHT-ALIGNER AND ADJUSTABLE
GUN.
The sight-aligner and adjustable gun, invented
in 1882 by Mr. E. Oliver (Mr. W. W. Greener's
London House manager), is so contrived that an
expert stands behind the sight disc, and while the
aim is being taken he can discover whether both
eyes of the shooter are open, and if the aim is a
correct one. It is possible for him to see right
down the barrels, providing there is a good light.
This was used with the first try gun made, and
was adopted by many gun-makers to get their
customers properly fitted with guns.
It is sometimes said that a sportsman cannot
shoot with a gun that suits him if he varies his
clothing ; possibly some men cannot, but they are
not good shots, nor should they pose as such, for, as
before stated, the good shot, the man xvho knows
how to handle a gun and how to aim, will shoot well
with any gun. Dr. Carver has in a single exhibi-
tion shoot of less than an hour's duration shot and
performed equally well with a Winchester repeat-
ing rifle of the military model, a double shot-gun
of 2|-in. bend, and a double shot-gun of 2-in. bend.
The man who really means to shoot well does so
irrespective of any trifling wrong dimension in the
weapon he has to use, and the acquisition of the
:o8
The Breech-Loader,
Captain Brewer's position at the Trap.
And Ho IV to Use It.
109
Continental Stvle of Shootiu;
1 10 The Breech-Loader,
art of shooting enables one to do what the hyper-
critical Piccadilly sportsman would not attenipt
under the most favourable conditions.
SHOOTING POSITIONS.
Of the many shapes of gun-stocks, the sports-
man will have to determine which is the one best
adapted to his style of shooting.
A manufacturer has a collection of photographs
of the members of a first-rate gun-club, taken as
they face the trap and have given the word '' piiliy
Of these crack shots there are not two who hold
the gun exactly alike ; each shooter, in some mea-
sure, adapts himself to the gun which he prefers.
In the illustration of the Continental style of
shooting, it will be noticed the gun is nearly at
right angles with the chest of the shooter, and ihe
left hand grasps the gun immediately in front of
the trigger-guard. A man holding the gun in this
fashion could do with a stock ijin. longer than
when shooting in Captain Brewer's style, which is
just the other extreme, the left hand is as far
forward as it is possible to get it. Much import-
ance is to be attached to where the gun is grasped
by the left hand.
The opposite style of shooting is to hold the
gun across the chest, as in the illustration showing
the use of the " Rational Stock."
Some men who attend second-rate pigeon shools
and do not take their own guns, but rely upon
A. YD How TO Use It. hi
borrowing one when they arrive at the grounds,
are able, by putting up the gun a time or two, to
adapt themselves to the measurements of the gun.
Should it be too long in the stock, they hold it
well back with the left hand ; if too short, they
slide the hand forward until they find it comes up
comfortably. When too crooked, by placing the
hand farther forward it makes the stock appear
straighten
When ordering a gun, to do so personally is, of
course, the best, but should it be impossible to do
so, a photograph would be a great assistance to the
gun-maker, as it would enable him to form an idea
of the man for whom the gun is to be made. If
the sportsman possesses an old gun which suits
him perfectly, the gun-maker should have it, in
order to copy it exactly in measurements, etc. At
the author's works in Birmingham, try guns and
every modern appliance are used for fitting guns,
and there is always a large stock of guns of dif-
ferent measurements on hand, so that invariably a
gun may be selected which will suit, and the shoot-
ing performance tried on the shooting range which
is on the premises, the advantage of this being
that the choking can be modified to the shooting
required by the purchaser, and he knows exactly
how the gun will perform.
12 The Breech-Loader,
CHAPTER IV.
HANDLING THE GUN — HOW TO PUT IT TO-
GETHER— HOW TO CLEAN IT, AND KEEP IN
GOOD ORDER — HOW TO PREVENT BREAKAGE
AND DAMAGE — HOW AND WHEN TO SEND
FOR REPAIRS — TEMPORARY BREAKDOWNS AND
THE REMEDV — ROUGH-AND-READY REPAIRS.
The purchaser of a new breech-loader should
receive instructions from the seller as to the
manner in which the gun is to be put together.
Putting the barrels on to the stock is a very
easy matter to one used to it ; to the sportsman
it is not always a simple matter, especially if the
gun be of a type new to him. The gun will
generally be delivered with the barrels and stock
apart. The fore-part will be upon the barrels,
probably held there by the snap-bolt, which must
be raised or pressed, and the fore-end at the same
time lifted away from the barrels. In cheap guns
it sometimes happens that the fore-part, which is
easy enough to remove when the gun is together,
fits very tightly upon the barrels when the action is
off. It will come away easily if it be pressed in
the direction of the barrels and towards the muzzle.
The gun being put together should be wiped
And How to Use It. 113
tree from dust ; nothing tends more to clog the
breech mechanism than dust.
There are two simple ways of putting barrels
and stock together. Take the stock in the right
hand, keep the lever open with the thumb, partly
draw out the extractor in the barrels ; take them in
the lefc hand and hook them into the breech action
as shown in the illustration, care being taken to
pull the hook w^ell on to the hinge-pin ; when they
are down on the bed of the breech-action, let go
the action -lever, turn the gun over, and put on the
fore-part.
Another way is to take hold of the breech-
action firml}^ with the left hand ; hold the barrels
perpendiculcirly in the right, hook the breech-action
on to the barre.s, and press it firmly home.
In putting a Greener Ejector Gun together —
First. — Pull extractors in barrel out to their
fullest extent, press back the swivel and ejectors as
close to the barrel lump as possible.
Second. — Take stock in the right hand, the
barrels in the left, keep both in a horizontal posi-
tion, the left side being uppermost
Third. — Introduce the barrels into the breech-
action body, hook first, and pulling hook well down
on the hinge, snap the barrels home. No force is
requisite.
Fourth. — Put on the fore-end.
The locks must not be snapped off until the
barrels are home. The gun cannot be closed
114 The Breech-Loader,
unless the locks are cocked. Should there be any
difficulty in closing the gun it is proof that the
gun is not cocked, and it must therefore be opened
still wider before it can be closed ; the barrels are
taken off in the usual way. The locks may then
be snapped off without injury.
In putting a gun together, providing all the
parts are clean, no stiffness will be noticed, and no
force requisite. In case of a deadlock in putting in
the barrel, do not attempt to force the barrels in,
but search for the cause. Probably, if a hammer-
less gun, it will require cocking ; if a hammer gun,
possibly the strikers are projecting through the
face, and do not work freely, so that the extractor
drops upon them and prevents the barrels going
home.
In cheap guns the extractor often works very
stiffly ; this is not so noticeable when a gun is
together as it is when one is trying to force out
the extractor with the lifter upon the breech-action.
If the extractor is rusted in, it will be impossible to
force it out with the lifter on the action, and it
must be made to work smoothly before the gun is
put together.
Having put the gun together, it should be
opened and shut several times, and any stiffness
or clogginess will at once be noticed. If the gun
s a snap-action, the lever should be carried home
as the gun is closed. Dirt often finds its way
underneath the extractor, and this, even in a most
AND How TO Use It.
IIS
Methods of puttin
Barrels and Slock together.
I 2
Ii6 The Breech-Loader,
minute quantity, will frequently occasion stiffness
in working, or very possibly prevent the gun from
closing. Oil and dust, and sometimes a little rust,
will be found in the bottom holding-down bolt ;
this causes the gun to work stiffly. The gun must
never ho. forced open, or unusual force used to close
it. If the gun does not o^qw freely, it should be
carefully examined, and, on the principle that a
stitch in time saves nine, it may be cleaned
thoroughly, providing the cause of the stiffness
is found, and the obstruction removed.
The keeping of the gun clean, and the mechan-
ism free from grit, will ensure immunity from the
annoyance of a "jam " in the field. In case of the
sticking together of parts that should work freely
— such as the strikers jamming in the breech-
action, the extractor clogging in the barrels, or
bolts or any parts becoming fast with rust — there
is nothing so good as an application of petroleum ;
repeated applications, and the exercise of patience,
will not fail to loosen the " cement," and make
even the rustiest pin amenable to the persuasion of
a hand turnscrew. Having the gun together, and
working freely, it will require to be used carefully.
It must not be let fall heavily on its butt plate :
it must not be pushed underneath the seat of the
dog-cart or waggonette, and left to take its chance ;
it should not be left muzzle-up or muzzle-down
against a wall, a gate, or a tree. It should not be
used as a crutch, an alpenstock, or crowbar. From
A ND Ho w TO Use It. 117
a critical examination of many guns returned to
the author, after very little wear, he fancies they
must at times be utilised for very different pur-
poses to those for which their makers intended
them. To speak more plainly, some guns are
abominably abused.
The man who means to use his gun roughly is
not likely to benefit by reading any number of
directions as to the care of guns ; there are sports-
men who do not wish to spoil their guns who act
in such a manner as to injure them, and for them
the following hints are intended : —
More breech-loaders get shaky in the action
by being worked carelessly than from repeated
firing or the use of heavy charges. The barrels of
a breech-loader should never be jerked down, nor
should they be thrown back into a position with
a snap. The proper manner in which to load a
gun is to drop the stock under the elbow, and
press it firmly against the hip or the body, unfasten
the lever with the right hand, and with the left
grasping the barrels a few inches in front of the
fore-end, lower them easily. Close the gun in a
careful manner after putting in the cartridges,
bringing the stock up to the barrels.
The best cartridge cases are the cheapest in the
long run ; when the shells are of poor quality the
gas escapes at the breech end, the breech-action is
unduly strained by the firing and rendered foul.
Cartridge cases must fit the chamber accurately ;
Ii8 The Breech-Loader,
if a case is too large, bulged by an over-tight wad,
or swelled by wet, it must not be forced into the
cham]:)er. More especially the barrels must not
be rested upon a fence at the muzzle, and the
leverage thus obtained used to force in tight cart-
ridges. A cartridge case with an unusually thick-
rim forced into the gun will cause more strain on
the breech action than much firing with the proper
ammunition. If the gun is a good one, it can be
preserved longer if only good ammunition is used.
Guns must be taken care of; they will then
last many seasons, and give every satisfaction.
When not in use they should be stored in a dry
cupboard, either on a rack or in their travelling
cases. The gun must not be put away at '' full
cock ; " the tumblers may be lowered by pulling
the trigger, and such is better than allowing them
to remain at " full-cock ; " but if the gun is laid by
whilst together, two used cartridge cases, well
greased, may be put in the chambers, and the
locks snapped off; or the tumblers may be lowered
by pulling the triggers whilst the barrels are open,
but this cannot be done with guns fitted with auto-
matic trigger-holding safeties, nor with hammerless
guns which are not cocked by the dropping of the
barrels.
CLEANING GUNS.
To clean a gun after a day's shooting. If the
gun be wet, it should be wiped dry at 07ice, but the
And Ho IV to Use It. 119
cleaning of the barrels and breech-action may be
left until the sportsman or his servant has time to
do it properly.
To clean the barrels. Use the cleaning-rod,
with tow and oil, or turpentine. To remove the
fouling, put muzzles on the floor, and push the rod
down to within an inch of the muzzle and draw up
to the chamber, or the rod may be pushed right
through the barrels from the breech first time. Do
this two or three times, then push right through.
Use the bristle brush, or the rod with plenty of
flannel ; finish with the mop soaked in refined
neatsfoot, pure Arctic sperm oil, or vaseline.
Never half clean the barrels ; always wipe them
dry and clean before finally oiling, and do not put
the mop used for oiling into a foul barrel. To
remove the leading from the interior of a gun
barrel soak with turpentine, then clean well with a
bristle, or even a wire brush, but never on any
account use emery.
Always wipe the bed, face, and joint of the
breech-action with an oily rag or flannel. A little
linseed oil may be rubbed over the stock occa-
sionally.
Before putting the gun together ascertain that
all the bearing parts are free from dust or grit.
The joint may be lubricated with a mixture
of half best Russian tallow and half petroleum.
In most hammerless guns, if the cover plate
underneath the breech-action body is taken off, the
I20 The Breech-Loader,
locks may be inspected, oiled, and any rust, or
clogged oil and dust, removed from the bc?tt.
The cocking-lifters of hammerless guns, the
holding-down and top bolts, and the triggers, if
they have a tendency to clog, may be touched with
a knitting needle dipped in petroleum. They
must be lubricated, whenever they require it, with
chronometer oil, Rangoon oil, or finest neatsfoot.
Do not use a feather for the purpose of putting
on any lubricant ; a wire knitting-needle or bodkin
is much better.
To remove rust from inside or outside of a
barrel, procure a tub, and with a kettle of boiling
water well scald the barrels inside and out, wipe
perfectly dry with flannel, and then oil. It is as
well to do this before putting the gun aside for
any length of time.
If the barrels are foul through using inferior
powder, and the fouling has become hard and
dry, cold water, or hot soapsuds, may be used to
cleanse them. Water boiling Jiot kills rust.
Turpentine, often used successfully to clean the
residue from gun-barrels, will give great trouble if
it gets into the fine-fitting parts of the mechanism
of the breech-action and locks, and must therefore
be used with care.
Rusty or tight breeches in muzzle-loading
barrels may often be turned out, providing the
breech-ends of the barrels have been soaked in
petroleum. Very obstinate breeches may require
And How to Use It. 121
to be well heated, as well as lubricated, before they
can be turned out, but usually petroleum will be
found a sufficient remedy for incipient rust of the
working parts. All the parts of the mechanism
may be cleaned with petroleum ; it removes
clogged vegetable and animal oils well.
STRIPPING GUNS.
Some sportsmen like to take their guns all to
pieces and re-arrange the parts. This is not
requisite, and does not in any way add to the
efficiency of the arm. The gun-maker is the proper
person to take apart the locks, or strip the breech-
action ; if there is not a practical man within easy
reach the sportsman must, of course, himself en-
deavour to effect any repairs, but it is not advisable
to interfere with any gun that functions properly,
nor to practise upon any gun that works satisfac-
torily. If practicable, have a good gun examined
each summer by its maker or a practical gun-
smith.
To take to pieces a breech-loader for cleaning
or repairs, first remove the fore-end and barrels ;
then, with a strong hand turnscrew, turn out the
side-pins, and remove the locks and hammers
together ; next turn out the guard-pins, and
remove the bow or guard ; another pin will then
be seen in the rear end of the trigger-plate ; re-
move this pin (occasionally this "hand-pin" is
placed in the reverse way, the head of this pin will
122 The Breech-Loader,
then be found on the top of the grip in the tang of
a long break-off). The " furniture-pin " should
next be turned out ; this pin fastens the fore-part
of the trigger-plate to the body of the breech-action,
and is easily distinguished. Next remove the
" breech-pin " upon the top of the tang of the
break-off; in top-lever action guns the breech-pin
is covered by the lever, which must be held on
one side whilst the pin is being turned out. After
having removed the furniture-pins, the trigger-plate
and triggers may be taken from the stock, after
which the breech-action may be removed entire.
To strip breech-actions, if the action is a treble-
wedge-fast or ordinary top-lever double-bolt action,
the first thing will be to remove the spring. To
do this, first partly turn out the lever spring pin
(under tang of break-off), and with a pair of pliers
or pincers take hold of the spring and slightly grip
it, and lift the spring towards the head of the pin.
It will then be free from its bearing, and may be
removed by completely turning out the spring
pin. (This does not apply to spiral springs.)
Next proceed to turn out the pin or pins con-
necting the tumbler with the bottom bolt, and
remove the bolt by drawing straight out back-
wards. Next turn out the lever pin on top of
lever, and by means of a small wire punch inserted
in the lever pin-hole, knock out the tumbler. The
lever may then be removed, and the top bolt, if
any, will fall out.
And How to Use It. 123
In side-lever guns, first knock out the pivot on
which the lever works, then remove spring and
bolt. Snap guns with lever under-guard may be
stripped in much the same manner, but the spring
and lever are fixed to the trigger-plate, and the
spring must be removed before knocking out the
pivot-pin. Owing to the numerous complicated
breech-actions that are made, we are unable to say
that the above directions will be sufficient to enable
an amateur to strip his gun ; but we trust they will
be explicit enough as regarding guns of our own
make. There are many breech-actions made that
puzzle expert gun-smiths to take apart and repair,
and it would be foolish for an amateur to attempt
to take them apart if a gun-maker is within reason-
able distance.
To strip a gun-lock, first remove the mainspring.
This may be accomplished with a pair of lock vices,
or a cramp may be made by filing a notch or slot
in a narrow strip of -^ iron or steel, the size of the
breadth of mainspring when at full cock. Having
cocked the lock, slip the cramp up the mainspring
until it catches, then release the scear and push
down the tumbler. The spring being firmly held
in the cramp, it may be unhooked from the swivel
and removed from the lock-plate ; then unscrew
the bridle-pins, and remove the bridle.
The scear may then be lifted off if the tumbler
is not in bent. The scear spring will then be at
liberty, and may be removed by turning out the
124 The Breech-Loader,
pin. Now the hammer should be removed ; the
tumbler-pin is first turned out, and by means of a
wire punch inserted in the hole, the tumbler is
knocked away from both hammers and lock-plate.
If a hammer fits well, it will be impossible to re-
move it in any other way without injury either to
the hammer or the lock. The spring m.ust not be
taken out of the cramp ; it requires no cleaning
except at the claw or hook. In putting a lock
together, first screw on the scear spring, then the
tumbler, then place on the scears and cramp the
spring with a pair of pliers or tongs, place the
tumbler into half-bent. Then affix the bridle, and
screw it to the lock-plate. Take the mainspring,
ready cramped, hook on to the swivel in tumbler,
place the stud in the hole drilled for it in the lock-
plate, raise the tumbler to full bent, squeeze the
mainspring down close to the plate, and remove the
cramp j the lock will be ready then for afiixing the
hammer, which should be knocked on after placing
the lock firmly on a solid block to prevent the
bridle from breaking. To take apart the lock-work
of the Anson and Deeley Hammerless Gun, pro-
ceed as follows : —
Having removed the barrels, snap down the
hammers or tumblers, remove the cover-plate from
bottom of breech-action body ; knock out with a
wire punch, from the right side, the scear pivot, or
the one nearest the stock, and remove the scears ;
knock out the dog-pin, or the one nearest the
AxD How TO Use It. 125
fore- end joint, and remove the cocking levers ; partly
screw on the cover-plate, and carefully knock out
the centre-pivot or tumbler-pin, remove the cover-
plate, and the tumblers and mainsprings will drop
out upon the breech-action being reversed. The
scear springs lie along the bottom of action, and
may be removed after turning out the pins. To
put the lock-work together, first place the main-
spring in the bend of the tumbler, with the stud of
mainspring bearing in its proper slot, and its other
extremity bearing against the under side of the
nose of the tumbler ; the tumbler and spring having
been placed in the slot must be forced into position
with a cramp, or piece of notched wood ; knock in
the tumbler-pivot half-way, insert the other tumbler
and spring in the same manner, knock the wire
pivot right through the lifting dogs, the scears must
then be put in, and the whole covered with the
cover-plate. The " Greener " Hammerless Guns,
which have similar tumblers and scears and main-
springs, may be taken to pieces in the same way,
but there are no dogs or lifters to be removed.
In stripping muzzle-loaders, first raise to half
cock, then remove the locks by turning out the
side pin, then lift off the barrels and proceed to re-
move the furniture, and break off as already
directed for breech-loaders.
REPAIRS.
When possible, guns should be sent to the
126 The Breech-Loader,
makers for all repairs, as no one else is interested
in making the gun last as long as possible, and at
the least cost
At the end of each shooting season guns should
be sent to the gun-maker to be examined, cleaned,
and if necessary repaired. Some sportsmen find it
advantageous to leave the guns with the gun-maker
until the reopening of the season, as he knows they
will then be cared for properly, and will be returned
in perfect order fit for use.
The mo.^t common damage is a dented barrel.
A small dent may not be noticed by the sportsman,
yet be sufficiently large to affect the shooting
qualities of the gun. A bruise or large indentation
is a serious damage, and a gun-barrel so injured
should never be fired until properly repaired or the
barrel will bulge at the bruised part.
Repairs to shaky breech-actions require care-
ful workmanship ; if much worn, new bolts, hinge-
pin, etc., may be replaced at little cost, but re-stock-
ing a gun is an expensive matt^.r; alterations to the
shape or dimensions of the stock also become
expensive, as the gun requires to be "done up," ?>.,
polished, blued, etc., after setting.
If unable to send to the makers, avoid advertis-
ing jobsters, who are in the habit of putting their
own name on the gun under the pretence of having
improved its shooting; also prevent all tampering
with the barrels unless you know that the man to
whom the gun is intrusted has the necessary tools
And How to Use It. 127
and skill to do the work properly. When sending
for repairs send the complete gun, not any par-
ticular part.
The following are the approximate prices for
such repairs as are most frequently required : —
Re-stocking hammerless guns, £^ to £6 or
about one-seventh of the actual cost of the gun.
Hammer guns from 21s. for keepers' guns, to £'^.
Taking dents out of barrels, reducing small
bulges, and repolishing and browning barrels, los.
to 35s.
Tightening breech-actions from los., where new
bolts, etc., are not required, to 30s.
Cleaning guns simply, hammer guns, los. ; ham-
merless guns, 15 s. to 20s.
Doing up an old gun, cleaning, polishing, and
browning barrels, polishing and blueing furniture,
colouring breech-action, cleaning, re-chequering
and polishing the stock, and renovating stock, lock,
and barrels, from 20s. to 70s., according to value
and work done.
Other repairs are : re-browning from los. Re-
boring barrels to remove rust and testing the gun,
from I OS. per barrel. Re-boring cylinder barrels to
improve shooting, 15s. per barrel. Removing
choke, shooting, testing, etc., 12?. 6d. per barrel.
Altering bend of stock, los. to 25s.; altering
length of stock, los.
New cocks, from 5s. each; new hammerless
tumblers, from 7s. 6d. each ; new mainsprings, from
128 The Breech-Loader,
8s. per pair ; new top-lever or action springs, scear
springs, etc., from 2s. 6d. each.
EXTRA LIMBS AND TOOLS.
The following extra parts of a gun should
always be taken out when out hunting, or exploring
in wild countries : — Extra pair of lock mainsprings,
extra hammers or tumblers, pair of extra scears,
pair of extra nipples and strikers, extra side-pin,
extra action or lever springs, scear springs, and extra
triggers.
The following tools will be found useful : — Set
of three turnscrews, mainspring cramp, or lock vice,
small pair of pliers, small pincers, notched to grip
springs and pins.
HOW TO REPAIR GUNS.
The following hints will be found useful to those
who use guns far away from a gun-maker's shop,
and need to repair broken-down guns for imme-
diate use : —
The action or top-lever spring may break, but
this need not in any way affect the utility or safety
of the arm, only the lever will have to be moved
home when the gun is closed, instead of it snapping
there. The strikers of ordinary guns will become
useless after continued wear, owing to the hardened
hammer flattening the head of the striker, and so
shortening its travel as to make miss-fires of frequent
occurrence. The nipple must then be turned out
A. YD Hon' TO Use It. 129
with a key or a pair of pliers, and a new spare
striker inserted. In hammerless guns, the tumbler
and striker being- in one, and the point itself striking
against the soft copper-cap of the cartridge, this
flattening does not occur, the strikers being of the
best mild steel, carefully hardened and tempered,
and so well made, that breakages are of very rare
occurrence.
To remove a dent, the following is the readiest
expedient : — Having removed the barrel from the
action or stock, insert in the barrel at the breech-
end a solid leaden plug or bullet, as near the size
of the barrel as possible. Place the barrels on a
solid block with a stout ramrod or stick in the
barrel, reaching within a few inches of the chamber.
Then proceed to flatten out the plug or bullet by
striking it with another rod and a hammer. The
bullet being prevented from slipping down the
barrel by the ramrod underneath, it will expand
until it perfectly fits the barrel. Then proceed to
force the plug — having first lubricated it — towards,
and gradually past, the bruise ; turn the plug half
round in the barrel, and repeat the process until the
bruise is raised. The barrel should be warmed
during the process, by applying a hot iron to the
outside of the bruised part. Great care will have
to be taken not to get the plug jammed in the
barrel. If a taper lead plug can be obtained, the
process will be greatly simplified, and a slightly
taper iron or brass plug is much better than a soft
J
130 The Breech-Loader^
lead one. If the barrel is bulged, a similar plug
should be made, and great care will have to be
taken to hammer the bruise down to the plug with
a light hammer. If a hard metal plug can be
obtained near the required size, it may be packed
with paper until of the required diameter. The
plug must be slightly longer than the bruise
or dent.
To splice a broken stock, first glue the stock as
well as possible, then glue round the fracture a piece
of thin leather or canvas, and whilst warm tightly
bind with waxed thread or a fine lace ; when the
whole is dry it will be almost as sound as before.
The wood should be warmed before glueing, to
enhance the chances of perfect success.
ALTERING GUNS.
Guns cannot be converted from hammer to
hammerless upon any good reliable system ; they
cannot be made self-ejecting on the Needham or
Greener principle, and with the exception of con-
verting non-rebounding locks to the rebounding
principle, it is doubtful if any conversions pay for
the cost.
THE GUN-ROOM.
Guns and shooting paraphernalia should be
kept together. If a room cannot be devoted solely
to them, a capacious cupboard, or a case fitted with
a gun-rack, and several drawers and shelves, will
And How to Use It. 131
contain a small battery and the requisite acces-
sories.
Guns are best kept put together, and placed
butt down on a gun-rack in a glass case or gun
cupboard, but if the case is not practically dust-
proof, the guns should be first put in pliable canvas
or cloth covers. Guns kept in racks in the open
room should always be kept so covered.
Loaded cartridges are best kept on an open
shelf, and in a current of air ; boxed up in an air-
tight cupboard, they will deteriorate more quickly.
After the close of the season, inspect the guns
very closely, and send those concerning which
there is any doubt to the gun-maker for repairs at
once.
On receiving his report, it will be as well to
decide quickly as to whether or not new weapons
must be purchased for the next season. Some wet
summer day overhaul the contents of the gun-
room, put the odd cartridges handy for popping at
rabbits or vermin, see that the cleaning tools are
complete, that the cartridge-bags, game-bags, etc.,
etc., are in good condition, and make a list of the
things which will be required when the .season
opens.
In the season the gun-room will require fre-
quent attention if it is made use of by more than
one person. The cartridges, as soon as they arrive
from the gun-makers, should be transferred to the
magazine or cartridge-bags of the shooter for
J 2
132 The Breech-Loader,
whom they are intended ; a cleaning-rod and gear,
turnscrews and extractor put in the travelHng gun-
case, and the oil bottle refilled.
Useful tools in the gun-room are full-length
ash or hickory cleaning-rods, and a rod with cotton-
wool or fine tow kept specially for oiling barrels.
It should be a standing rule never to put this oiler
into a foul, dusty, rusty, or dirty barrel, but keep it
for oiling only.
An oval tundish for cartridge loading, a set of
turnscrews, some bristle brushes for cleaning out
action slots, etc., small pliers, notched pincers for
drawing out tight-fitting pins, a few steel knitting-
needles, refined neatsfoot oil, vaseline, petroleum,
and turpentine, may be placed near the gun-case
for use as required.
And How to Use It. 133
CHAPTER V.
HISTORY OF CHOKE-BORING — THE ESSENTIALS OF
A GUN— THE FLIGHT OF A CHARGE OF SHOT
PATTERN — PENETRATION, VELOCITY, STRING-
ING, SPREAD, RANGE, RECOIL, CHOKES V. CY-
LINDERS—HOW TO LOAD— USEFUL LOADS.
THE HISTORY OF CHOKE-BORING.
From references in some old works on sport, it
appears that the gun-makers in the days of flint and
steel were racking their brains for some improve-
ments to make guns shoot a longer distance.
Among the many plans, the one mentioned by
M. de Marolles, in " La Chasse au Fusil," appears
to have been the most correct in principle, viz.,
narrowing the bore at the muzzle by raising ridges,
like the cuts of a file, for a short distance down,
which, after a few shots would fill up with lead,
and by that means concentrate the shot.
It is improbable that the French makers ob-
tained their knowledge from the English, but, as the
following extract from an old advertisement proves,
some modification of the choke-boring system was
practised in England during the last century.
Advertisement in the St. James' Chronicle, or
Evening Post, May 5th to May 7th, 1789 :—
134 ^^^^ Breech-Loader,
"To Gentlemen Sportsmen. — Guns match-
less for shooting to be sold, or twisted barrels bored
on an improved plan that will always maintain
their true velocity, and do not let the bird fly
away after being shot, as they generally do with
guns not properly bored. The shortest of them
will shoot any common shot through a whole quire
of paper at 90 yards with ease. A tryal of their
performance may be seen at Mr. Mellor's, White-
chapel, London."
In an interesting work upon " American Wild-
Fowl Shooting, 1879," by Mr. J. W. Long, a
chapter is devoted to the history and origin of
choke-boring.
This writer claims that choke-boring is, without
a reasonable doubt, an American invention, he says :
" I have most positive and reliable proof of its
having been practised in this country, according
to the most approved manner of the present day,
over fifty years ago ; the earliest person whom I
have been able to trace a knowledge of it to, being
Jeremiah Smith, a gunsmith of Smithfield, Rhode
Lsland, who discovered its merits in 1827."
Another American invention was the Roper
gun, patented in 1866. It was a single-barrel
breech-loader, having an attachable muzzle of
smaller bore than the barrel, which formed a choke
when screwed on.
In the illustration representations are given of
the barrel both with and without the attachment.
And How to Use It. 135
Only a limited number of these guns were made,
since they were not a success.
The author had the good fortune of obtaining
one, among other curios, and in 1885 gave it a good
The Roper Patent Attachable Choke-bore.
trial at the target to ascertain its qualities, and
found that with the attachment there was a slight
improvement, but the patterns obtained were below
the standard of a modified choke of the present
day.
The author had an opportunity of testing
another American choke-bore, made previous to
1875. The gun was an 8-bore muzzle-loader, the
property of Mr. J. W. Long, above quoted. The
136 The Brf.ech-Loader^
results obtained were very indifferent when com-
pared with choke-bores of his own make.
Since the London gun trial of 1875 the author's
name has become so associated with choke-boring
that many are under the impression that he is the
actual inventor of this system. Some people have
even gone to much trouble in procuring evidence of
the use of choke-boring before his time, in order
to prove the falsity of an imaginary claim. The
author has never assumed the honour of the entire
invention. His claim is the inventing oi his system
of choking, and the tools to accomplish the work,
the making of choking a success, and bringing the
system to the notice of the public.
In the spring of 1874 he first made experiments
in choke-boring (as may be mentioned, without hav-
ing any knowledge of the existence of the system
previously), and was so far successful that the editor
of The Field gave a notice of the W. W. Greener
treble-wedge-fast gun, and its performance. The
following extract is from The Field oi December 5th,
1874, which is interesting as the first public notice
of the capabilities of a choke-bore : —
" Mr. W. W. Greener is now prepared to execute
orders for 12-bores, warranted to average 210
pellets, No. 6, in a 30-in. circle, with 3 drs. of
powder, the gun weighing 75 lbs. As we have
always found Mr. Greener's statements of what his
guns would do borne out by our experience, we
are fully prepared to accept those now made."
And How to Use It. 137
The readers of The Field refused to credit such
extraordinary shooting, and this led to a special
commissioner from The Field office being sent
down to witness and verify the shooting of our
guns. The patterns obtained averaged 220, and
the result was highly satisfactory.
Shortly afterwards other gun-makers claimed to
be in possession of the same method of boring as
we had adopted, and after a lengthy discussion in
The Field, the proprietor of that paper decided to
carry out a gun trial, and thoroughly test the
merits of the new system advocated by the author.
Conditions were drawn up, and the trials com-
menced on April 26th, 1875.
In the trial the guns were divided into four
classes, and guns of 8, 10, 12, and 20 calibre were
entered.
In Class I. the author's guns were first; his
8-bore with an average pattern of 3 5 89, in 30-in.
circle at 40 yards, with 2J oz. No. 6 chilled shot ;
and the lo-bore, 241*2. This lo-bore obtained
a higher figure of merit than two of the 8-bores
entered and shot against it.
In Class II. for 12 gauges and under, there were
6^ guns and 33 competitors. The first prize (a
silver cup, value 40 guineas) was awarded the
author, whose gun made an average pattern of 214.
The second place was taken by a prominent gun-
maker, with a pattern of 182*2.
Class III. was for guns of English boring, or
138 The Breech-Loader,
cylinders, and was won by a gun giving an average
pattern of I48'5.
Class IV., for 20-bores. The author's 20-bore,
weighing 5^ lbs., came out winner by several
points, average pattern given, I45'3, beating all the
i2-bore cylinders, both in pattern and penetration.
DR. MABBERLY'S patent ATTACHABLE MUZZLE.
The attachable muzzle was patented by Doctor
Mabberly, of Birmingham ; and successfully carried
into practice by the author. Its chief object is at
once apparent. By attaching a choke muzzle to a
cylinder gun, an improvement in the pattern is
obtained of 70 to 80 pellets, in a 30-in. circle at
40 yards with the standard load.
The mode of fixing the muzzles to the gun is
different to the attachable muzzle patented by Mr.
Turner some years ago, as will readily be seen by
reference to the illustrations, which represent the
muzzles fixed and separate. A gun with this
appliance may be converted from a cylinder to a
choke, or the reverse, in a few seconds, without the
aid of tools. The attachment is slipped on the
end of the barrels and fastened effectively by
means of a small thumb-screw, screwing into the
under rib. The expansion of the barrels, at the
time of firing, entirely prevents any escape of gas
around the joint.
The usual length of the muzzles for a 12-bore
gun is about 5 inches, 2$ of which overlaps the end
And How to Use It.
139
140 The Breech-Loader,
of the barrels, forming a perfect joint. It may be
made longer, when so required for lengthening
short barrel guns built expressly for covert
shooting, or for converting ordinary guns into
wild-fowling guns, or any other particular purpose.
The balance is retained when the muzzles are
fixed by weighting the butt with a barrel cleaner
inserted in the stock. It is so contrived that the
cleaner may be packed inside the muzzles when out
of use, for the greater convenience of carrying in
the pocket. It is a neat arrangement, and answers
the purpose of an extra pair of choke-bore barrels.
It has been thoroughly tested both at the
target and game for the past twelve months, and
has been found perfectly satisfactory.
The price for fitting the attachable muzzles to
old guns will be from two to three guineas, ac-
cording to the value of the gun.
PATTERN.
When a gun is said to make a pattern of 200, it
means that 200 is the average number put within a
circle 30 in. in diameter on the target, the butt of
the gun being forty yards — not paces — from the
target, the load being 3 drams of black powder, or
the equivalent in nitro powder, and \\ ounces of
No. 6 shot, 270 to the ounce (304 pellets to
li ounces), which is called the standard load, and
originated at the Field Gun Trials of 1875, when
the charge of shot was first counted.
And How to Use It. 141
It is necessary that the pellets of a charge
should be counted into the case if a correct esti-
mate of the gun's shooting is required.
The target should be 3 ft. 6 in. square, and the
bull's-eye marked in the centre. After the gun is
fired, to find the pattern, describe a circle around
the thickest of the pellets. This can be done by
taking a piece of wood with two nails knocked
through 15 in. apart, holding one nail in the
centre, and marking the target with the other.
When shooting at paper targets, substitute a black
lead pencil for one of the nails. The best of the
pattern is thus obtained, which is called the
selected circle. Unless this is done, should the
aim be defective, when using a small target, a
wrong estimate of the gun's shooting powers may
be arrived at.
PENETRATION.
To find the penetration a rack is used, consist-
ing of a wooden frame, so constructed to hold sheets
of strawboard about \ of an inch apart ; the sheets
measure 6 in. by 7 in., and weigh 25 to the pound.
The rack is placed about 4 ft. from the ground,
and fired at from the standard distance (40 yards) ;
the number of sheets pierced by one or more shots
is the penetration.
The purposes for which a sporting-gun is re-
quired are various. The author has been com-
manded to build one gun which shall be effectual
142 The Breech-Loader,
at all game, from snipe to an elephant ; and
although this weapon was tolerably successful at
everything, it is not to be supposed that it was
actually fitted for anything except the elephant.
Another customer of the author's, to decide a bet,
shot a couple of snipe with a heavy elephant rifle
of 8-bore. There is, therefore, no actual limit to
the capabilities of any weapon until trial has been
made. The collector who requires humming-birds,
and the wild-fowler who thinks of getting wild
geese, will arm themselves very differently.
Again, some guns have to be carried throughout
a long day's walk ; in other sports the gun is only
in the hand the couple of seconds requisite to aim
and fire. It is, therefore, evident that what is
desired for one sport is of little importance in a
CTun desired for another sport.
There are certain essentials, however, which
should be possessed by all varieties of guns.
Amongst the chief of them are : — Facility in
loading at the breech, freedom from danger to
the user or his companions, simplicity of mechanism,
speed in manipulation, handiness, lasting power.
LARGE-BORE GUNS.
As stated in Chapter I., large-bore guns
are made for wild-fowling, but the subject is too
large to be treated fully in this book. In addition
to the information already given (p. 37) some
instances of the .shooting of large guns are given
Aa'd No IV TO Use It. 143
on p. 369. Fuller particulars are to be found in
*' The Gun and its Development," and in books
devoted solely to the sport of wild-fowling.
THE riGEON-GUN.
This is the most powerful variety of the 12-bore
gun ; it must be so built as to meet the rules of
the chief clubs ; in England the bore must not be
larger than 12, nor the gun heavier than 8 lbs. ; the
charge to be used must not exceed four drams of
powder and i J ounces of shot. On the Continent and
in America lo-bores are allowed, but there is usually
some restriction as to charge. The pigeon-gun may
be made with hammers or hammerless, preferably the
latter. It should 7iot have a trigger bolting safety,
and an automatic trigger safety for this species of
gun is the greatest mistake that can be made.
The shooting required will in some measure
depend upon the distance at which the user is
generally placed, it being required to have the
largest possible killing circle at one yard beyond
the trap with the first barrel, and at five yards
with the second. In no class of gun is uniformity
and regularity of shooting more essential than in the
trap-gun. The weight may be from | to f of a pound
greater than in the gun carried for game-shooting,
but it is important that the balance be perfect.
An ideal pigeon-gun will balance at about
3 inches from the breech, weigh about /J lbs., and
fire the full charge of shot ^ij ounce) with the
Breech-Loader, and How to Use It. 145
greatest uniformity ; the gun will be hammerless
without any safety bolt ; it must have a strong
breech-action and be fitted with the Greener cross-
bolt. The barrels will be chambered for 2 j-inch
cases, and in it a charge of 50 grains of Schultze
powder may be used without excessive recoil. The
gun may have an engine-turned, flat, or half hollow
rib. Good shots prefer that the gun should shoot
high at forty yards, and that the gun throws the
pellets well to the centre. Other shots, standing
nearer the traps, do not want extra elevation, and
ask for as large a killing circle as can be obtained
at 30 yards ; with li ounce of shot this is a circle
of about 30 inches in diameter, and means a very
close shooting gun. An average pattern of 250
in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards is the very best the
i2-bore gun will do with black powder. Ordinarily
a gun is required to shoot as closely as possible at
the trap. The bird must be shot at quickly, and
the nearer to the trap it is grassed the better.
Naturally, the pigeon-shooter requires as large a
killing circle as is compatible with a close pattern.
He requires the pattern to be equally spread over
the " killing circle," to have the greatest velocity,
and the pellets to keep together as much as pos-
sible ; but of greater importance than all these,
it is required that the gun always perform alike.
Uniformity in shooting is a quality only found in
the best of guns, and even cylinders, when most
carefully bored, will make occasional bad shots,
K
146 The Breech-Loader,
any one of which would allow of the pigeon es-
caping at twenty-five yards. Therefore, the gun
must never shoot wildly, but be always good alike.
In deciding as to the amount of choke required,
it must be borne in mind that the pattern made at
any given distance does not fairly represent the
position of the charge at any given moment. The
pellets of the charge issue from the muzzle as com-
pactly as a ball, then, having individual velocities
— some go ahead, others lag behind, so that,
roughly speaking, there is a distance of twelve
feet between the first and last pellet when the
bulk of the pellets arrive at forty yards ; but of this
feature more will be explained later.
Pigeon guns should be chambered for the 2\ or
2|-inch cartridge case; 3-inch chambers are now
rarely used and offer no advantage, the shooting
with guns so chambered being inferior to those
haviag the shorter chamber. The highest patterns
the author has obtained were made with the nitro-
powders — " E.G." and "Schultze" — using 47 grains,
with \\ ounces of No. 6 shot and wads of 11 -J
gauge. It is not unusual to get average patterns
of 270 on the 30-inch circle at 40 yards, and
average patterns as high as 280 are sometimes
obtained. It must be borne in mind that the
powder is subject to slight variation, and that guns
rarely shoot exactly the same from day to day,
even when using the same cartridges. More
powder tends to reduce the pattern, but as much
And How to Use It. 147
as 52 grains may be employed in a good pigeon
gun without making the gun scatter too wide for
all trap purposes. In some guns these high pat-
terns were obtained with ordinary felt and pink-
edge wads of I if gauge, and with Swedish cup
wads in other guns. For 25 yards rise, and if a
larger killing circle be required, it may be obtained
by using more shot — if this be allowable by the
rules of the competition — or by using shot of a
smaller size. A good shooting pigeon gun will give
with No. 8 shot an average pattern of 375, well
distributed over the 30-inch circle. For those shots
who are handicapped beyond 30 yards No. 5 shot
in the second barrel will be found the most suitable,
as the velocity is higher, though the killing circle is
slightly smaller. The pattern with No. 5 (218
to the ounce) should average 200 pellets. The
Swedish cup wads improve the shooting of the
gun, but they also greatly increase the internal
pressure, and therefore are not suitable for light
game-guns. In specially built pigeon guns they
should be of great value, especially to shots handi-
capped beyond 32 yards. With charges of 45 and
48 grains of Schultze and E.C. powders and i{
ounces of No. 6 shot, thirty consecutive shots from
one barrel gave an average pattern of 262. The
author tried this gun with smaller charges — 42 grains
and I J ounce of No. 6, and the average pattern
was 248 ; an average of 236 was obtained in a
string of 42 rounds of Schultze, E.C. and black,
K 2
148 The Breech-Loader,
and \\ ounce of shot ; records not often equalled,
and probably never surpassed, with ordinary wads.
FAVOURITE MAKERS OF PIGEON-GUNS.
When reading the reports in the English papers
of the events at Hurlingham and the Gun Club, it
will be noticed that only a few different makes of
gun are used there. These few London gun-makers
cater specially for this particular trade by sending
their representatives to attend every event, etc.,
and have thus secured the monopoly, not that their
guns shoot any better than guns by other London
or provincial makers, nor is it to be assumed that
they alone can make good shooting pigeon-guns.
This system of advertising would not suit every
gun-maker. The author, who makes numbers of
pigeon-guns for use all over the world, and which
have been used with such great success for many
years past, could not give his special attention to
these clubs only. The author has tested guns of
good makers and has found them give very low
patterns occasionally, for instance, one shot will
give a pattern of 260, the next will not put more
fhan 50 pellets on the target. The larger the
charge of powder used the more frequently will
this happen. Modified chokes are the worst in
this respect ; for uniformity of shooting there is
nothing like a full choke-bore. The shooting of
a pigeon-gun should not be passed which makes
a less pattern than 150 with black powder.
And How to Use It.
149
THE GAME-GUN.
The best all-round gun for sporting purposes
is the i2-bore with 30-inch barrels, weighing about
7 lbs., providing the sportsman can carry and handle
a weapon of this weight.
Twelve-bores much under 7 lbs. will not shoot
a heavier charge than 3^ drams and ij oz. with
comfort to the shooter. If 7i lbs., 35 drams and
i\ oz. If 7| lbs., the charge may be 3^ drams and
i\ oz. ; over 7 J lbs., guns are usually built for
extra-long cartridge-cases and special charges.
The usual full-choked 12-cal. gun with 30-inch
barrels, and weighing 7 lbs., should average —
AT FORTY YARDS.
Charge.
Pattern.
Penetration
of
Mean
Velocity.
Force at
Drams
O7. of
Square lo"
30 in.
Impact.
of powder.
shot.
centre.
circle.
3i
4 No. 8
92
320
IS
800
o-8o
3
i^ No. 6
55
215
20
839
I -So
3::
ri No. 6
51
210
21
857
1-83
3^
i| No. 6
39
200
22
912
1-87
3^
li No. 6
i^ No. 5
58
240
21
864
1-85
3
35
175
22
878
189
3t
It No. s
45
190
23
882
1-91
3k
3i
ij No. 4
40
160
24
900
281
li No. 3
38
135
25
950
316
34
ii No. I
35
105
26
980
4-18
32
\\ No. I
33
100
30
988
530
AT SIXTY YARDS.
i| No. 6
i| No. 6
4 No. 5
i| No. 4
1} No. I
no
100
89
70
50
652
723
757
786
799
o"93
1-28
I '47
2 '00
2 "46
150
The Breech-Loader,
Guns with 27-inch barrels will be found to per-
mit of better marksmanship than with shorter
barrels, and consequently, unless there is a good
reason for doing so, guns should not be made with
shorter barrels than 27 inches.
Light guns and guns with short barrels will
shoot 3 drams and \\ ounce of shot, and an average
pattern of 200 with No. 6 shot may be obtained.
The superiority of this gun to guns of smaller bore
may be judged by the following figures.
The 16-BORE FULL-CHOKE, with barrels 30
inches in length, and the gun weighing 6J lbs.,
should average —
AT FORTY YARDS.
Charge.
Pattern.
30-inch circle.
Penetration
of
Strawboards
Mean
Velocity.
Force at
Drams
of powder.
Oz. of
shot.
Impact.
2
I No. 5
160
22
763
0-98
2^
25
I No. 6
190
19
814
I "35
I No. 5
155
23
847
249
2I 1 I No. 6
180
21
833
227
3 ! I No. 6
174
22
858
2-33
2f I No. t,
155
25
856
2 48
4
I No. I
85
29
936
300
AT SIXTY
YARDS.
2|
1 I No. 6 ! 95
9
635
I 10
! I No. 5
85
12
675
126
2^
I No. I
1
45
19
830
152
Weight from 5f to 6J lbs. Recoil 82 lbs. For 16
and smaller bores it is a good plan to have the
right barrel an improved cylinder.
The 20-BORE is the smallest bore sought after
And Ho IV to Use It.
151
by the general sportsman ; a gun of 5 J lbs. weight
and with 28-inch barrels, may be taken as repre-
senting fairly the 20-cal. class, and should average —
AT FORTY YARDS.
Charge.
Pattern.
Penetration
of
Mean
Force at
Drams
of powder.
Oz. of
Shot.
30-inch circle.
Strawboards
Velocity.
Impact.
2^
I No. 8
230
13
756
067
2j
I No. 6
180
18
772
I 37
2-
|No. 6
160
19
849
I 94
22
|No. 5
120
22
890
237
22
1 No. I
65
29
950
272
32 grs.
i No. 6
150
20
820
2 00
Schultze
AT SIXTY
YARDS.
2i
I No. 6
60
9
650
076
2i
I No. 5
35
18
684
089
Weight not less than sJ nor more than 6 lbs.
Recoil under 90 lbs.
The 28-BORE should have 25- or 27-inch barrels,
which will require but little choking, and average —
Charge
powder.
i^ drams
*32 grs. Schultze
i^ drams
C harge
30-inch
Cardboard
Mean
Force
powder.
Pattern.
penetration.
velocity.
at impact
oz. No. 8
150
13
705
0-66
oz. No. 6
124
22
940
1-96
oz. No. 6
130
27
720
187
The weight should not be less than 4J, nor more
than 4f lbs. Recoil 60 lbs. The 28-bore must not
be loaded with i oz. of shot, as is too often done.
This calibre especially is too frequently much over-
loaded.
* Over-loaded. This charge ha« been too frequently used ; 26 grains does
better.
152 The Breech-Loader,
THE FLIGHT OF A LOAD OF SHOT.
The shooting powers of a gun and the relative
values of various loads, powders, etc., used in it are
ascertained by comparing the pattern, penetration,
velocity, stringing, spread and range of the shot fired.
The pattern is the shown shooting of a gun, the
only visible proof of a gun's powers — the killing of
game being in some measure dependent upon the
skill of the sportsman. Th^ pattern of a gun, besides
being the most reliable test applicable to a gun,
is fortunately the easiest. To ascertain a gun's
merits, fire it at the largest sheet of paper obtain-
able— for most guns forty yards will be found the
best distance. For comparative results count the
number of perforations formed in a circle 30 in.
in diameter marked upon the paper. A good close
pattern is a guarantee that the gun has sufficient
force to kill at that distance. The greater the
velocity of the mass of pellets of the charge the
closer is the pattern. No close-shooting gun has
inferior penetration, and, generally speaking, the
less distant each individual pellet is from the
common centre depicted on the target, the less is
the distance between the first and last pellets of
the charge — in other words, a close pattern means
uniform velocity in the pellets of the charge.
Occasional bad patterns, or patchy patterns, prove the
gun to be improperly bored. The closer the pattern
at forty yards, the longer the killing range of the gun.
And How to Use It. 153
Penetration is the result of thevelocityof the shot.
The velocity of shot depends upon the nature
and quality of the explosive used, the perfect finish
and shape of the barrels, the rotundity, size, and
specific gravity of the pellets. The details of the
various deviations in results obtainable by different
grains of powder, different gauges of guns, different
sizes of shot, chokes and cylinders, would be tedious.
Stringing of the charge is the result of the dif-
ferent velocities of pellets in the one charge ; for
instance, with a cylinder gun, 42 grains of nitro-ex-
plosive and i^ ounce of No. 6 shot, the front pellets
reach the target in '138 of a second from the time
of leaving the muzzle, but the last pellets to reach
the target arrive after the expiration of '187 second.
This means that whilst the first pellets may
strike a bird at forty yards the slower pellets have
not reached a distance of thirty yards from the gun.
As a matter of fact, about 5 per cent, of the
pellets of the charge arrive simultaneously at the
target at forty yards distance from the gun ; these
pellets are closely followed by 25 per cent, to 30
per cent, of the pellets of the charge if the gun be
a good one, and this 30 per cent, to 40 per cent, of
the pellets represents practically the actual killing
value of the shot, for the remaining pellets flying
irregularly, and at a much lower velocity, tail off
so rapidly that little reliance can be placed upon
them.
The spread of the charge of shot or its divergence
154 The Breech-Loader,
from the line of flight differs with individual
guns, it being the gun-maker's object to make the
shot fly compactly. A few stray shots from the
charge will occasionally diverge to the extent of
twenty yards at a range of forty yards ; 1 6, 1 8, or
20 ft. is the usual limit of the divergence of outside
pellets, at forty yards' range. Guns bored cylinder,
and guns with sudden chamber cones cause the
shot to spread more irregularly than choke-bores.
The range of a gun is dependent upon the
velocity of the pellets of the charge, a gun in which
the spread and stringing are less has a greater
range than one which will send a few pellets at
high velocity : there is the momentum of the
charge in flight as well as the momentum of the
individual pellets of which it is composed.
It is impossible, without going deeply into
figures, to prove the many variations in the flight
of a charge of shot caused by differences in the
loading, size of shot, size of bore of the gun, grain
of powder, composition of powder, and other
matters which more or less modify a gun\s shooting.
We reproduce a few standard diagrams and figures
for reference, but must refer the reader interested
in the subject to " Modern Shot Guns " for further
details upon these points.
The following summary gives the actual mean
velocity in feet per second of the body of the
charge of shot at the ranges indicated, measured
by Mr. R. W. S. Griffith :—
And How to Use It.
155
With E.C. powder in a 12-bore, using 3 J drams
and i\ of No. i, the velocity at 50 yards is 81 1 foot
seconds.
Charge.
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
Yds.
drms. oz.
0. 1
[039
1022
lOOI
979
951
929
904
880
856
829
802
780
3 I .
I
1185
[168
1 150
1 120
1076
1039
992
939
919
880
852; 831
\ ^\ '
I
1 169
1 140
1 126
1089
1054
1003
962
935
914
891
861' 825
3h i| .
I
1220
1 198
1 175
1 143
1 103
1060
1012
966
938
914
890! 876
3h li .
I
1172
1151
1 130
nil
1073
1029
989
949
908
867
8351 799
4 i^ .
I
[239
1221
1205
1181
1 144
1106
1066
1022
976
936
909 863
2| I ,
5
996
975
953
924
886
850
831
792
771
744
710
684
3 \ •
5
1160
1133
1 106
1066
1021
969
922
879
840
801
764
729
3 A .
5
1 127
1034
1070
1047
1014
970
914
875
835
790
741
672
3.^ T^ -
5
1182
1 164
1136
1088
1045
1002
960
907
875
838
799
757
3^ li .
5
1 130
nil
1088
1058
1026
979
931
880
834
790
741
689
4, ^i ■
5
1207
[190
1171
1134
1094
105 1
994
932
892
853
810
764
2i I ,
6
990
963
941
905
863
829
804
776
752
722
690
651
3 I .
6
1 154
1 130
IIOO
ro6i
1012
950
904
862
826
770
730
694
3, i| -
6
rii9
1091
1063
1035
999
942
890
850
808
769
717
652
^|:|:
6
'175
1153
[1 20
107c
1032
986
940
894
861
825
780
723
6
1121
1 100
108 1
1050
1015
970
912
858
810
762
714
663
4 li .
6
1 199
1 177
1159
1122
1082
1034
977
907
850
816
774
734
A I .
10
922
892
872
841
802
760
703
670
622
551
465
370
3 \ ■
10
1 120
1094
107 1
1029
959
891
809
751
704
630
559
440
3\ li .
10
1076
1041
999
941
886
831
775
710
540
465
430
375
10
1126
1096
1060
1012
965
892
830
781
711
630
550
460
10
1066
104 1
1017
980
940
896
834
760
706
620
540
446
4 li ■
10
1 145
1115
1090
1045
987
9^7
964
792
720
642
551
495
All these figures were obtained with a Greener
choke 12-bore gun, with Schultze powder and good
wadding. Inferior wadding will produce lower
velocity, especially at the longer ranges.
CHOKE-BORES V. CYLINDERS.
The larger the killing circle and the greater the
range, the greater the efficiency of the gun. To
make a charge of shot fly compactly, to increase
the velocity of the mass of the pellets, to prevent the
156 The Breech-Loader,
divergence or straying of the shot, it has been found
that the choke-boring of the gun is most effectual.
The adjoining diagrams will give at a glance an
approximate idea of the difference in the flight of a
charge of shot from a choke-bore and a cylinder
gun, and also the difference caused by an increased
charge of powder in the choke, but as the velocity
varies at the different ranges, the diagrams do not
show accurately the approximate divergence at all
ranges.
Explanation of diagrams on pages 162, 163 : —
Results obtained with a choke-bore gun loaded
with 42 grains of Schultze gunpowder and ijoz.
No. 6 chilled shot (304 pellets), fixed target (4 ft-
diameter), moving target (tr scale).
DISTRIBUTION OF THE 304 PELLETS.
At 10 yards. — All in the 30-in. circle.
At 20 yards. — Ditto. (5^^ diagram, page 162)
At 30 yards. — 278 in the 30-in. circle ; 24 in the
30-48-in. belt ; and 2 outside the 4-ft. circle. [See
page 163.)
At 40 yards. — 233 in the 30-in. circle ; 65 in the
30-48-in. belt ; and 6 outside the 4-ft. circle.
At 50 yards. — 160 in the 30-in. circle; 90 in
the 30-48-in. belt ; and 54 outside the 4-ft. circle.
At 60 yards. — 100 in the 30-in. circle ; 95 in
the 30-48-in. belt ; and 109 outside the 4-ft. circle.
Results obtained with a cylinder gun loaded as
above : —
And How to Use It. 157
At 10 yards. — All in the 30-in. circle.
At 20 yards. — 264 in the 30-in. circle; 38 in the
30-48-in. belt ; and 2 outside the 4-ft. circle. {See
diagram, page 162.)
At 30 yards. — 172 in the 30-in. circle ; 90 in the
30-48-in. belt ; and 42 outside the 4-ft. circle. {See
page 163.)
At 40 yards. — 130 in the 30-in. circle ; 103 in
the 30-48-in. belt ; and 7 1 outside the 4-ft. circle.
At 50 yards. — jS in the 30-in. circle ; 86 in the
30-48-in. belt ; and 142 outside the 4-ft. circle.
At 60 yards. — 61 in the 30-in. circle ; 57 in the
30-48-in. belt ; and 186 outside the 4-ft. circle.
The best pattern is that of the choke-bore gun,
and sportsmen seem slow to grasp the fact that
pattern is the all-important factor in the killing
range of the gun. The author made a series of
experiments by which he ascertained that it
requires at least four pellets of No. 6 shot (chilled)
to kill a pigeon, excepting, of course, such flukes as
a pellet striking the head or breaking the neck,
and the pigeon, if struck by six shots, none of
which might prove immediately mortal, should be
dropped at once by the aggregate. An old or true
cylinder gun will not, upon the average, put three
pellets into a pigeon thirty yards distant. The
cylinder gun must, therefore, be considered prac-
tically useless at this distance ; for, providing the
pigeons were fairly struck, and in the centre of the
charge, not more than one out of three would be
158
The Breech-Loader,
• •
• •
• •
• •
• •
• • •
• •
• •
• •
• •
• •
o •
Facsimile of Shooting of an Improved Cylinder at forty yards, with
3 drs. Black Powder, i| oz. No. 6 Shot (reduced by photography).
144 pellets in 30-inch circle.
And Ho IV to Use It,
159
Facsimile of the Shooting of a W. W. Greener Gun with SchuUze
Powder and No. 6 Shot (reduced by photography).
226 pellets in 30-inch circle.
;6o
«
Fac-sin»ile of the shooting selected from the centre of the pattern of an
improved cyhnder bored gun, at 40 yards. 3 drams of No. 4
powder, and ig oz. No. b shot.
i6i
Facsimile of the Shooting of a Full Choke bored Gun at 40 Yards,
3 drams of No. 4 Powder, and li oz. No. 6 shot.
These two illustrations represent exactly the distance the pellets are
apart ; those reduced by photography may convey a wrong impression
on account of their reduced scale not being taken into consideration.
L
•• • :
162
164 The Breech-Loader,
killed and gathered. To ensure four pellets being
put into a pigeon, a pattern of at least 200 in the
30-inch circle is necessary. The author has re-
peatedly killed pigeons at 40 yards distance with a
choke-bore gun (capable of making a pattern of 240
with the usual load) when using the small charge
of 2\ drs. i^ oz. No. 6, thereby proving that there
is ample penetration to kill, and that " pattern " is
required, not only penetration, as stated by the
upholders of the cylinder.
Anyone wishing to verify this statement should
make a trial by placing a live pigeon in a small
thin box, just large enough to hold the pigeon
broadways on, the front to be covered with thin
paper. Hang the box in the centre of the target.
After firing at it, the pellets can easily be counted
in the pigeon, and also in the 30-inch circle.
By this test all doubt as to a misdirected shot
is removed.
A gun, by varying the load, can always be
made to spread, so that for covert or rabbit shoot-
ing a choke-bore gun, loaded with scatter charge
and the quantity of shot slightly reduced, may be
used with better effect and less danger than a
cylinder. There is a prejudice against choke-bores
amongst a certain clique of English sportsmen, but
the system of boring has such enormous advan-
tages and adds so greatly to the gun's range and
power that it continues to gain rapidly in favour.
The barrel may be contracted from, say y oWths
And How to Use It. 165
of an Inch, being then almost cyhndrical to
_3^ths of an inch when it is an extra full choke.
The graduations are as follows : —
With a twelve bore gun, standard load
distance and conditions, the ordi-
nary/?/// c/ioke will make an average
pattern of ...
The half-choke
The quarter-choke
The improved cylinder
The old, or true cylinder
215 pellets
185 „
160
140
115 n
Better shooting than average of 215 can be
obtained from an extra full-choked bored 12-bore
gun, by using Schultze E.G. or S.S. powder, ij oz.
of shot improves the pattern of choke guns from 10
to 30 pellets when using No. 6 shot, it fills up the
pattern just round the 30-inch circle.
No increase in the charge of shot will improve
a cylinder.
A gun must be more or less choke-bored, unless
the sportsman wishes to handicap himself need-
lessly. The invention of choke-boring is certainly
as important as any of the improvements intro-
duced into the firearms industry during the last
half-century, and notwithstanding the assertions of
misinformed persons to the contrary, the choke is
rapidly growing in public favour. Not only does
choking cause the gun to shoot more closely ; it
also makes it shoot more regularly, more uniformly,
66
The Breech-Loader,
•^r^
And How to Use It, 167
and, to a very great extent, prevents the erratic
flight of a few pellets in a line widely divergent
to that taken by the body of the charge. For
ordinary sporting purposes a gun which shall give
its largest killing circle at 30 yards with the first
barrel, and at 40 with the second, will be found the
most convenient for good shots. This means
a pattern of 140 to 150 at 40 yards with the
right barrel, and 200 to 210 with the left. The
patterns of the first barrel at 30 yards, and that of
the second at 40 yards, when compared with each
other, will be about the same, both with regard to
spread and number of pellets in the 30-inch circle.
The difference between the size of the killing
circle of the right and left barrel at 25 yards would
be very little, both being about 24 inches, but at 20
yards the cylinder would have killing circle 2 to 3
inches larger.
With the old, or true cylinder, at 20 yards the
spread would be larger and the pattern patchy and
irregular, so that a bird might sometimes escape
when within a few inches of the centre of the
charge. At all distances these patterns are very
irregular, sometimes shooting so wildly that they
do not put 30 pellets on the target.
It has been stated by some writers in favour of
cylinders that they will give a greater killing circle
than 30 inches.
The author never saw the cylinder that could
be relied upon to do it. The pattern outside the
1 68 The Breech-Loader,
30-inch circle is so thin and patchy that it cannot
be expected to kill.
Excellent shots may have the range extended
ten yards, if possible, and indifferent shots the
range reduced ten yards. It is the ability of the
shooter to aim the gun which will determine the
amount of choke. The fullest choke-bore will not
"riddle" a partridge at twenty-five yards, but as
the spread of the shot at that distance will be
smaller than the killing circle of the gun at forty
yards, a true aim must be taken. It is easier to
correctly align a gun at twenty than at forty yards,
and the indifferent shot, whose poor shooting arises
from the inability to aim, should avoid long shots.
The poor shot who misses from nervousness should
try long shots. A very little practice will give
much more knowledge on the subject of a suitable
choke than any number of instructions.
There is but one cylinder. It is useless to ex-
pect patterns, penetration, and velocity from a
cylinder-barrel which are beyond the capabilities of
the cylinder-bore, and go to whomsoever you may,
if you want closer patterns, greater penetration, or
more uniform shooting, he must "improve" the
cylinder by choking to give you what you want.
For a trap-gun a full choke is absolutely necessary.
For a game-gun the pattern may be reduced, but it
is rarely advisable to purchase a gun which will not
make an average pattern of at least 140 with either
barrel, which is in reality a modified choke. The
And How to Use It.
169
Facsimile. — Circle, 30 in. diameter, Plate 4 foot.
Number of pellets in circle, 250. Killing circle. 35. This diagram
represents the shooting of a pigeon-giin, 12-bore, with 4 drams
and \\ oz. No. 6 shot.
I/O The Breech-Loader,
choke can always be so loaded as to equal the
cylinder in wideness and regularity of spread, but
no gun-maker, or sportsman, can load a cylinder to
shoot as closely and evenly as the choke.
Any number of instances might be cited which
illustrate the immense superiority of the choke-bore.
For all-round game-shooting there is certainly
nothing to equal it, and as a trap-gun it is in-
variably used. The choke has no disadvantage.
It may be too close in its shooting for certain game
at short ranges, but this is a fault at once remedied
by having a special load for the choke-gun when a
large spread at short range is required. It must,
however, be remembered that a cylinder-bore gun
at fifteen yards range has put fifty-four pellets of
No. 6 into a pigeon, and that a choke at twenty
yards will not average more than forty, even if
" dead on " each shot. The choke may be used for
wild-fowling for rough shooting, and it will, in many
instances, enable the good shot to secure game,
where he would, if restricted to the cylinder, have
no chance whatever.
Extract from The Field, February lot/i,
1894.
" Sir, — Will you allow me to give my experi-
ence with guns } I shot for many years with a
first-rate cylinder gun by Dougall. Soon after
choke-bores appeared I had one built for me by
Mr. Greener. The pattern of each barrel after I
And How to Use It, 171
had used it for five years was 220 with i|oz.
No. 6, but I use No. 5 all the season. I handed
the Dougall over to my son, and shot exclusively
with the choke. My shooting improved, as it will
with any man who is in the habit of killing game
with the central portion of the charge. As to
smashing game, I cut out of cardboard a number
of shapes representing the body of a partridge, and
fired at them at 25 yards with the choke and
cylinder alternately ; on the average, the choke put
five more pellets into the bird than the cylinder
did. There is much nonsense about smashing
birds with choke-bores. Any decent gun will
pretty well plaster game at ranges up to 25 yards,
within which range a large portion of the bag is
made.— F. M. E."
Another correspondent to the same journal the
following week says : —
"No sporting gun, i.e., up to 12-bore, with the
usual sporting loads, will make certain of killing
a partridge every time, ' end on ' or broadside,
at 40 yards. First, it is a good gun which will
average much over 200 in a 30-inch circle at 40
yards. Now, assuming the area of a partridge,
' end on,' to be equal to a 3-inch circle, then a 30-
inch circle is equal to lOO partridges ; and it follows
from this that a gun giving an evenly distributed
pattern of 200 at 40 yards, will average two pellets
on each three inches, or two per bird."
1/2 The Breech-Loader,
HOW TO LOAD A GUN.
The standard loads of guns for various gauges
have already been given in this chapter. The
sportsman must, however, remember that the close-
ness of a gun's shooting may generally be improved
by the use of Schultze gunpowder, if the gun is
full or modified choke. The No. 4 black powder is
that usually best suited to guns from four to twenty-
eight gauge.
As to the size of shot. No. 6 of 270 to the
ounce is the standard for 12-bores, in which also
every size may be used.
The 28- bore will do relatively better with eight
or seven than with six or five, and with a 4-bore
gun anything smaller than No. 3 is wasted.
Modified choke-bores and cylinders give a
larger killing circle the smaller the shot. 20, 16,
and i2-bore cylinder barrels may be used at the
ordinary winged game of Great Britain with greater
success if charged with No. 7 than with 5 or 6. In
i2-bore guns it is not wise to load with larger shot
than No. 4, unless the gun has been regulated for
use with a certain size of large shot. For lO-bores
No. I size is the limit. These remarks must not be
construed to mean that the 12-bore game-gun must
always be used with one size of shot ; for quail and
young partridge shooting No. 7 may be employed
to advantage, and for shore shooting even larger
size than No. 4. But the sportsman must remember
And Ho IV to Use It. 173
that when he uses the large shot he is sacrificing
closeness of shooting for the extra benefit he
obtains from the increased range and smashing
power of the large shot. Cartridges loaded with
nitro-compounds must be well turned down.
Good close shooting in guns of any bore can
only be obtained by using cartridges loaded
rationally, and to be rationally loaded there must
be good wadding between the powder and the shot.
The secret of good shooting is in the employment
of a first-class felt wad over the powder ; and it is
imperative that this wad be of good quality. The
texture must be close and firm, but the relative
hardness or softness of the wad is of less moment.
It should be of the same diameter as the internal
diameter of the cartridge-case in which it is to be
used — t or yV thick for 12-bores, thinner for smaller
bores, and thicker for larger bores. To protect the
poivder from the injurious effect which may result
from continuous contact with the chemically-pre-
pared felt wad, a thin card wad or a waterproof wad
should first be inserted ; and it is supposed to be
conducive to closer shooting if this protective wad,
instead of being a simple card wad, be a compound
paper and felt wad — technically known as the
"pink-edged" or " FIELD " wad. This "Field"
wad should always be used when loading with
nitro-compounds ; with black powders its use is not
so imperative. It is customary to place a third
wad, of thin card, between the thick felt wad and
1 74
The Breech-Loader,
Cartridge Loaded for Close Shooting with Black Powder.
Cartridge Loaded to Scatter.
Cartridge Loaded for Close Shooting with a Nitro-compound.
Brass Cartridge Case Wadded for Close Shooting.
And How to Use It,
175
shot, but it is very doubtful if any benefit will
accrue from its use.
The cartridge loaded for close shooting will,
therefore, be charged, as in the illustration on
opposite page.
Heavy charges of powder are a mistake. Using
larger charges in a 12-bore than 3I drams, or the
equivalent in nitro-powders, no matter what weight
Cartridge Loaded to Scatter the Shot.
the gun is, only scatters the charge, and spoils the
regular shooting of the gun.
The widest spread at the shortest range is ob-
tained by using a recently patented wad, which
divides the load of shot longitudinally, ensuring
this by its cruciform structure, the pellets being
contained in four equal compartments between the
wad and the inside wall of the cartridge case.
With this wad the pellets from a 1 2-bore full choke
were spread over a 30-inch circle at 15 yards.
With a wad dividing the shot in the same manner,
but in three equal divisions, the spread is almost
as great.
Loading with two pink-edge wads over the
1/6 The Breech-Loader,
powder, and one pink edge wad over the shot, as
is often done in the United States, causes the
charge to scatter, and such loading will lower the
pattern 1 5 per cent, in a gun fully choke-bored.
If charged with "Schultze" or "E.G." gun-
powder the wads used will be the pink-edged or
" Field," the thick felt and the thin card as
shown.
If brass cases are to be loaded for close shoot-
ing, put the wads, as illustrated, between the
powder and shot, and crimp the case.
When loading long 12-bore cartridge-cases,
2| or 3 inches, with large charges of powder,
two thick felt wads (soft and elastic) should be
placed over the powder, and a thin card over
shot, to obtain the closest and most regular
pattern.
To load choke-bore guns so as to scatter the
shot at close quarters diminish the thickness of
wadding between the powder and shot, and in-
crease it over the shot. This is pretty effective,
but the best plan is to load as illustrated.
The charge of shot, it will be seen, is separated
by two cardboard wads. This will cause a full-
choke-bore gun to make a pattern of 140 at 40
yards instead of 220. A still smaller pattern may
be obtained by using one ounce of shot instead of
the ounce and eighth, and still further by substi-
tuting No. 5 for No. 6 shot. If it scatters too
much, separate the shot by one wad instead of two
AjVd How to Use It. 177
or by simply using one pink-edged wad only over
the powder, and one over the shot.
The scatter-charge has good penetration at 30
or 40 yards, but of course not so much as when
loaded for close shooting.
For rabbit shooting, with a full-choke-bore gun,
at 13 and 20 yards distance, very successful results
have been gained by reducing the charge of shot
to I oz., the smashing of the game being thus
avoided.
There is an idea prevalent that by diminishing
the charge of powder below the standard charge,
and keeping the standard charge of shot, the close-
ness of the pattern will be increased. This is
erroneous, so far as it applies to guns choke-bored,
and the use of black gunpowders, and in any case
it is productive of irregular shooting and patchy
patterns.
By overloading the gun with powder and shot^
or with powder only, irregular patchy and open
patterns are produced.
When small charges are used the cartridges
should not be shortened by cutting down or turn-
ing over beyond the usual limit, but by filling the
space with wadding — or the case may be slightly
turned down, and then crimped, as are the thin
brass cases.
It will be found to be true economy to pur-
chase just such cartridr^es as are required for the
sport purposed than to use unsuitable loads. For
M
J 78 The Breech-Loader,
partridge shooting use the Sporting Life cartridges;
they are also suitable for grouse shooting, and may
be looked upon as amongst the best for all-round
purposes. For shooting in pigeon matches and
at wild fowl use the very best cartridges pro-
curable, and by no means employ reloaded
cases.
For rabbit shooting a cheap cartridge may be
purchased, but such cartridges should not be stored.
It is economical to work up old, damaged, mixed
or suspected cartridges at a rabbit shoot.
SELECTING BUCKSHOT.
To select a buckshot which will suit a particular
gun, put a wad in the muzzle of the gun about
\ an inch down, and fit the shot in perfect layers.
There will be no need to try them in the cartridge
cases, as it is immaterial how they fit there. Buck-
shot of a size which will average 9 pellets to the
\\ oz. will generally fit a full choke-bored 12-gauge
gun, the three shot to the layer. If a smaller shot
be required choose four or five to the layer, avoid-
ing sizes which do not fit fairly well ; with such
well-chosen buckshot nearly the whole of the 9, 12,
16 or 20 shot of the charge will be in a circle of
about 30 inches diameter at 40 yards range, if the gun
is of good quality and properly bored {see page 47).
SHOT-GUNS AS BALL-GUNS.
It is well known that the ordinary double-
And How to Use It. 179
barrelled cylinder shot-gun will shoot spherical
bullets with fair accuracy up to fifty yards.
The recoil felt by firing a light 12-bore gun
with a spherical bullet is very considerable ; as a
matter of fact the recoil is 13 lbs. heavier with the
bullet and the standard charge of powder than
with the standard charge of shot.
Choke-bore guns may be used as ball-guns,
providing that the bullet to be fired will pass easily
through the muzzle ; and it may be interesting to
sportsmen to know that choke-bore guns shoot
ball quite as well as guns bored perfectly cylinder.
Especially is this of interest to those who use but
one gun, and have often the chance of a shot
or two at big game. Gun-makers and sportsmen
alike have been misled by the proof marks ; for-
merly, on all choke-bores "Not for Ball" was
imprinted.
Another point to be noticed is that when one
barrel be modified choke or cylinder it is only
necessary to use the one-sized ball, the larger bored
barrel shooting, to all intents and purposes, as well
as the barrel for which the ball is moulded.
Any gun which is safe to use with shot is quite
as safe with ball, provided that ordinary care be
taken to see that the ball be not larger than the
smallest part of the barrel, and the charge of
powder does not exceed 2I drms. of powder No. 4, or
No. 6, black, for light guns, and 2| to 3 drms. for
heavier than 7 lbs. One card and one thick felt
M 2
i8o
The Breech-Loader,
over the powder, the ball being fixed in either
by an ordinary turnover or crimper, will give all
that is desired. Neither wad nor patch over the
ball.
Bullets cast in a 14-bore mould will invariably
suit a full choke, and 13 bore for cylinders.
Winans & Sinnock, Patent Shot Spreaders.
The above illustration of the shot spreader is
the latest and best of its kind the author has seen.
A full-choked gun may be made to shoot far more
openly than any cylinder by its use, and at a short
range of even 10 yards a good spread results. The
only wads required in loading are a pink edge next
the powder, the spreader and a thin card over the
shot. The author has tried it considerably, and
has every confidence in recommending it to sports-
men who use a full-choked gun, and who at times
require to shoot at short distances. These wads
may be obtained from W. W. Greener, London
and Birmingham.
And How to Use It. i8i
CHAPTER VI.
A MISCELLANEOUS CHAPTER— GUNPOWDERS—
NITRO-EXPLOSIVES— SHOT — CARTRIDGE-CASES
— - LOADED CARTRIDGES — GUN-CASES , ETC.
ETC.
GUNPOWDERS.
The explosive used in shot guns is either black
gunpowder (saltpetre, charcoal, sulphur) or a nitro-
compound (carbon base, treated with nitric and
sulphuric acids). The black gunpowder is granu-
lated, the grains being of various sizes, ranging
from dust to ij-inch cubes for use in cannon.
The ingredients of best black gunpowder are in
the following proportions : saltpetre 75 per cent.,
charcoal 15 per cent, sulphur 10 percent — and this
is the proportion generally followed by English and
the best foreign makers.
The explosive force is generated by the saltpetre
and charcoal ; the sulphur raises the temperature
of the freed gases, and adds to their volume by its
own decomposition. The speed with which a
charge of powder explodes is due to the size and
density of grain. This question of grain is of the
first importance to the sportsman.
No. 4 is unequalled for all-round shooting in
1^2 The Breech-Loader,
guns of any gauge. For 12 and smaller bores,
when strong shooting is required, the No. 4 Alliance,
having a larger proportion of the finer grains than
is usually found in ordinary No. 4, will be found to
give satisfactory results. This powder would not
be obtained by mixing No. 3 and No. 4 together in
any proportions, but would require to be specially
sifted.
To sum up the question of grain in one sentence:
whilst No. 6 gives regular and even patterns, it has
not the velocity of smaller grained powders ; the
No. 4 Alliance Powder.
Nos. 3, 2, and 5 grained " Basket " cause the pellets
to scatter more rapidly than the larger grained
powders ; the No. 4, therefore, is the happy medium
for the ordinary purposes of the field and trap
shooter.
The best gunpowder requires the very best
alder-wood or dog-wood charcoal, refined sulphur,
and the purest saltpetre. These three ingredients
must be thoroughly corporated, and the powder
submitted to great hydraulic pressure, before being
broken up and granulated.
The charcoal of inferior quality, or badly burnt
And How to Use It. 183
or of the wrong wood, will spoil the quality of the
powder, whatever pains be taken with the subse-
quent stages of manufacture.
The brown, or cocoa powders, recently intro-
duced, owe their colour to a different treatment of
the charcoal, and these powders have no special
quality to recommend them for sporting purposes.
TO TEST THE QUALITY OF GUNPOWDER.
Rub a few grains in the palm of the hand, or
between the finger and thumb. If it is reduced to
dust with little pressure, its density is insufficient,
and the quality poor ; if the colour of the dust is of
inky blackness, the charcoal is of inferior quality,
and the powder poor in consequence. Good gun-
powder can scarcely be reduced to dust by rubbing
in the hand ; the dust will be of a rich dark brown,
and if a little powder be ignited in a piece of paper, no
residuum should be left, nor the paper burnt through.
These rough and ready tests are not of course
equal to trying the powder in a gun of known
quality or to laboratory tests, for flashing point
which should be 600^^ F., etc.
The chief nitro-explosives are the " Schultze,"
" E. C." and the " S. S." or Smokeless ; they are
made by impregnating some carbon basis, cotton
or wood pulp, with nitric acid and purifying them by
chemical means. "Schultze" is the oldest and best
known ; it is made from pulped wood which, after
nitrification and purification, is granulated and
184 The Breech-Loader,
waterproofed ; " E. C." is granulated gun cotton
waterproofed and treated in a special manner. The
" S. S." of the Smokeless Company is a chemically
prepared powder, and the Company manufac-
ture other powders of a quite different nature for
rifles.
Nitro-powders possess various advantages over
black, the chief being the absence of smoke after
the discharge, and the small amount of residue
deposited in the barrel. This is on account of the
greater percentage of available gases contained in
nitro-compounds to that of gunpowder. Black
gunpowders usually give about 65 per cent, solid
residue and 35 per cent, available gases, which, of
course, have to drive out of the barrel the solid
residue, in addition to the charge of shot and wads
in front of it, the major portion of the solids being
in a state of fine division or smoke. The best wood
powder will give about 30 per cent, solid residue, 70
per cent, available gases ; consequently, one-half
the charge of powder by weight is equivalent in
force to a full charge of black powder. This leaves,
therefore, only about 15 per cent, solid residue to
be expelled from the barrel, against nearly 65
parts solids from black. The solids resulting
from the wood powder are expelled in a coherent
form instead of smoke, thus slightly lessening the
recoil.
Unconfined wood powder, in common with
other nitro-compounds, may be ignited without
And How to Use It. 185
obtaining a third of the available explosive force ;
to get the best results the ignition must be made
by a detonator. The detonating powder contained
in the ordinary sporting cap is sufficient for a
sporting charge.
Black gunpowder, on an average, will fire at a
temperature of 539^ Fahr., whilst nitro-cellulose
or •' E. C." and Schultze powders fire at 370^,
and should they be heated will require less
detonation.
The strength of nitro-compounds generally is
better developed when the detonator is in actual
contact with the explosive. The flash alone of an
explosive cap would not develop nearly so much
energy from the powder as would a detonator fired
in the middle of the charge ; but the explosion
would be stronger than if the charge were fired by
insertion of a heated wire, or by the application of
a flame.
All nitro-compounds are more violent in their
action the more tightly they are confined and the
stronger the detonation by which they are ex-
ploded.
The pleasure of shooting is so greatly increased
by the use of these smokeless powders that they
are rapidly superseding black gunpowders for all
sporting purposes. Powders so carefully made as
the "Schultze " may be relied upon as safe to use,
provided not more than usual sporting charges are
employed. An increased load of shot permits of
1 86 The Breech-Loader,
greatly increased explosive force being developed
by chemical powders in the chamber of the gun,
and consequently it is important to adhere to those
proportions of powder and lead which have been
found generally suitable for the guns of various
calibres.
In large-bore guns and when large charges
of shot are used, the use of black powder is
recommended, as it is far safer than nitro-com-
pounds.
Avoid fine grain powder, as it is likely to burst
the barrel on account of its quick ignition; this
applies even more especially to rifles. Never use
nitro-powders in rifles unless it is made specially
for rifles and so marked.
Powders of the chemical class, other than those
above cited, must be used with great care; unless the
sportsman has actual proof that they are absolutely
safe in guns of usual strength, the risk will always
be somewhat greater than that which follows the
use of black.
This applies more especially to nitro-compounds
of foreign manufacture, many of which develop an
increased internal pressure which renders them unfit
for use in light guns.
BURSTING STRAIN OF GUN BARRELS.
The translation into figures of results obtained
by experiment with the Crusher Gauge to determine
the internal pressures developed in gun-barrels by
And How to Use It. 187
the different powders, has, up to the present time,
been unsatisfactory.
Each expert adopts a different formula of
calculation, with the result that the figures can-
not be compared with those of another.
The machine known as the Crusher Gauge is a
scientifically-constructed instrument so designed
to register, by the reduction of leaden plugs, the
pressures exerted at various points in the barrel.
The results obtained are comparative only, the
** tons per square inch " are deduced from the
amount of crushing of the leaden plugs, all of
which must be exactly the same size and of the
same specific gravity.
According to the author's calculations, the nor-
mal pressures developed by No. 4 black powder are
about 2 tons to the square inch at i inch from
the breech, 1*90 tons at 2j inches, and J ton at 6
inches.
With Schultze and E. C. powders in the normal
state, and containing the same percentage of mois-
ture as when leaving the powder mills, the pressures
are about equal to that of black. The pressures
are greatly increased with both these powders by
quickly drying them at a heat of 212^, and still
more so when the process of over-drying is long
continued and slow. This being so, nitro-powders
should be used with great caution in hot, dry
climates.
It is also advisable to follow carefully the
'i88 The Breech-Loader,
instructions for loading generally printed on the
canister, more especially as new powders are being
introduced into the market, some of which are of
less bulk than the older established powders, and
with which it is possible to overload to a dangerous
extent.
In guns of smaller bore the proportionate pres-
sure per square inch is greater than that upon
i2-bores with the same charge of powder. This
being so, it is advisable to take extra precaution
in loading the cartridges for these small bores.
SHOT.
Lead shot is of two kinds : that which is
moulded, as large buckshot, and that which is
" dropped," as the ordinary small shot.
Drop shot should be made of lead without a tin
alloy ; it may be hardened by the patented process
of the Newcastle Chilled Shot Company. Hard
shot is preferable to soft for all purposes, but it
is more expensive. The hardest, heaviest, and
roundest shot made in the world is that manu-
factured at Gateshead by the Newcastle Chilled
Shot Company. The hardest lead shot will not
injure a gun-barrel, even if the barrel be of soft
Belgian metal.
It is well known that sometimes several shots
of a charge will take an erratic flight, but it has been
fully proven that chilled shot is less prone to thus
fly off at a tangent than soft shot, and this whether
And How to Use It. 189
the gun used be choke-bored or cylinder. Therefore
it is much safer to use.
The nearer to a perfect sphere each pellet of a
charge is when the charge leaves the muzzle, the
nearer perfect will be the flight of that charge. In
passing through the barrel the shot, by pressing
against one another and the barrel, become deformed
unless they are of hardened metal. Chilled shot will
improve the shooting of any gun ; it does not lead
so much as the softer shot, and if made as it is by
the Newcastle Chilled Shot Company is of the
same specific gravity and free from poison as soft
shot, whilst as a projectile it is superior in every'
way.
American and Continental shot is not so regular
either in size or shape as the best English shot, and
as there is no recognised standard gauge, and instead
of testing what a gun will do with No. 5 or No. 6 of
a particular make, it will be better to give it as the
number of shots to the ounce as 270, 218, 450, etc.
No. 6 shot of different makes as sold in England
will vary as much as 100 pellets to the ounce, so it
may readily be seen that unless a person knows the
exact number of pellets to the ounce of shot he is
using he could easily be deceived as to the gun
performance at a target.
The following are the sizes sold by different
makers ; but, except in one or two cases, these
figures are not strictly adhered to by the makers
themselves : —
I go The Breech-Loader,
STANDARD SIZES OF ENGLISH SHOT.
Lane and Nesham,
Newcastle C
hilled Shot Co.,
London.
Gateshead-on-Tyne.
Size.
No. of Pellets to
Size.
No. of Pellets to
the Ounce.
the Ounce.
A AAA
3°
AAA
40
AAA
35 to 40
A A
48
AA
40
A
5^
A
45
BBBB
56
BBB
50
BBB
64
BB
58
BB
76
B
75
B
88
I
80
I
104
2
112 to 120
2
122
3
135
3
140
4
175 to 180
4
172
5
2i8 to 225
5
218
6.
278 to 290
6
270
7
340
6*
300
8
462
7
340
9
568
8
450
lO
985
9
580
Dusi
1672
10
850
*SG
II
II
1040
*SSG
IS
12
1250
*SSSG
17
Large Dust.
1700
*LG
5^
Small Dust.
2800
MG
9
SG
8
SSG
II
—
—
SSSG
14
♦ Walker, Parker, & Co. London sizes.
CARTRIDGE-CASES.
The cartridge used to-day is still the same in
principle as Mr. Daw introduced over thirty years
ago, the sizes being identical. The ordinary 12-
bore cartridge case is correctly 2tV in. long, but
much confusion results rom this case being called
And How to Use It.
[91
Dubuque
Co.,
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192 The Breech-Loader,
sometimes 2f in. and sometimes 2\ in. Other sizes,
from lO to 20-bore, are made this same length.
There is some difference in the shape of the
anvil. All the best English and Continental
makers adopt the plan of a movable anvil, but
American makers use caps, which fit upon an anvil
formed in the base of the cartridge-case, or a small
anvil is used which is contained within the cap.
The metal of American caps is thinner and softer
than that used in England, the object being to
have a more sensitive and easily-exploded cap.
The drawback to this is that the striker frequently
perforates the cap, and a large escape of gas re-
sults, and occasionally a dangerous escape, some-
times splitting the stocks of hammerless guns and
blowing out the strikers of hammer guns.
Very fine cartridge-cases, as the "Ejector" case
of Messrs. Eley Bros., and " The Grouse " case of
Messrs. Kynoch, are covered with thin brass nearly
the whole length of the case, following a principle
adopted some dozen or more years ago by M.
Bachman in the " High Life " case ; for wet
weather they are perfect.
The chief requisites in cartridge-cases for
shot-guns are : perfect ignition, uniformity of size,
capability of resisting atmospheric changes, and
moderate pressure.
Nothing is more tantalising to the sportsman
than miss-fires ; hang-fires, too, are a great nuis-
ance. To enjoy shooting there must be perfect
AxD How TO Use It. 193
freedom from tight-fitting cartridge-cases, and the
cases must be well made to stand heavy charges
and extract freely. Not unfrequently with cheap
cases the heads are pulled off by the extractor, the
cylinder being left in the chamber to be removed
by the grip extractor, sold by gun-makers for this
purpose, or cut out with the shooter's knife.
The cases must be of exact size also in the
rim ; many have small rims, so that in loading
they may be pushed past the extractor, if force is
used. Care should be taken not to do this ; if the
cartridge is put against the extractor and the gun
closed, after the cartridge is fired the base will
expand, and it will extract properly. It is also of
importance that the case be substantially made,
capable of resisting such pressure as careless
packing in the magazine, or the usual accidents of
travel may occasion. A stout well-made case will
keep the powder in better condition than will a
thin unglazed imperfectly-finished one.
. Good cases are made by all the leading makers.
Since the introduction of nitro-compounds dis-
tinctive colours are used, and the old line of colour
as denoting quality is not so strictly observed.
The brown colour is still used for cheap cases.
For perfect ignition, few makers equal, and
none surpass, the best cases of Messrs. Eley Bros.;
the average of miss-fires through faulty caps is
in their best cases only a small fraction of I per
cent.
194 ^^^" Bkeech-Loadbir^
Their new case for nitro-compounds has a
metallic capsule covering outside the paper like
the old "High Life" cases, common on the Con-
tinent a dozen years ago.
The thin brass perfect case of Messrs. Kynoch
has greater capacity than the paper cases of the
same nominal gauge. These cases do not swell,
and keep the powder in good condition. They are
much favoured by some sportsmen ; others do not
like the " feel " of the sharp edges of the metallic
cases, and continue to use paper. The latest
pattern of perfect case has the base filled with
paper pulp, which strengthens the rim, renders the
base solid, and lessens the liability to miss-fire.
These cases do not give way in the least ; and if
the primers are kept of uniform good quality,
sportsmen may congratulate themselves upon
having a truly " perfect " case. In America good
paper cases, or " shells," are dearer than in England,
and not equal in quality to those made here. The
American metallic cases are good, but very dear.
On the Continent a very cheap paper case — colour
greyish-brown — is sold, which is of such poor
quality that all sportsmen would do well to avoid
using them.
IGNITION.
Different makes of cartridge-cases, being fur-
nished with different caps, are not alike in the
method of ignition, of the explosion, nor in the
time occupied in igniting the powder.
J AD How TO Use It. 195
The time actually passed between the pulling
of the trigger of a good C. F. 12-bore gun and the
exit of the shot from the muzzle of the gun should
not exceed "0075 of a second ; with the " Life '' cases
this is reduced to '0065 of a second, and if quick
powder, as " basket " or No. 3, is used, it is again
reduced to •co6o of a second or less. With smaller
bores the time is less. When the time taken is '03
of a second or more, a " hang fire " is perceptible ;
when 06 of a second, a click is heard between the
pulling of the trigger and the report.
The original Sp07'ting Life cartridge, introduced
by the author some years ago, had a stronger
cap, with respect to the quality and amount of
fulminate used, than the other cartridges in use,
and was the only cartridge perfectly adapted for
nitro explosives.
The cartridge-makers now supply cases with
strong caps, which offer similar advantages.
The difference in the form of anvil and the
ignitions of the caps may be estimated from the
accompanying illustrations.
The Sporting Life cases have given ever\-
satisfaction, and have attained a high reputation
for killing power ; many sportsmen will use no
others, as they declare that they will kill game as
no other cartridges can. These cases, when loaded
with first quality pow^der, good wads, and chilled
shot, make a cartridge far superior to any other in
the market.
>• 2
196
The Breech-Loader,
" Eley " Case. Original Sporting Life Case.
Ignition of Central-fire Cases.
View of the Cap-chambers and Section of Caps and Anvils of the
Sporting Life and " Eley " Cases.
Greener's pattern Swedish Cup Wad.
Many C}uns hnve been found to shoot better by using the above Wad.
Aa'd How to Use It.
97
WADDING.
The wadding used in the shot-gun is of three
varieties : ist, the simple cardboard wad ; 2nd, a
felt wad ; 3rd, a hard felt paper-faced wad, known
Felt W;k1.
Shot Wad.
as the " pink edge " or the Field wad. A cardboard
or waterproof (pitch paper) wad must be placed
over the powder ; this must be followed by a
lubricating felt wad, usually fths of an inch in
thickness. The top wad over the shot must be of
the thinnest cardboard. Pink-edged, pink-faced,
" Field," and thick cardboard wads, cloth wads, and
black wads, are used for special purposes, as speci-
fied in the section on cartridge loading.
The best felt wads are elastic, of a light pink
colour, deeper at the greased edge. Cheaper quali-
ties are of a deeper tint, and the commonest are
brown in colour and not close in texture. The
" Field " wad is black (pitched paper) on one
face, pink paper on the other ; the edge is greased.
Pink-edged wads are greased at the edge, and
have paper faces of a light pink tint ; they should
be of elastic felt.
Numerous wads have been invented to act as
I9«S The Breech-Loader^
concentrators in confining the charge of shot in its
flight, but for the most part they act but im-
perfectly even with cylinder guns, and are quite
useless with choke-bores. Wads of hard brittle
material, which will crumble to dust when the
gun is fired, are sometimes used over shot, though
the thin card wad is still employed generally.
Felt wadding niiist be used between the powder
and shot, a wad fV inch thick is enough for a
28bore, and | inch would not be too thick for an
8-bore ; as there is not a wad so thick, a pink-edged
wad must be used as well ; | or y^ is the correct
thickness for a i2-bore wad.
Wads need not fit the case tightly. There is
little doubt but that the wads are expanded in the
cartridge case before the shot is started. The felt
wad serves to clean the fouling in the barrel left
from the firing of the previous charge. The
blackened edges of the felt wad are not caused
by the gases of the ignited explosive singeing the
wad, but the fouling in the barrel, which fouling
also hardens the wad edge very materially. It is
quite possible that this fouling is in some way
beneficial to the gun barrel, as it acts as a lubricant
for the shot, and it is well known that a shot barrel
with a certain amount of fouling will throw the
shot closer and harder than a dry, bright barrel.
TO LOAD CARTRIDGES.
To load quickly and accurately, place the cases
And Hon to Us/-: It. 199
to be loaded base down upon the table. Adjust
the powder measure, put the powder into a basin,
take up a full measure, strike it off level with the
base of the case to be loaded, and pour it in the
case carefully, holding the case over the basin.
Having filled all the cases with powder, put in the
first wad and press it squarely and firmly down ;
the succeeding powder wads may then be put in
and rammed home together. The shot must be
poured in through a tundish, and preferably
counted with the " Greener Shot Counter," or
weighed to measure, the top wad of thinnest card,
and not too tight, the turning over firmly and
evenly done.
Cartridge-cases do not pay to reload ; it is false
economy in England to reload paper cases or
perfects — abroad it may be necessary to do so
occasionally, but no case fires so well a second
time. Paper and brass cases both quickly lose
their elasticity if reloaded and fired time after
time, and in reloaded cases there will always be
a greater percentage of miss-fires than in new ones.
The de-capping must be done as soon after firing
as convenient. New anvils will be required to
some cases ; and care must be taken that the cap
and the anvil are both got well " home " in the
cap chamber when re-capping, or miss-fires will
certainly ensue.
Paper cartridges and brass may be kept over
from one season to another without appreciable
200 The Breech-Loader,
deterioration, provided they are stored in a dry,
airy place, and at equable tenaperature of 50^^.
Powder, whether black, Schultze, or " E. C," that
has once become damp or sodden, can never be
dried so as to recover its original strength. There
can be no doubt that in hot, dry climates nitro-
powders increase in strength and develop higher
internal pressures ; for such countries moderate
loads are the best and safest. It must not be
supposed that the powder in damp cartridges
can be dried without unloading the cartridges ; to
attempt to do so would be like trying to dry one's
stockings without taking off one's wet boots.
THE " GREENER " SHOT COUNTER.
Further particulars of the " ' Greener ' Shot
Counter " have been so frequently demanded, that
the adjoined illustration and description of this
simple contrivance will doubtless be welcomed by
those cartridge-loaders to whom the machine is
still unknown.
By drilling holes of the requisite size and depth
in a sheet of hard brass, a species of trowel is
formed, in which the pellets of shot will stick when
the trowel is forced into a mass of shot and slowly
withdrawn. For the use of sportsmen a pattern is
now made with a sliding cover, by which the num-
ber of holes exposed in the trowel may be varied,
according to the charge of shot it is wished to
load into the cartridge.
AxD How TO Usb: It.
201
The Shot Counter, Shot Trough, and Tundish,
202 The Breech- Loader,
As already stated, the charge of shot is in this
manner regulated by number — 270 pellets of No. 6
weigh one ounce, 304 holes for 304 pellets are
allowed for the i^ oz., or standard charge, and be-
yond this charge the graduation may be varied
with the greatest nicety.
In order to obtain exact results it is absolutely
necessary that the same number of pellets are
loaded into the cartridges ; if the number varies
— although the weight of the charge may not — ■
there will be a variation in the pattern, which will
probably prove misleading, and as it is easily
avoided by using the counting trowel^ the weighing
of charges of shot should be discontinued.
The use of the trowel, with a plentiful supply of
shot and the specially-made square — or ribbed —
tundish, enables anyone to load cartridges accurately
with great speed and ease, and it is a method far
in advance of any system of weighing or measuring
shot charges. A glance at the trowel as it is with-
drawn filled from the shot-box will show whether
any undersized or misshapen pellet is on the
trowel, any irregularity in size, shape, or number
of the pellets being instantly discernible, as each
pellet occupies a separate cell and is seen dis-
tinctly.
The price, with box, tundish, and stand, is so
trifling — viz., 2 is. — that everyone who loads cart-
ridges should give this method of loading a trial.
It will be found satisfactory, and a properly-made
A.vD How TO Use It. 203
trowel will load millions of cartridges before the
holes become so worn that it has to be discarded.
The author uses this counting trowel in loading
all his cartridges, and has done so for many years.
Sportsmen who do not load their own cartridges
should see that the maker with whom they deal
counts the pellets of the charge into the cart-
ridges or states the number of pellets to the ounce
used.
GUN-CASES AND IMPLEMENTS.
The gun that is worth o\vning is worth pre-
serving. If kept in a gun-rack, or, better still, a
dust-proof gun-cupboard, it will last longer, and if
put away clean will always be ready for use. To
take guns from place to place a ca^e is necessary ;
if they are to be sent, a substantial oak case,
leather-covered, is the best — such a case, w^ell made,
is worth about £^. It affords complete protection
to the gun, and will itself withstand the roughest
usage.
Sole-leather cases — that is to say, cases in
which best leather is sewji to pine frames — are
light and handy, and do w^ell to carry guns in,
but they must not be used as packing-cases ; and
although they will upon occasion stand several
trips to the Rocky Mountains, they are not adapted
to the rough usage they receive in the goods-van,
and do not protect the gun as will the oak-covered
case, A best sole-leather case is worth £^. The
5Q4
Thb Breech-Loader,
AxD How TO Use It.
20,^
American Cartridge Magaziiv.
English Cartridge Magazine.
2o6 The Breech-Loader,
leather leg-of-mutton case affected by trap shooters
is very light, and serves well to carry the gun ; the
cost is £2 to £1. Cheap soft canvas cases of the
same shape are used largely in America, but they
are not to be recommended, as the barrel is liable
to injury and the trigger guard bent by coming in
contact with each other. A case to carry the gun
at full length has been recommended, but its bulk-
makes it inconvenient in many situations where the
shorter case is no encumbrance.
It is preferable to carry cartridges in a separate
magazine than in a tray in the gun-cases. These
magazines are made to carry 50 — the neat little
case carried by the trap-shooter — and 100, 200,
300, 400, or 500, the last a substantial trunk,
heavily made, and able to withstand luggage-
porters' careless handling.
The divisions are preferable as in the English
magazine, for the cartridges then travel better, and
are more easily packed into and removed from the
magazine.
The impedimenta in England may be restricted
to a full set of cleaning implements, including
pocket cleaner and chamber brushes, action brush,
tow^ rag, flannel, and oil. A pocket extractor is
useful, and a pair of turnscrews may be kept in the
cases.
Cartridge-loading apparatus will be found use-
less in England, where ammunition is cheap and it
is not the rule to reload cases.
Aa'd How to Use It. 207
When travelling abroad, powder and shot
measures should be taken, also a rammer and turn-
over de- and re-capper.
Cartridges are best carried in a magazine of
solid leather, or wood canvas covered. In the field
cartridges may be carried in the pocket. Cartridge
belts cannot be recommended for ordinary shoot-
ing, although there are times when they are very
useful, if not indispensable. Cartridge bags to hold
75 or 100 cartridges are large enough for all pur-
poses, and will be found to hang very heavily if
much walking is done. Two small bags feel much
lighter than one large one.
THE WEIGHT OF TRIGGER PULLS.
To test the weight of the trigger pulls it is
necessary to pull them with the spring balance,
each trigger at a different angle, as shown in the
illustration.
When a spring balance is not procurable, a dead
weight, such as shot in a small bag, attached to the
trigger by a piece of string, and the gun held at the
angle, as shown, will answer equally as well. It
will be seen that the angle in the illustration of
the spring balance is different for each trigger; if
the balance were pulled straight back instead of at
the shown angles, the pull would be much heavier,
especially with the left trigger. As the angles
given are similar to the action when pulling the
trigger with the finger, it is necessary to kno^v
io8
The Breech-Loader.
And Now to Use It. 209
this when trying the pulls of guns ; it is the
way in which all gun-makers test the pulls of their
guns.
The usual pull off for fine game and pigeon guns
preferred by English sportsmen is 4 lbs. for the
right and 5 lbs. for the left lock. Light 20-bore
guns will do about i lb. lighter, but for heavy duck-
guns and rifles the pulls must be heavier.
Some Continental sportsmen cannot use a gun
which has a pull heavier than 3 lbs. for the first
and 4 lbs. for the second barrel ; the objection to
such light pulls is, they are likely to jar off if the
gun receives a slight blow, or even when closing
the gun after loading, if it is done rather sharph%
as it is sometimes.
The practice of slamming the gun up is dan-
gerous, and young sportsmen should be very
careful to close the gun after loading as gently
as possible.
Some sportsmen prefer heavy pulls. Mr. Ful-
ford, the pigeon shot, always has the pulls of both
his triggers 10 lbs. This weight is the heaviest the
author has ever made for the ordinary 12-boregun.
Gentlemen abroad, when ordering" guns, should
state exactly what weight the trigger pulls are
desired, so that the maker may regulate them pro-
perly. It very often happens that fine hammer-
less and ejector guns are spoiled by jobbing
gunsmiths in attempting to alter the pulls ; it
would be far better to go on using the gun as it
o
2 10 The Breech-Loadi.r,
comes from the maker, and get accustomed to the
pull, than trust it with such men. The author has
had several ejector guns returned from abroad
which have been spoiled in this way.
It would be only a simple matter for the maker
of the gun to alter the pull properly. The author
considers that if a gun requires any alteration or
repairs the maker of it is the proper person to do
it, as he is more interested in seeing that it is done
thoroughly.
AiVD How TO Use It, 2\\
CHAPTER VII.
THE GUN : HOW TO USE IT.
Should a man carry a gun in such a manner as
to endanger his companions he will be shunned by
sportsmen generally, and quite deservedly.
Sportsmen who have been allowed the use of
a gun from their boyhood generally make the best
and most careful shots, therefore the earlier a boy
is entrusted with a gun the more likely is he to
make a safe shot. The boy who shoots, or is
learning to shoot, is the one who most rarely fools
with firearms. The maxim that " familiarity breeds
contempt" does not apply to the knowledge of
weapons, for the person of the " didn't know it
was loaded " order is usually someone who has had
nothing to do with firearms in their proper place.
To point a gun at any person should in itself
constitute a criminal offence, and all firearms must
invariably be treated as if loaded ; therefore in
all drill, preliminary to going into the field, make
a point of treating the weapon as loaded. With
practice safe handling becomes habitual, and it
must be habitual before any sportsman should
venture to shoot in company. The man who
knows in what direction the muzzle of his gun
is directed may be puzzled if it is accidentalh^
o 2
212 The Brfech-Loader,
discharged, he is rarely disconcerted, never flurried
or alarmed.
This state of complete self-possession is ac-
quired by the practice of always treating the gun
as loaded. There is time for a shooter to consider
if every shot he fires is aimed in a safe direction,
this without interfering with the rapidity or
accuracy of the aim, provided he has previously
noted in which direction he may fire with safety.
The beginner should first practise the handling
of an unloaded gun until he can bring it up sharply
and well to cover any point at which he is looking.
In shooting, as with other sports, ease of movement
is the first requirement, and this is only attained
by practice — drill.
To become proficient in the use of the gun it is
advisable to handle a gun for a few minutes every
day in the shooting season, and at least once a
week in spring and summer.
For this drill it is best to take a good position
such as that of a crack shot at the trap {see illus-
tration)— the left foot should be slightly in advance,
the knees straight, the body bent very sHghtly
forward from the hips, the left shoulder brought
,vell forward, which allows a longer reach with the
left hand ; the gun must be grasped firmly with
the right hand, the forefinger on the trigger, the
left hand must be got as far forward as will permit
of the gun being quickly manipulated, the gun
being held well across the body. The left hand
AxD How TO Use It.
21
J. A. R. Elliott's Position al the Trap.
214 ^^^ Breech-Loader^
well forward gives a better command over the gun,
especially with respect to its elevation, but if too
far forward it retards a change of aim from left to
right.
In taking a double rise from traps, or in making
a right and left at game, it is advisable to swing the
body with the gun, and change the position of the
feet also. Thus, the shooter will be always in
practically the same position with respect to the
object at which he has to aim. The change of
position can, with practice, be accomplished without
any loss of time, and the advantages are important.
There is greater certainty of aim, and the firing is
easier than when the upper half of the body is
swung round from the hips.
For marks use something distinctive. A red or
black seal, on a \\'hite card, is as good as anything.
These should be fixed at different heights, and if
indoors two should be at least twelve feet apart,
standing, as illustration. Look at one of the marks
and bring the gun quickly to the shoulder, pressing
it firmly into position in doing so. The muzzle of
the barrels should cease their motion just under the
mark at which you were looking. Put up the gun
similarly to other marks, changing from left to
right, and high to low, at irregular intervals, until
convinced that when your gun is brought to the
shoulder, it is directed automatically to the point
above mentioned.
To pull the trigger so as not to change the aim,
And Bow to Use It. 2j$
let the forefinger be well bent, the first joint resting
lightly on the trigger, the other joints being held
free of the gun. The trigger must be pressed, not
pulled, or the alignment of the gun may be altered
thereby. Snapping off the gun with a fired case in
the chamber will do the gun no injury, and will
enable you to determine whether or not the pulling
of the trigger affects your aim.
Next try a few shots in the open, either at a
wall or shot-proof screen. If the mark is fairly in
the centre of the group of shot, practice at moving
objects may be commenced.
It is also good practice to walk up to a certain
distance, and upon reaching it to raise the gun and
fire immediately. When this can be done well,
learn to fire the gun when on the march, or nearly
so. That is to say, bring the gun to the shoulder
at the same time that your left foot goes forward
with your body into position. This can be practised
until you can be certain of the mark without break-
ing your regular walk, except for the very instant of
firing.
Practise until both barrels can be fired with
accuracy, within three steps forward, that is, the
steps in which the left foot is advanced.
The main point is to get a good, quick, correct
aim, and to fire immediately the gun is to the
shoulder. This does not mean that the gun is to
be fired in a hurried or haphazard manner ; but when
the object is in range the gun must be raised and
2l6
The Breech-Loader
Position of Carrying a Gun on Shoulder.
And Ho IV to Use It.
217
Position of Carrying Gun under Arm.
2lS The BREECH-LoADRk,
fired. There must be no taking aim as with a rifle,
nor must the firing be delayed after the gun is at
the shoulder. The shooter who attempts to follow
the object by swinging round the gun is a dangerous
shot, as will be fully explained later, and cannot
become an adept shot until he fires upon the first
sight.
There must be no practice at birds or other
animals not in motion. Practice at the target is
preferable to this sort of shooting, as from it some-
thing can be learned.
HANDLING THE GUN IN THE FIELD.
Before treating of the art of wing-shooting and
its acquirements, a few words on the carrying and
use of the gun in the field will not be out of place.
The safest method of carrying a loaded gun in the
field is to place it, top rib down, on the right
shoulder {see illustration). Other safe positions
are : — Under the right arm, the muzzle straight to
the front ; across the breast, muzzle high, and well
to the front ; the muzzle raised, the left side of the
stock against the right hip ; at the " trail," that is,
grasped in the right hand, the arm at full length,
and the gun horizontal.
When standing for driven birds, take a position
as recommended for trap-shooting when expecting
a shot at game in sight ; when waiting, hold the
gun in one of the above-mentioned positions, or
take one of the positions illustrated, or vary them.
And How to Use It. 2ig
The gun should be carried at full-cock, and if
hammerless, with the safety off. Under ordinary
conditions, it is better to unload a breech-loader
when getting over a fence, crawling through a gap,
or jumping a ditch. Even with hammer-guns
(most top levers will open at full-cock) it is easy
enough to take out the cartridges and reload the
gun. Changing the hammers from full to half-cock
is a very dangerous practice, or manipulating the
safety-bolt of the hammerless only lessens the risk,
does not absolutely remove it.
We have seen a man fall in getting over a five-
barred gate ; luckily for us he had previously
unloaded his gun. One may come to grief in
getting over a sheep hurdle or at an iron fence ; the
simpler the obstacle the more careless one is apt
to be.
Before putting a gun out of hand, as through a
fence, gate, or over a wall, or handing it to another
person — unload.
Wire fencing is a great nuisance to shooters,
both hands are often required to negotiate it
properly — unload the gun before attempting to
cross it.
Loaded guns in boats and vehicles are an
element of danger.
To load a gun, there are several safe positions
which are also convenient. In closing the gun the
barrels often swerve to the left. This is especially
the case when tight-fitting cartridges are used, or
220
The Breech-Loader,
%
/ ■ J
^
-^
Easy and Safe Position— Waiting for Driven (janie.
. And Now to Use It. 221
the gun is cocked by the act of closing the gun,
and care must therefore be taken that the gun
is not brought directly across the body. Let the
left hand grasp the gun at long distance from the
breech, it gives one greater power and facilitates
both the opening and the closing of the gun. If
an ejector is not used, two loaded cartridges may
be taken up and held between the first and second
and second and third fingers of the right hand,
whilst the fired cases are withdrawn by the thumb
and forefinger of the same hand.
The proper position to load a breech-loader is
with muzzles pointed to the earth, for it not un-
frequently happens that in dry weather, and when
using black gunpowder, flakes of the fouling will
fall down into the breech action, when the barrels
are higher than the breech, upon the gun being
opened. The fouling, by lying in the angle of the
action, prevents the gun from closing perfectly ;
this is often very annoying to the shooter who,
seeing that the bolts or the lever do not snap
home, imagines the gun is broken ; or if he be care-
less and fire the gun in such a state it may allow
the breech action to be blown open, being but
imperfectly bolted, and thereby result in a serious
accident to the user and his comoanions
To load a muzzle-loading gun, place the butt
on the ground, or on your foot, and incline the
muzzle well outwards. When you have to load
one barrel only, let the loaded barrel be that
7 ///• lyRlU-J H-L O. I J)J:A\
Position for Loading.
.L\D Hon TO L'si- J/. 223
farthest away ; do not grasp the ramrod with the
hand, but with the thumb and forefinger only ;
both locks should be at half-cock when loading.
Muzzle-loading caps should fit the nipples accu-
rately so as not to burst in putting on ; they may
then be taken off easily, but are not likely to drop
off; if waterproofed and capsuled, no fulminate is
likely to adhere to the head of the nipple and
cause an accidental discharge.
In all cases, the finger should not touch the
trigger until the gun is in the act of being raised to
the shoulder. Hammers should never be left rest-
ing on a cap or striker when the gun is loaded ; let
the hammers be carried at full-cock. Look
through the barrels before loading the first time
after creeping through a fence, and after putting
the gun out of hand for any purpose. If one
barrel is fired repeatedly without discharging the
other, it is advisable to take out the unfired cart-
ridge occasionally, and ascertain whether the top
wad has moved, or place the same in barrel which
is fired first. With thin brass cases the starting of
the charge is more likely to occur than with paper
cases having a proper turn-over.
THE ART OF WING SHOOTING.
Much is performed automatically by the
muscles, and muscular sense, or intuition, varies
in degree with different persons. The shooter
must look at the bird or other moving object, and
2 24 The Breech- Loader,
depend upon his own muscles to correctly align the
gun, just as a boy watching a cricket-ball will put
his hand where he knows the ball will be at a
given moment of time, and does not need to look
at his hand.
The physiology of shooting was cleverly stated
by Dr, W. J. Fleming in a letter to the Field of
February 19th, 1887 — a letter which, we regret, we
have not space to reproduce in full, and can but
summarise indifferently. It has been demonstrated
by actual experiment that what is known as
' personal error" in the observation of objects is an
important factor in calculating time or distances ;
astronomers, for instance, need to allow for this
"personal error" in recording the time of a star's
appearance at a given point. If two distinct lights
are so placed that either may appear or disappear
instantly, different observers vary in their ability
to quickly determine which light is shown, and
record it by the depression of a key ; the time
required varied from one-hundredth to six-hun-
dredths of a second. If it is assumed that, instead
of light appearing, a game bird is the object visible,
it follows that before any person can aim his gun
at it at least one-hundredth of a second of time
will elapse, whilst another person, equally quick in
aligning his gun, will not be cognisant of the object
seen until upwards of six-hundredths of a second
have passed. Consequently it follows that the
allowance which one person would rightly make in
And How to Use Ir. 225
order to hit the object would not be correct for
another person ; for, taking the two extremes, the
object may have moved but 6 inches before known
as seen by one, and 3 feet before known as seen
by the other.
Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of
optics knows that before seeing an object that is
visible several physiological processes are auto-
matically performed by the organs of sight. Its
position and its distance from the observer are
estimated by the other processes, mainly by the
adjustments his eyes require to make to see clearly,
compared with previous experience. The principal
adjustments are the amount of convergence of the
two eyes required to bring their optical axis to a
point at the object, and the amount of accommo-
dation necessary to bring the image of the bird to
a sharp focus in the retina. These adjustments are
made by muscles both within and without the eye,
and they inform of the amount by the muscular
sense, that same sense which informs whether we
have one ounce or a pound weight in our hands.
The muscular sense may be trained ; it enables
sportsmen to judge accurately of distances, as
letter-sorters and others judge of weights to a
nicety. As it is dependent upon previous experi-
ence, it does not follow that the sportsman who can
tell whether a partridge is thirty or fifty yards dis-
tant will know as well as a sailor how many leagues
distant is a vessel or the letter-sorter estimate the
V
2 26 The Breech-Loader,
weicfht of a bullock. Muscular sense differs in
quantity and quality with individuals, and is a
matter for special training. The sportsman who
wishes to become a good shot must observe care-
fully and practise constantly. The ability to shoot
well is a special gift to some, and though it may
be acquired by all, we can only indicate how the
skilful use of the shot-gun may be developed. A
sportsman may be a first-rate shot, yet unable to
explain how he has acquired an unerring aim ;
some attribute it to one style of aiming, others to a
different method, so many discussions take place
amongst sportsmen and experts as to the correct
method of aligning the gun, and the advocates of
the various styles of shooting in the sjDorting
papers detail circumstantially the most opposite
experiences.
HOLDING AHEAD.
It is not the intention of the author to enter
into a long dissertation upon the various merits
and disadvantages of " holding on " and "holding
ahead." It must be confessed that the advocates
of the last method have theoretically the best
argument, as the following figures prove : — •
The utmost speed at which game birds fly
may be taken as forty miles per hour, which
means that a bird flying across the shooter at that
speed will have travelled about twelve inches before
the quickest shooter can have brought his gun to
And How to Use It. 227
position and pulled the trigger. The following
" delays " may be assumed as unavoidable : —
Time occupied in raising the gun, 3-iooths sec.
Time occupied in pulling trigger, i-2ooths sec.
Time occupied in igniting charge, i-2ooths sec.
Time occupied in shot travelling 40 yards, 14-iooths sec.
During which the bird will have travelled 10 ft. 6 in.,
or thereabouts, and to hit a mark 10 ft. 6 in. to the
right or left of the mark aimed at, the muzzle
of the barrel would require to be more than 3
inches to the right or left of the line of aim. As
pointed out previously, if, instead of being able to
pull the trigger in ^^oth of a second, the shooter
needs y^oths of a second, the bird will have flown
16 in. further than is stated above.
Even whilst the charge of shot, having left the
muzzle, is on its way, sufficient time elapses for a
fast-flying bird to travel a considerable distance ;
for the first fifteen yards or so, it may be taken
that for every yard the shot advances the bird
travels 2 in. The shot does not maintain its high
velocity, and, providing the bird does, we have at
forty yards' range nearly i in. fled in the time the
shot advances i ft, and at sixty yards i\ in. fled for
every foot advance made by the shot.
Allowing Troths of a second as the time neces-
sary for performing the involuntary and voluntary
actions of seeing the mark, determining to shoot,
raising the gun and firing, and also the small
fraction of time required for the ignition and
228 The Breecji-Loader,
combustion of the powder and its passage through
the barrel, we find that with the 12-bore and
standard charge at fifteen yards' range, a bird flying
at forty miles per hour will have traversed 5 ft. 6 in.
before the shot reaches that range from the gun.
If 20 yards, then 6 ft. 6 in.
If 30 yards, then 8 ft. 9 in.
If 40 yards, then 1 1 ft. 5 in.
If 50 yards, then 14 ft. 8 in.
If 60 yards, then 19 ft. 4 in.
A great deal of difference is caused by the
manner of bringing up the gun. Some sportsmen
acquire the habit of bringing up the gun with a
swing in the direction the mark is moving ; others
bring up the gun and follow the object, whilst the
majority of good shots put up the gun and are
supposed to jerk it ahead of the game, and fire it
before the latter motion has ceased. Those who
shoot with the gun on the swing, and intuitively
increase the speed of the " swing " in the same
action as the increase in speed of the mark, never
require to " hold ahead." Those who hold on, by
shooting promptly, prove the truth of the theory
that it is necessary for the hand and eye to act in
unison ; whilst they who hold ahead, although
agreeing that the hand must follow the eye, y^t
so shoot that the hand must point the gun in a
different direction to the object on which the eye
is fixed. If the hand can be entrusted to intui-
tively direct the gun to any required distance
Ajvd How to Use It.
mam^
Showing the Alignment of Gun for Various Shots when Practising
the "Hold-on" Principle.
230 The Breech-Loader,
above or before the object upon which the shooter's
gaze is fixed, well and good ; perfect shooting will
result.
The following hints as to aiming, etc., will be
appreciated by all who have convinced themselves
that they can, by practice, aim ahead of moving
game : —
The young shooter, and all who desire to im-
prove their shooting, should practise in the follow-
ing manner: Commence by shooting at slow-flying
birds, as pheasants (flushed, not driven), pigeons
whose wings have been slightl}* clipped, or at rab-
bits frisking on the sward. Let all shots be at short
range — twenty to thirty yards. When the bird
gets up, the gun is to be brought quickly to the
shoulder and fired whilst both eyes are looking at
the bird.
Birds going straight away, and neither very
high nor skimming low down, should all be killed,
as the aim is the same as for a snap-shot at a fixed
mark. Birds crossing may be missed, probably
because the shooter fires behind them. By just
how much the gun will be pointed ahead of the
cross-flying birds may not be actually observed,
but it must be known by the muscular sense, and if
the shooter, whilst looking at a fixed object on a
large wall or screen, consciously directs the gun
(not aiming it by glancing down the rib with the
right eye) to the right or left, he will quickly
educate the muscles to direct the gun to any
A AD How TO Use It. 231
distances right or left of the object seen, and further
practice will make him proficient in altering the
elevation to any desired extent.
It is always necessary to keep the eyes steadily
gazing upon the bird, and no attempt must be
made to aim into space. Nor can any instructions
as to aiming three, eight, or twenty feet ahead of
moving objects be followed. My estimate of
twenty feet may differ greatly from that of another,
but practice at various ranges and previous ex-
perience of similar shots will direct me, as it will
everyone who follows these instructions, to aim
the gun intuitively in that direction where the
charge of shot and the game simultaneously bisect
— the one the line of flight, the other the line of fire,
so long as the bird is seen.
When practising wing-shooting there will be
many misses, of course. After each miss the
shooter should consider why the object was missed,
and whatsoever cause may be assigned let him do
his best to guard against it in the future ; if a
cross shot, and most probably he was behind the
object, he must determine to direct his gun further
forward when another similar shot presents itself
If he does this and continues to shoot without
being hurried, flustered, or disheartened, he will
steadily improve in his shooting, but to go on
missing, time after time, without giving a thought
as to the cause, will do no good whatever.
When a bird rises, follow its exact course with
232 The Breech-Loader,
your eyes, and when it is in the best position for
shooting bring up the gun from below or behind it,
and if your hands act in perfect harmony with the
eye and the will, as you have schooled them to do,
the gun will be aligned instinctively, and imme-
diately the object is in the position indicated in the
illustrations well press the trigger. You may stop
the gun at the moment of firing or may not ; it is
immaterial, for your muscles, benefiting by their
previous experience, will have performed for you,
of their own accord, that order which you have not
had time to think out or give them.
It is a good plan to continue the swing of the
weapon whilst firing ; by so doing you send the
charge of shot in the direction in which the gun is
moving, but if you have acquired the habit of
stopping the swing at the moment of firing, and kill
well, there is no need of changing the method. It
is a mistake to bring up the gun so that it has to
be lowered again in order to cover the object, or to
bring it from before the object, though this latter
plan is sometimes necessarily followed, as when the
shooter facing No. 2 trap gets a quarterer to the
left from No. 5, but ordinarily follow the flight of
the bird if for the fraction of a second only, then
bring up the gun and fire.
The allowances which will have to be made, as
already explained, can only be determined by
actual experience. The following general indica-
tions may, however, be of some service : —
AxD How TO Use It. 233
The straight going away shot at birds should
be point-blank at any distance.
At ground game going straight away, shoot over
the animal. Of approaching shot at birds shoot
dead on, unless the bird is very high, when aim
well in front. If high at long range and approach-
ing, make less allowance, or wait until it can be
shot at a pleasant angle nearer the shooter.
An approaching low shot, when a driven part-
ridge or an " incomer " from the pigeon traps, aim
under the bird rather than over it. Birds which can-
not be shot as they approach, owing to the position of
beaters, etc., must be allowed to pass over, and will
furnish similar shots to those obtained by walking
up to the birds, but their flight will probably be
much quicker, and they will be higher. The bird
must, therefore, be shot well under, />., actually in
front of it. A bird that has passed and flies low is
a more difficult shot ; the shooter must get ahead
of it, and this is only to be done b\' shooting
over it.
Birds crossing to the right are more difficult to
hit than those crossing to the left. It is often ad-
visable to move the position by turning one-quarter
round on the right foot before raising the gun when
there is a quick flyer to the right and you are shoot-
ing along or on the right extremity of a line.
Longer shots may be made at crossing than at
straightaway birds.
Some quartering shots are very easy, others most
234 The Breech-Loader,
difficult — it depends upon the speed and angle of
the flight.
Ascending shots are difficult — the most if at
short range, and flying quickly, shoot over the bird.
If the bird is well away and going straight or
quartering, to get before it, i.e., to hit, it will prob-
ably be necessary to aim below it.
Aim at the head of a pheasant rising ; indeed,
aH game of which the head can be seen should be
shot at as though the head, not the body, were
the sportsman's mark.
Shoot at the head of all ground game. It often
happens that incoming and motionless ground
game is shot over, and neither hares nor rabbits
should be shot at when more than forty yards
distant. We have seen men fire at hares fully a
quarter of a mile away and blame the gun !
The prettiest of shots, and a difficult one to
make, is the perpendicular shot. In attempting
this shot bring the left hand much nearer the
breech than is usual for any firing at an angle of
45^ or less and aim in front of the bird if approach-
ing, and under it if going away.
Occasionally shots may be had at birds and
hares descending, chiefly when shooting on the
hillside, and these shots are difficult, the sports-
man generally shooting over his game. Low flying
wild-fowl, woodpigeons coming into lofty trees,
hawks, crows, and vermin, generally afford different
shooting practice, of which the sportsman will
And How to Use It. 235
profit. In order to become an expert shot, if other
game Is not readily available, starlings, fieldfare,
larks, and even sparrows, may be used as marks,
and much learned from shooting at them.
To practise systematically nothing is so hand}'
as trap shooting, almost a separate art, but one
which may be followed with beneficial results even
by expert game shots.
OF HOLDING OX.
Snap-shooting and the " hold-on " principle of
aiming is synonymous. I fail to see how any-
one firing a snap-shot — as I understand it — can
possibly hold ahead with any amount of certaint)',
for the space of time which the opportunity affords
in many cases is only sufficient to take in the
situation, and fire ; it will not allow even for a mental
calculation. I favour the " hold-on " and snap-
shooting system for several reasons, chief of which
are — it is prettier, safer, and in our opinion surer,
and it offers, to say the least of it, many more
chances of a full bag than the slower way of
aiming. First, it will be admitted that the style
is far better in snap-shooting than in the " hold
ahead" practice ; second, it is safer, in so far that
there is no tendency to " poking," which the hold
ahead and slow calculating shots lean to, ev^en
though a little — a little which with young shooters
is likely to become more. It must be remembered
that " the man who hesitates is lost ; " hesitation in
236 The Breech-Loader,
firing-^ at any rate, means loss of game and perhaps
everything else except experience to the shooter.
An instance of the danger of the " poking" aim
once warned us of the dangers of the s)'stem even
when practised by a sportsman and regular shooter
of twenty-five years' standing who, on one occasion,
allowed himself to be carried away by his excite-
ment to the extent of " following up " a partridge
at least three parts of a circle before firing. The
bird rose on his left and flew low across his front
quartering to the right until it had nearly completed
the circle before it fell to the long-expected shot.
The shooter had his gun to the shoulder the whole
of the time the bird was on the wing, and in follow-
ing up and trying to make the proper allowance
his gun covered many of his companions, the
beaters, and dogs, although, in the end, the bird
only was shot ; the attitude of the shooter appeared
extremely ludicrous to the others of the party after
the muzzles of the gun were directed towards a
safe quarter. Third, very many more opportunities
occur for a snap-shot and to one accustomed to
take them than to one practising the slower
methods.
For instance, when shooting cover, either in
line, alone, or by beaters.
After reading those paragraphs in this chapter
relating to the physiology of shooting and optics
the reader will probably understand more of the
reasons why I favour the " snap- or hold-on "
A\D Hon' TO Use It. 237
system ; it is, moreover, much easier to become
proficient at this style than at the other, and there-
fore more easily learnt. I am not so much in
favour of copying a good shot's style ; everyone is
built differently, and has different degrees of mus-
cular sense ; therefore everyone should find out for
himself the method that suits him. To give one
confidence there is only one necessity, and that is,
that the shooter can rely on his gun coming up to
the shoulder exactly to the same position every time.
OF POSITION IX SHOOTING AND THE ALIGN-
MENT OF THE GUN.
The accompanying illustrations show several
positions in shooting and the proper alignment of
the gun for game taking different directions of
flight ; these will be found to be pretty nearly
correct, and at any rate will serve as a basis upon
which young shooters may begin. The illustrations
in this chapter showing positions of the gun for
different shots we hope will be some kind of a
guide for the beginner as to the fit and handling
of his gun. It will be seen that we hold to the
old style of allowing the stock of the gun at the
comb to lie against the cheek ; by this one is able
to tell that the gun is in exact position. If the
shooter has good command over it, he should fire
the instant the stock touches his face ; by always
adopting one position for the head, shoulders,
body, and feet, with the touch of the stock on the
238
The Breech-Loader,
Showing Position for Ordinary Straight-away and Rising Shots.
AxD How TO Use It.
239
/
^
M i^
1: - •' ■. .
" A.
^
^--4
M
■■ ■' >
Showing Greatest Angle at which Overhead Shots should be Taken,
240
The Breech-Loader,
Bad Position, not to be Imitated.
And How to Use It.
241
The above position shows how the muzzles of the gun should be wlien
firing ; unless they are perfectly square, bad shooting will result
with one barrel. The habit of getting the left barrel higher than
the right must be guarded against ; it is a frequent occurrence
with some sportsmen just when pulling the trigger to give the
gun a twist over to the right. By aiming at a mirror and pulling
the trigger any fault of this kind will be easily detected.
242 The Breech- Loader,
cheek as an indication for the time to fire, one will
very soon make good progress in the art of snap-
shooting.
Some quick shots, however, anticipate the time
it takes to fire the gun and pull the trigger whilst
raising the gun to the shoulder. This requires
considerable practice to perfect, and the gun must,
of course, be within an ace of the proper position ;
but, however the practice may be deprecated, it is
certainly ate fait for trap- as well as general snap-
shooting.
For high overhead shots it is not advisable to
shoot at a greater angle than that shown in position
(page 239) ; this is quite awkward enough, and
even then the certainty of the alignment is not so
effective, owing to the left hand having to be held
nearer to the breech.
For cross-shots, although in theory the gun
should be held ahead, in some cases as much as
7 ft. at forty yards, yet in practice we have found
that in holding on to the head, as on page 229,
was quite sufficient allowance to kill, though in
many cross-shots at any angle not above 45 de-
grees the gun is alwa}'s brought up from behind.
It may be that the swing has the effect of throwing
the muzzles more in that direction than intended
by alignment. If the gun is fired before the motion
is stayed, the shot will, of course, fly in that direction
in which the gun was s\\ inging when the charge of
shot left the muzzle.
And How to Use It. 243
CHAPTER VIII.
OF SHOOTING GENERALLY — THE ETIQUETTE OF
FIELD AND COVER — HOW TO OBTAIN SPORT
AND ENJOY IT — HOW TO FIND GAME — SHOOT-
ING EXPENSES.
The sportsmanlike use of the shot-gun implies much
more than is included in good marksmanship.
The sportsman not only uses his gun, but must
exercise his brains in order to use it properly. It
is important to acquire an accurate judgment of
distance in order to determine what is, and what is
not, a sporting range at which to fire ; it is also ad-
visable to observe carefully the result of each shot,
and mark where the game was struck ; this may
save much time in retrieving wounded birds, but
for the old-fashioned art of woodcraft there is little
demand now, and good and safe marksmanship is
considered a better qualification.
The modern style of shooting is the natural
result of present day methods of agriculture. The
scythe and reaping machine have succeeded the
sickle, and the stubbles are now shorn so close that
they do not afford cover to partridges, and when
partridges resort to them, as they do, to feed, at
certain hours of the day, it is generally quite
Q 2
^44 'I^HE Breech-Loader,
impossible to approach within range either with of
without dogs.
The sowing of root crops in rows has also
spoiled the chance of the dogs in the turnips ; the
birds sneak out of the field as soon as the men and
dogs enter it, as the game can see from one end of
the field to the other, and cunningly escape un-
observed. The sportsman who is determined to
have some shooting, resorts to driving, by which
means he accomplishes his purpose, and also makes
the game much more wild.
The sportsman who is determined to shoot over
dogs and hunt his game in the old-fashioned way
will find full instructions in the many books on
shooting which have been published, but will need
considerable experience before becoming successful.
The fact that changed conditions have greatly
handicapped his chances, and have forced sports-
men to other methods, may not deter him from
persevering in his method, and it is quite possible,
with hard work and much cunning, to out-
mancEuvre a few coveys by what practically
amounts to stalking them ; no one will grudge the
sportsman whatever success he ultimately achieves.
The sportsman whose shoot is small and the
game — not being hand-reared — scarce and wild,
will be unable to practise driving to any advantage ;
the best plan will be to walk up to the birds as
afterwards described. The drive, or battue as it is
more commonly called, is the best manner for a
Ajyd How to Use It. 245
proprietor or lessee to demonstrate the quantity of
game upon the estate, and it is generally the only
way of securing a fair proportion of it.
To organise a drive upon a fairly large scale
the assistance of many men as beaters will be
required; the plan is therefore only suited to a
large party, and its management is a business
requiring much knowledge, forethought, and pre-
paration. The methods employed with the
greatest chance of success are detailed in such
a book as "Shooting" of the Badminton Series,
to which we must refer the reader for further
information as to the management, or what may
be called the " engineering ■" of work of this kind.
The host or other responsible director, if he does
what is considered to be his duty to the shooters,
will see very little of sport and will have an
onerous task to perform.
As to the shooters, they will learn very little of
woodcraft or of the habits and habitat of the game,
but they may have ample opportunities for testing
their skill as marksmen and of observing the
peculiarities of the flight of frightened birds ; and
they may rightly enjoy the day's sport, in which
they do not so much participate as — to use a
Gallicism — assist.
The shooter called upon to take part in a day's
sport of this kind will find, if partridges be the
game sought, that the keepers or their assistants
have, previous to the arrival of the guns, driven the
246 The Breech-Loader,
birds into a convenient field with sufficient cover
to hold them, that is, with a growth which will
hide the birds. The shooters are then posted
behind a tall fence, barrier, or even artificial screens,
which will conceal them ; they should be such as,
whilst hiding the shooters, will permit them to
observe the flight of the birds when driven towards
them.
The shooter should be informed of the location
of the other shooters and the direction in which
the beaters will advance, and then go at once to his
stand and wait quietly and expectant until the
warning " mark over " of the beaters informs him
that birds are on the wing.
All alert then, he will, as soon as any bird
comes within range and within his circuit, be ready
to fire. In some positions he may be able to fire
at the birds as they approach ; in others he must
wait until they have passed over. Frequently two
shooters will be stationed together; it is usual for
one to take birds on the left and the other birds on
the right — a rule which must be loyally observed,
and to which the only exception is the firing at
your companion's birds after he has fired both
barrels and the birds are in range.
In partridge-driving the stations are frequently
changed, and the object is to break up the coveys
as early as possible in the day, marking the escaped
birds down, and putting them up again and again
in successive drives, so that often a covey from
And How to Use It. 247
which Httle is bagged in the morning will afford
excellent sport later in the day.
Pheasant-driving is pursued, not so much for the
sake o{ securing shots at the birds, as is the case
with partridge-driving, but for the object of obtain-
ing sporting shots.
The drive is, or should be, so managed that the
birds are forced to rise at some distance from the
shooters, and consequently approach at a good
height, and flying faster than if put up as straggling
birds in hedgerows or cover. Here, again, the
shooter will be called upon to exercise his skill as a
wing shot. There will be little walking — no hunting
in the true sense — and the man who can keep cool,
shoot deliberately, and observes the usual etiquette
of the shooting-field, will probably enjoy good
sport, unspoiled by blank covers or too wary birds.
Some guns are usually told off to walk up with
the beaters. These do not, as a rule, get so much
shooting as those posted in the line towards which
the game is driven ; they see more of the working
of the " battue," and require to be even more careful,
both as to the direction in which they shoot and
when to fire.
Grouse-driving has become very popular with
all able to rent or subscribe to a moor. The guns
are stationed in batteries, boxes, or shelters,
especially constructed for the purpose. In Derby-
shire they are occasionally posted behind the stone
W^lls common to the country. Fifteen to twenty
248 The Breech-Loader,
beaters will drive, commencing a mile from the
guns, and form a line, nearly half a mile in length,
beating towards the centre. Driven grouse fly at
great speed, and afford excellent opportunities for a
display of skilful marksmanship.
The young shooter will do well to observe most
punctiliously the written rules and accepted con-
ventionalities of the shooting-field. Smartness of
manner is considered very bad form. A young
man is not supposed to be an unerring shot, nor ex-
pected to tell good stories. If a shooting com-
panion, older than yourself, and a shot of estab-
lished reputation, fires both barrels at a bird, and
misses, it is better to let the bird go, even though
within range, than " drop " it, to your companion's
mortification. You have life before you, and may
get other opportunities. Don't shoot to wound
game, but to kill it. If a wounded bird struggles
in front of you from a companion's gun, drop it it
you can. Explain to the first shooter that you did
so to save time in gathering it, or remark, simph',
** Yours."
The compilers of books of instructions to
young shooters deem it necessary to advise
beginners against calling attention to the clever
shots they make. It has never been the writer's
luck to meet with young sportsmen guilty of this
practice ; they are prone to remark " clever shot,"
or "that was well done," when someone else has
brought down a difficult bird, when perhaps absolute
And Ho IV to Use Ii. 249
silence would have been preferable. They will talk
of their performances at other times, and so un-
fortunately will older men, who ought to know
better.
In order to stand well in with shooting com-
panions, and your host, or his keepers, avoid risky
shots, make yourself well acquainted with your
gun's power, and shoot at nothing not well within
its range, and do not bang away at game too close.
Learn to judge distances accurately, and you will
make few^ mistakes on this score. Give fair play to
the game, and to your fellows-shooters, and if a man
near you is getting more shooting than he can
manage, whilst you have none, it is his place to call
you to help him, not yours to edge up to him.
Think of this when you have more than your full
share of luck.
When w^alking in line up to birds, or with the
beaters in covert, mind and keep to that line. It is
dangerous to you and your companions to be either
ahead or behind it.
When shooting with one friend, take the birds
in the covey nearest to you, and ground game
directly before you.
To fire at low birds and ground game in covert
is frequently very dangerous. In the same way
low birds coming towards you from the line of
beaters must not be shot at unless you know that
the beaters are well beyond the range of your gun.
Do not fire at anything you imagine to be a
250 The Breech-Loader,
rabbit moving in covert ; this is the way dogs,
foxes, and sometimes beaters, get shot.
Do not waste your time and that of your com-
panions by insisting i;pon a bird you tJiought you
saw fall being retrieved.
When shooting alone, or over dogs, the sports-
man has greater latitude as to what, when, where,
and how to shoot.
The shooting of grouse over dogs is fully
treated in all old sporting works and several
modern ones. The well-known authority upon
sporting dogs, " H. H.," will probably republish a
book from the excellent series of articles now
appearing in a sporting paper. If these should not
be procurable, the sportsman in want of informa-
tion may refer to Thornhill, Craven, or F. Speedy.
To get partridges, when not shooting over dogs,
a small party will find it best to walk up to them,
with one or more beaters or keepers to mark and
gather the birds and work the retrievers, which will
add greatly to the success and enjoyment of what
is the finest of modern field sports followed in
this country.
In the early morning the partridges are usually
to be found feeding in the stubbles, and as it is
next to useless to attempt to get within range of
them there, it will save time if two or three men
will walk the stubbles before the shooting is com-
menced, and thus send the birds to better cover.
A mixed line of shooters, beaters, and keepers
And How to Use It. 251
is then formed, and if game be plentiful it is advis-
able to have as many retrievers as there are
shooters, as better speed will be made if beaters or
keepers are not occupied in picking up, and can
look after wounded and towering birds ; a badly
broken dog, will, however, prove the greatest
nuisance which can be introduced into the party.
The beaters should also mark as nearly as possible
where each bird has fallen, and in this they can
also be aided by the shooters; a mark from dif-
ferent positions on the base line of the triangle will
frequently save a prolonged search by confirming
accurately or rectifying an error in marking.
In turnips, partridges are always more easily
approached if the party make their progress across
the drills. If it is preferable to walk in a line with
the drills in order to drive the partridges towards
any other particular cover each man should change
frequently a few steps to the right and left of the
drill in his direct line.
When there is no object to be gained by driv-
ing the birds in any particular direction the line
will wheel at the end of the field and take the
next strip, otherwise the steps may be retraced
over the ground already traversed, and the line
re-formed so that the field may be worked uniformly
in the one direction ; as the field is worked to the
finish the flank men of the line will advance so as
to hem in any birds which may have moved to the
extremity of the field and are unwilling to leave it,
252 The Brrech- Loader,
A line, instead of being formed at right angles to
tlie fence, may traverse it in ccJielon, i.e., at an angle, a
manoeuvre often successful ; also, when the shooters
may be relied upon to shoot carefully, instead of a
straight line the party may form so that the shooters
and beaters at the flanks will keep in advance of
those in the centre. A line almost semicircular
will sometimes prov^e effectual, or other modifica-
tions may be made to accomplish a particular
object, but this can only be done with safety when
one and all carry out the plan with mathematical
exactness. When working the bowed line it is
only fair to the shooters that in wheeling the
pivot man is alternately at the right and left
extremity of the line. If the line is re-formed each
time the field is traversed the party should either
cross over, equalising chances, or one half should
do so, thus bringing the flank men to the centre
and the centre men to the flank alternately.
In stalking partridges do not attempt to get
near them in a direct line, but walk half round
the covey, closing in gradually to the flushing
point. If the party divide to the right and left,
and carry out this manoeuvre carefully, it is possible
that the party flushing the covey will drive the
escaping birds within range of the other division
and thus increase the chances of securing the
majority of the birds.
Late in the season, when the birds " pack,"
driving is the most effectual method of making a bag.
And Ho IV to Use It. 255
The use of kites is said to have the effect of
driving the game to other ground, and should,
therefore, be used rarely by proprietors. Lessors
sometimes stipulate that kites shall not be used.
A shooting leased of farmers cannot be well
preserved without great expense, and some farms
are so badly situated that the game bred upon it
frequents neighbouring lands in preference. Some
lessors obtain high prices for shooting which it is
almost impossible to work with satisfactor)* results.
More game can sometimes be bagged from land
the shooting rights of which are sold for sixpence
an acre, than other ground in the same locality
for which five times the price is obtained. The
price paid for shooting bears no relation whatever
to its value.
Where the shooting is small, a couple of
hundred acres or so, and the land well farmed, it
is advisable to stipulate that at least a few acres
shall be sown with something that will afford suit-
able cover to the birds late in the season. Turnips,
potatoes, clover, mustard, etc., are good ; but to hold
the birds late in the season, if there is no natural
cover on the shooting, a patch of buck-wheat will
afford that protection and shelter the birds prefer ;
grass, furze, fern, ample hedgerows, and some
planted cover, will attract partridges, and in order
to increase the stock the birds, except old cock-
birds, should not be shot after December.
If an attempt is made to rear pheasants there
254 ^^HE Breech-Loader,
must be a " pheasantiy," or suitable plantation on
the shooting, and at least a couple of men to look
after the birds ; a trouble when increasing the stock
of pheasants on a small shooting is the greater
relative expense compared with that of doing the
work on a larger scale, and the difficulty of keeping
the birds at home. To raise pheasants for your
neighbours' shooting is often unavoidable, and if
the covert frequented by pheasants is made more
attractive by often placing tempting food there, a
stock may be increased by birds from adjacent
coverts ; barley, beans, malt, raisins, etc., are used
for this purpose, and it is said that a few hundred
of common gooseberry-bushes planted as under-
wood makes a first-rate cover.
Hares are becoming scarce in this country ; they
are an easy shot even when driven with other
game. They may be looked for on fallows, grass-
land, and amongst turnips. In Scotland the Alpine
hare, a different variety, is plentiful, and these hares
are often driven, owing to the nature of the ground ;
hitting them is more difficult than on a fallow field
in the south.
The woodcock is, unfortunately, still more rarel)-
found ; put up in thick cover and taking an irregular
flight it is one of the most difficult birds to bag ;
if shot at close to it will probably be missed, if the
sportsman waits it will be lost sight of in the covert,
its turn to right and left being most erratic and
unexpected.
And How to Use It.
-:)3
Rabbit shooting is the easiest shooting obtain-
able in this country, and there are very few people
fond of shooting who cannot command, at least,
a (e\Y days' sport of a friendly farmer or land-
owner.
Rabbit shooting, the most generally practised of
sports with the shot-gun, is the most dangerous ;
firstly, because all the firing is done with the gun
pointing towards the ground ; and secondly, because
the speed with which the rabbit bolts is provoca-
tive of random shooting. It is not uncommon for a
rabbit to run between the shooter's legs and be
shot within three yards of him by some reckless
shooter on the alert for fur. In a warren or quarry
a rabbit about to disappear over a ridge will be
shot neatly just as the hat of a man on the other
side becomes visible. When ferreting, it is quite
impossible to keep men from getting into places
where, for their own safety, they should not be.
The young sportsman can more easily do irrepa-
rable damage when rabbiting than at any other
sport, and must consequently use the utmost care
to avoid accident. Always fire at the head of a
rabbit, and to shoot safely in covert do not make a
shot at where the rabbit will be, but shoot straight
for him or not at all.
Another dangerous practice is the division of
shooters by a substantial hedge with dogs working
the hedgerows, the rabbits will run out and
straight along the hedge and then run in again. It
256 The Breech-Loader,
is Linadvisable to shoot towards the hedge under
any pretence ; dangerous to do so unless you know
exactly the position of the man, or men, on the
other side of it.
If rabbits are put out properly and the shooters
keep well back, good shots may be obtained when
the rabbits make a run across the open for fresh
cover.
The young shooter may ruin his prospects as a
sportsman by a single indiscretion — the making of
a risky or a dangerous shot ; he will not be an ac-
ceptable companion to shooting men unless he
endeavours to kill his game in a sportsmanlike
manner, avoiding the wounding of game, and not
firing at quite impossible distances.
The man who may be relied upon as safe to
shoot with under every condition, and who, in addi-
tion, is better pleased by killing a few birds in a
clean and sportsmanlike manner than in making a
heavy bag, will have opportunities for obtaining
sport denied, on principle, to others.
And How to Use It. 257
CHAPTER IX.
PIGEONS AND TRAPS — BOUNDARIES — RULES —
MODIFICATIONS— RECORD MATCHES — HINTS ON
LIVE BIRD SHOOTING— INANIMATE TARGETS —
RULES — BEST SCORES — HOW EXPERTS SHOOT
— GUN TRIALS — LONG SHOTS — GROUSE DRIV-
ING, BY SIR F. A. MILBANK.
TRAP SHOOTING.
Pigeon shooting, against the practice of which
many sportsmen protest, unHke British field sports,
is of lowly origin, but for several generations it has
been a popular pastime with many of the best
known sportsmen of this country and is practised
fairly and legitimately in all parts of the world. At
all respectable clubs there is no cruel treatment of
the birds and fair play is accorded to every shooter.
Pigeon shooting has long been a holiday pastime
with the frequenters of low public-houses, and has
been and still is used as a means by sharpers to
fleece the unwary young sportsman. It is wise to
shoot pigeons at recognised clubs only, whether in
England or elsewhere ; and before accepting an in-
vitation to shoot a friendly match, to make sure of
the character of the person who invites the contest,
or experience at the trap may be very dearly bought.
Pigeon shooting as a sport maybe said to date
E
258 The Brerch-Loader,
from about the middle of this century, although
there were occasional matches and contests earlier.
The first handicap is said to have been shot upon
Mr. Purdey's grounds at Willesden in 1856, but
previous to this there had been fashionable contests
at the " Old Hats " public-house, on the Uxbridge
Road at Ealing, near London. The " Old Hats "
obtained its name from the fact that the pigeons
used for the matches were placed in holes in the
ground, and were covered with old hats. The "Red
House " at Battersea was afterwards the favourite
metropolitan resort for wager shooting. The first
bond-fide pigeon club was formed at " Hornsey Wood
House." Traps were used here, and the " small
cannon " which were formerly in vogue as pigeon
guns were discountenanced, and the ordinary
double-barrelled fowling-piece substituted.
PIGEONS AND TRAPS.
. The pigeon generally employed for trap pur-
poses is known as the Blue Rock. The best variety,
the Lincolnshire Tin Blue Rock, retain the wild
nature of the common blue Coast Pigeon. They
are fed in Lincolnshire by the farmers in winter
time, who also raise cotes for them at a good distance
from their other buildings, as the wilder the birds
and the nearer the coast they are raised the stronger
and more hardy they are. The true Tin Blue Rocks
afford the best sport, and are much the hardest to
kill, being small in the body, quick in flight at
And How to Use It.
259
starting, tough in their nature, and game to the
death, especially the hens.
Other Blue Rocks are bred in Oxfordshire and
The Coast Pigeon (Blue Rock).
Yorkshire in large quantities, but are inferior to the
Lincoln birds.
Many of the so-called Blue Rocks are also
imported from Antwerp ; in fact, the greater
portion of the pigeons used for trap shooting are
brought over from that port, and sold here as Tin
Rocks. Some years ago a number of Tin Rocks
were exported to France and Belgium for breeding
R 2
26o The Breech-Loader,
purposes, and their offspring is now imported ; the
foreign cHmate has not improved them, as they
possess little of the gameness peculiar to the
English bird.
The real Rock is not always of the same marking;
there are light and speckled Rocks.
Pigeons intended for trap shooting should not
be used to being handled, and at the principal clubs
several stringent rules are in force against any ill-
treatment or mutilation of the birds. The purveyor
to the club should find it to his interest to supply
the best, that is the strongest, healthiest birds, and
the trapper should be the servant of the purveyor,
so that it is to his interest that the birds fly strongly.
The hampers used should be spacious and well
ventilated and a proper place should be provided
for them under shelter or in the shade. The
retrieved birds should be placed on or near the
hampers containing the living pigeons. The
purveyor should provide good dogs for retrieving.
The puller should be a club servant.
Then if the ground be properly laid out and
arranged and the standard rules adhered to, any
collusion as to the trapping of weak birds may be
prevented and any form of dishonesty, except the
wilful missing of birds, may be guarded against.
• The pulling apparatus should be of the very
best. Buss' is a very good one ; that used at
Monte Carlo and the Hurlingham pulling apparatus
is also good. The traps must not be too small
And Ho IV to Use It.
261
Ji;.
262 The Breech-Loader,
and should work smoothly, being flush with the
ground when pulled over. The cords or wires to
operate them should be underground.
PIGEON-SHOOTING BOUNDARIES.
Boundaries vary to 20 yards. The Hurlingham
boundary is 90 yards from the centre trap, and the
enclosure fence 8 ft. high. The Gun Club boundary
is 65 yards and the fence 9ft. The Monaco boun-
dary is 17 metres (about 18J yards) and the fence
only 3ft. 4in. high.
An ideal ground would have a fence about 8ft.
high at least, with reserved ground outside this fence
that wounded birds may be readily recovered.
At Monaco and Paris the birds fall into the
water.
The handicap distances should be available from
^i to 35 yards from the centre trap ; the puller
should be at or near the 30 yards firing point.
RULES OF LIVE BIRD SHOOTING.
In England, as well as in America, the English
Colonies, and in most clubs founded upon the same
basis as our English clubs, the Hurlingham Rules
are accepted without important modifications. At
the Gun Club, and at Hurlingham, the weight of
the gun is now unlimited.
THE HURLINGHAM CLUB RULES.
1. The referee's decision shall be final.
2. The gun must not be held to the shoulder until the
shooter has called " Pull." The gun must be clear
And How to Use It. 263
below the armpit, otherwise the referee shall declare
no bird.
3. A miss-fire is no shot under any circumstances.
4. If the shooter's gun miss fire with the first barrel, and he
use the second and miss, the bird is to be scored lost.
5. If the miss-fire occurs with the second barrel, the shooter
having failed to kill with his first, he may claim
another bird ; but he must fire off the first barrel with
a cap on, and a full charge of powder, before firing
the second.
6. The shooter's feet shall be behind the shooting mark
until after his gun is discharged. If, in the opinion
of the referee, the shooter is balked by any antagonist
or looker-on, or by the trapper, whether by accident
or otherwise, he may be allowed another bird.
7. The shooter, when he is at his mark ready to shoot, shall
give the caution " Are you ready ?" to the puller, and
then call " Pull." Should the trap be pulled without
the word being given, the shooter may take the bird
or not ; but if he fires, the bird must be deemed to be
taken.
8. If, on the trap being pulled, the bird does not rise, it is
at the option of the shooter to take it or not ; if not,
he must declare it by saying " No bird" ; but should
he fire after declaring, it is not to be scored for or
against him.
9. Each bird must be recovered within the boundary, if re-
quired by any party interested, or it must be scored lost.
10. If a bird that has been shot at perches or settles on the
top of the fence, or on any part of the buildings higher
than the fence, it is to be scored a lost bird.
11. If a bird once out of the ground should return and fall
dead within the boundary, it must be scored a lost bird.
12. If the shooter advances to the mark and orders the trap
to be pulled, and does not shoot at the bird, or his gun
is not properly loaded, or does not go off owing to his
own negligence, that bird is to be scored lost.
264 The Breech-Loader,
13. A bird shot on the ground with the first barrel is " No
bird," but it may be shot on the ground with the
second barrel, if it has been fired at with the first
barrel while on the wing ; but if the shooter misses
with the first and discharges his second barrel, it is to
be accounted a lost bird, in case of not falling within
bounds.
14. All birds must be gathered by the dog or trapper, and no
member shall have the right to gather his own bird,
or to touch it with his hand or gun.
15. In single shooting, if more than one bird is liberated, the
shooter may call " No bird," and claim another shot ;
but if he shoots, he must abide by the consequences.
16. The shooter must not leave the shooting mark under any
pretence to follow up any bird that will not rise, nor
may he return to his mark after he has once quitted it
to fire his second barrel.
17. Any shooter found to have in his gun more shot than is
allowed, is to be at once disqualified. Any loader
supplying in sweepstakes or matches cartridges loaded
in excess of the authorised charge, will be dismissed
from the Club grounds.
18. None but members can shoot except on the occasion of
private matches.
19. No wire cartridges or concentrators allowed, or other
substance to be mixed with the shot.
20. In all handicaps, sweepstakes, or matches, the standard
bore of the gun is No. 12. Members shooting with
less to go in at the rate of half a yard for every bore
less than 12 down to i6-bore. Eleven-bore guns to
stand back half a yard from the handicap distance,
and no guns over i i-bore allowed.
21. The winner of a sweepstakes of the value of ten
sovereigns, including his own stake, goes back two
yards ; under that sum, one yard, provided there be
over five shooters. Members saving or dividing in
an advertised event will be handicapped accordingly.
A.VD How TO Use It. 265
Should any member kill a bird at a distance nearer than
that at which he is handicapped, it shall be scored
no bird, but should he miss, a lost bird.
i^ oz. of shot and 4 drams of black powder, or its equi-
valent in any other description of powder, is the
maximum charge. Size of shot restricted to Nos. 5,
6, 7, and 8.
All muzzle-loaders should be loaded with shot from the
club bowls.
If any bird escapes through any opening in the paling
it shall be a " No bird."
RULES FOR DOUBLE RISES.
In Double Shooting, when more than two traps are
pulled, the shooter may call " No birds," and claim
two more ; but if he shoots, he must abide by the
consequences.
If, on the traps being pulled, the birds do not rise, it is at
the option of the shooter to take them or not. If not,
he must declare by saying " No birds"
If, on the traps being pulled, one bird does not rise, he
cannot demand another double rise ; but he must wait
and take the bird when it flies.
A bird shot on the ground, if the other bird is missed, is
a lost bird ; but if the other bird is killed, the shooter
may demand another two birds.
If the shooter's gun misses fire with the first barrel, he
may demand another two birds ; but if he fires his
second barrel, he must abide by the consequences. If
the miss-fire occurs with the second barrel, the shooter
having killed with the first, he may demand another
bird, but may only use one barrel ; if he missed with
the first barrel Rule 5 in Single Shooting will apply.
MODIFICATIONS.
On the Continent the rules of the Cercle des
266 The Breech-Loader,
Patineurs of Paris are usually adhered to, they are
practically the Hurlingham Rules. The charge is
limited: 4 drams of powder by measure, and ij
oz. of shot, is the maximum ; the boundary is
Zy yards (80 metres) from the pavilion ; 54 yards
from the centre trap, the traps are 5 metres from
each other.
The shooter has a right to another bird if his gun miss-
fires or refuses to go off through any fault not his
own.
The pigeon is lost if the shooter has neglected to cock
his gun, to load it, or to place on the cap.
If the first barrel misses fire, and the shooter fires the
second, he loses his right to another pigeon, unless
the second barrel also miss-fires.
If the second barrel misses fire, the shooter having fired
and missed the bird with the first, he may claim
another bird ; but in that case both barrels must be
loaded, the first with powder only, and neither barrel
must be discharged until after the trap is sprung.
It is forbidden to shoot both barrels at the same time.
The standard gauge is twelve, any gun of larger
bore than this is handicapped half a metre for each
size ; thus ten bores, the maximum bore allowed,
stand one metre back, fourteen bores advance half
a metre, sixteen bores one metre ; no further ad-
vantage is allowed to any smaller bore.
HINTS ON TRAP SHOOTING.
Trap shooting cannot be recommended as a
profession. However good a shot a sportsman
may be he will find so many uncertainties in trap
And How to Use It. 267
shooting that it is doubtful if any person shooting
continually will make trap shooting pay expenses.
At an ordinary bird, shot at under Hurlingham
rules by an average good shot, the chances are five
to two in favour of the shooter. To be considered
a good shot the number of kills must average more
than 70 per cent. Mr. " Grace," at one time con-
sidered a reliable shot, with a Greener Gun once
scored a percentage of 84-3 kills in a series of
International contests. Other shooters have oc-
casionally made a higher percentage in a short
series of matches.
In a series of International matches, out of
1,120 birds shot at by thirty-six different shooters,
79-9 per cent, were killed, and this is about the
average in marches between first-rate shots.
The following hints may be of use to young
shooters who wish to try their skill in trap shoot-
ing: — Commence at a short distance — say 18 yards
— at live birds ; stand in an easy position, gripping
the gun well forward with the left hand. This is a
great aid in quick shooting. Do not stare at the
trap which you think will give the most difficult
shot to you, and if you do not particularly regard
any trap so much the better.* Do not say '* Pull"
until you are quite ready to shoot, and have your
attention concentrated upon what you are about
to do. When the bird gets up, up with the gun
* Captain Brewer's position is facing the fourth trap, as he considers
it easier to turn to the left.
268 The Breech-Loader,
quickly but steadily, and immediately you have it
in place at the shoulder it should be aligned at the
bird, and the trigger pulled. Pigeon guns should
be so constructed that at forty yards' range they
will throw the body of the charge a few inches
higher than the line of aim ; consequently, at any
distance up to forty-five yards you will have the
advantage over a bird rising in flight.
When shooting at thirty yards' rise, this quality
of the gun will be the more requisite, as to be a
sure trap-shot you will require generally to kill
your pigeon within four or five yards of the trap,
and for that distance the pigeon generally rises,
and if he does not do so immediately will, in all
probability, do so long before he is out of range.
The happy medium between snapping just over the
trap and " poking " after the pigeon must be sought.
In choosing a gun all will depend upon the rules
under which it will be used, but it may be said that,
as a rule, a gun of 7 J lbs. will be the thing. Let it
be taken from the rack just before going to the
mark, and let a point be made of loading and cock-
ing it methodically. Quite a large number of birds
are scored lost every year because the shooter has
forgotten to cock his gun, move the safety off, or
some other cause, equally easy to prevent.
Hammerless-guns with automatically-bolting
safeties are a great nuisance when pigeon-shooting.
A hammerless pigeon gun should not have any
safety upon it. If there is a safety it should be of
And How to Use It. 269
independent action, and the trap-shooter will do
wisely to have a screw pin put through it to prevent
it being meddled with, or inadvertently put " on "
by himself. As pigeon-guns are not loaded until
the shooter is at the firing point, the gun is as safe
without as with a locking safety bolt.
It is best to take no heed either of bystanders
or trappers when going to the mark, and if one can
be quite deaf to the shouts from the " ring " the
score is likely to benefit.
In contending in a handicap it is the time spent
in waiting between the rounds that tires and tries
nerve and patience. At Monte Carlo a man may
have to fire but nine times, and possibly have the
whole of two afternoons in which to do it. Very
much, therefore, will depend upon the temperament
of the shooter. In contesting a match at 100 birds
it must be remembered that the task will be trying
to endurance ; and if a lighter gun can be found
which suits as well as a heavy one, the use of it
will enhance the shooter's chance of success. The
shortest time occupied by the match will be two hours
and a half, and it may drag along for double that time.
In match shooting the percentage of birds killed
will be greater than in handicap shooting, and un-
less the shooter knows, by experience or former
practice, that he can kill on the average ninety birds
out of one hundred, he will do best not to contest a
match with the best shots of the day.
Drive straight to the shooting-ground, so as to
'2/0 The Breech-Loader,
arrive at the time the shooting is advertised to
commence. Waste no time in plating your gun.
If the results of the shooting at the target should
not please you, you will lose confidence in your gun
and gain nothing. You should ascertain that the
gun shoots well, and that the cartridges are suitably
loaded before you get to the shooting-ground.
Keep yourself to the matter in hand, and pay no
attention either to the remarks of other contestants
or the " betting." Having won or lost, leave the
ground at once. Unless the ground is one not
often visited, trial shots before the serious shooting
commences are not to be recommended. Upon
visiting a town for the purpose of contesting the
International Tournaments, it is best to lodge at
some distance from the shooting-ground, and to go
there only so often as the business of the contests
may require. Nothing is gained by constantly
hanging about in the vicinity of the shooting-
ground, nor by experimenting upon it. You should
go to the ground to kill every bird at which you
shoot ; you must practise and experiment upon a
private ground elsewhere.
A little experience will soon prove to the young
shooter whether it is best to take or leave a pigeon
which does not rise immediately the trap is sprung,
and in other ways how to win, providing he is a
good shot, and can keep in perfect health.
PIGEON SHOOTING SCORES.
As shooters are always pleased to compare
A.VD How TO Use It. 271
their own performances with those of acknow-
ledged experts, the following accounts of matches,
compiled from various sources, will occasionally
be useful for reference.
In a series of three matches between Mr. E. D.
Fulford and Captain Brewer in November, 189 1,
at New York, 100 birds each at 30 yards, Mr.
Fulford, using a gun by W. W. Greener, scored
the full number to his opponent's 99. The follow-
ing day the scores were — Fulford, 99; Brewer, 98 ;
the 95th bird shot at by Mr. Fulford fell dead
out of bounds, thus practically 200 consecutive
shots resulted in 200 kills, a truly marvellous
performance which certainly no game shot could
equal. This was the highest score ever made at
the trap. The third match resulted in a tie, both
gentlemen scoring 94 each. The tie was imme-
diately shot off at 25 birds each, Captain Brewer
killing all his birds while Mr. Fulford scored 24,
leaving Mr. Brewer — who also used a Greener gun
— the winner of the shoot-off by a single bird.
One of the best scores on record is that of
'Captain A. H. Bogardus, who on July 2nd, 1880,
succeeded in scoring 99 birds out of 100, the
47th bird falling dead out of bounds. This
extraordinary score was made in" a match with
Mr. RimmeJl. an English gentleman, for 250 dol-
lars a-side. Bogardus, 30; Rimmell, 28 yards;
100 birds, 5 traps, weather fair, and birds in good
condition.
2/2 The Breech-Loader,
In England Captain Bogardus never even
approached the excellence of this score, his best
recorded shooting being in a match with Mr.
Dudley Ward, who shot a tie with him, each
scoring 84 out of 100. Mr. Ward won in shoot-
ing off this match.
The match with Mr. Wallace, at the Gun Club
Grounds, shot July 19th, 1878, resulted in a tie,
each shooter scoring 69 birds out of 100. The
following Wednesday the tie was shot off, resulting
in a win for Mr. Wallace, he killing 71 birds to the
captain's 69. On July the 23rd, in the same
year, the captain shot a match with Mr. H.
Cholmondeley-Pennell at the same grounds ; the
scores being — Captain Bogardus, 71 ; Mr. Chol-
mondeley-Pennell, 69. These scores are amongst
the best ever made in England.
Dr. W. F. Carver, the celebrated rifle shot, was
and is, an excellent performer with the shot gun.
When in England in 188 1 he shot off a series of
matches of which the following are the best, as far
as high scores are concerned : —
On March i6th, with Mr. W. Scott, 100 pigeons
at 30 yards. Dr. Carver scored 79 ; Mr. Scott, 74.
The longest string of consecutive kills was one by
Mr. Scott, of 26. Both shots used guns by W. W.
Greener.
Dr. Carver and Mr. Scott had previously
(February 7th) shot a match at ICX) birds, when the
scores were : — Dr. Carver, 66 ; Mr. Scott, 62. The
And No IV to Use It. 273
birds were the finest and quickest seen during the
winter, and the weather was vile, the greater part
of the match being shot in a blinding snowstorm
and a driving squall from the south-west.
In America in 1884 Dr. Carver shot a series of
matches with Captain Bogardus. The following
are the scores and distances : — First match (at
Louisville, Ky. ; 100 birds, 30 yards rise, 80 yards
boundary, Hurlingham rules) — Carver, 83 ; Bo-
gardus, ^2. Second match (at Chicago ; same con-
ditions as first match)— Carver, ^2 ; Bogardus, 79 ;
at the 80th round scores were even, and remained
so until the 90th, when Carver killed all succeeding
birds, and won a well-contested match by 3 birds.
Third match (at St. Louis; 50 double rises at 21
yards) — Carver, 79; Bogardus, 81.
At Hendon, in March, 1881, Dr. Carver won the
Championship of the World Challenge Cup, pre-
sented by the proprietors of The Sportsman, value
^100, added to a sweepstakes of ;^5o each, and
part of the gate money. There were 13 com-
petitors, who fired at 50 pigeons each, 30 yards rise,
usual conditions.
Dr. Carver made several matches with the best
trap-shots of England. He was beaten once by
Mr. Heygate, of The Gun Club, in a match of
25 birds a side.
Dr. Carver tied with Mr. A. J. Stuart- Wortley
in a match for ;^500 a-side, shot at the Hendon
Ground, December 8th, 1882 — score, 83 each
s
2/4 T^H^ Breech-Loader,
This match was the more exciting from the fact that
at the 50th bird the scores were equal, as they were
again several times during the last part of the match
and at the finish.
Dr. Carver's string of 50 birds killed straight
off, which he accomplished at Lynchburg, Va.,
U.S.A., with a Greener 7^ lbs. 12-bore gun, is his
best on record in this line.
A final contest for the Championship of Eng-
land Cup took place at Hendon on July 3rd,
1888, and resulted in a win for Captain Brewer,
who killed 24 out of 25 birds, at 30 yards rise, and
having thrice consecutively gained the prize against
all comers, claimed the trophy as his own. Cap-
tain Brewer used a Greener gun in all contests.
In the contest for the American Field Cham-
pion Wing-Shot Cup, 1890, Mr. Elliott, the holder,
successfully defended it with a Greener gun, scor-
ing 59 out of 60, 48 out of 50, and 94 out of 100
birds.
In the celebrated three days' match between
Mr. Elliott and Mr. Brewer, shot off at the Jersey
City Heights Gun Club, both contestants used W.
W. Greener's hammerless guns. The conditions
w^ere 100 birds each man each day; distance, 30
yards. The score was 93 each ; the tie was shot
off at 25 birds each, out of which Brewer killed
23 and Elliott 21. On the second day Mr. Brewer
killed 69 straight off, the 70th fell dead out of
bounds and finished with 30 kills — score : Brewer
AxD How TO Use It. 275
99 ; Elliott, 92. On the third day, Brewer scored
93 and Elliott 89. This shooting is equal to the
record score made by Captain Bogardus in 1880 ;
and Captain Brewer has since, at a recent trial at
Long Branch, killed 105 pigeons in succession.
Mr. J. A. R. Elliott is a brilliant and reliable
shot, and has won ten times successively the
American Field Champion Wing-Shot Cup, each
time with a W. W. Greener gun.
The advantage of snap-shooting is clearly
shown in the following extract from the Forest and
Stream, of New York, of May 5th, 1891 : —
"Elliott v. Fulford, for the American
Field-Champion Wing-Shot Cup.— Mr. C. W.
Budd, who umpired the match, sends us the score,
with these comments by the local reporter : —
" Considering the day, the scores made by both
shooters were remarkably good. The wind was
blowing a perfect gale from the south-west, and
once a bird got started from the traps and got up
in the wind he went away like a streak of lightning.
" The difference in the style of the two men
was in Elliott's favour under these conditions. The
Kansas City champion shoots very quickly, and
thus was enabled to kill many birds close to the
traps. Fulford, on the other hand, is rather a
deliberate shot, and he made difficult birds out of
a number of them by letting them get too far away.
" In the drawing of the birds the men had
about equal luck, each getting about the same
.s 2
2/6 The Breech-Loader,
number of drivers. The largest consecutive run
was made by Elliott, who grassed his last 37 birds
straight. The score shows that Elliott used his
second barrel more frequently than did Fulford, but
on a majority of the birds this was used simply for
safety. There was a large attendance of shooting
men, and the victory of Elliott was well received.
" Elliott shot his Greener, weighing 7 lb. 3 oz.,
and Fulford used his Hammer Greener, weighing
7 lb. II oz. Both men used Schultze powder in
both barrels. Elliott, 46, winning the cup for the
eighth time; Fulford, 43. Conditions— 50 birds
each, 30 yards rise."
In December last the same gentlemen shot a
seiies of matches of 100 birds each a side, for %2QO
a match, a $1,000 bet, and $200 on a majority of
the contests, usual conditions, 30 yards rise.
The following were the scores made by each man :
At Kansas City, Mo., Fulford, 86 ; Elliott, 85. At
Indianapolis, Ind., Fulford, 96 ; Elliott, 93. At
Pittsburg, Pa., Elliott, 93 ; Fulford, 90. At Wil-
liamsport, Pa., Fulford, 96 ; Elliott, 89. At Harris-
burg, Pa., Fulford, 90; Elliott, 85. Of the 500
birds shot at in the five matches, Mr. Fulford
scored 458, or 9if per cent, and Mr. Elliott 445,
or 89 per cent.
In these matches Mr. Elliott used a Greener
gun, which has " Greener's Steel " barrels, and, as
the weather was extremely cold, during most of
the time the thermometer being below zero it
And How to Use It. 277
proves that Steel Barrels can be used in frosty
weather with perfect safety.
The greatest prize and highest honour ever shot
for is the Championnat Universel, the one triennial
event of the Monte Carlo International Meetings.
This was won with a W. W. Greener gun, in 1886,
by Mr. H. C. Pennell (who also won the Grand Prix
du Casino in 1878 with his Greener gun), and again
by Mr. W. Blake, in 1889, and it may interest some
to know that neither of these shots was measured
for his gun ; indeed, the gun used by Mr. Pennell
was an ordinary weapon from stock, and a few
hours before the match commenced the right or
upright trigger was changed to act upon the left
lock and vice versa.
The winners of the Grand Prix du Casino must
also be considered amongst the best of trap
shooters. This match is contested for by the best
trap shots of all nations, and the birds are supplied
by one of the most esteemed purveyors, whilst the
Monaco boundary is acknowledged to be much in
favour of the bird. The contest extending over
several days also necessitates careful shooting over
an extended period, and to kill 13 consecutive
birds without a miss, firing only at long intervals, is
evidence of the ability of the marksman.
In several instances the killingof a dozen pigeons
in succession has taken the Grand Prix, as was the
case in 1887 and 1888, and in 1891 Count Gajoli, with
his Greener, killed his 5 birds at 26 and 5 at 27 metres.
278 The Breech-Loader,
The following gentlemen have won the Grand
Prix du Casino : —
Year. Winner of the Grand Prix.
1872 — Mr. George L. Lorillard (American).
1873— Mr. J. Jee, V.C., C.B. (English).
1874— Sir Wm. Call, Bart. (English).
1875 — Captain Aubrey Patton (English).
1876 — Captain Aubrey Patton (English).
1877— Mr. W. Arundel Yeo (English).
1878— Mr. H. Cholmondeley-Pennell (English).
1879— Mr. E. R. G. Hopwood (English).
1880 — Comte Michel Esterhazy (Hungarian).
•881 — M. G. Camaueur (Belgian).
1882— Comte de St. Quentin (French).
1883— Mr. H. T. Roberts (English).
1884— Le Comte de Caspela (Itahan).
1885— M. Leon de Dorlodot (Belgian).
1886 — Signer Guidicini (Italian).
1887— Count Salina (Italian).
1888— Mr. C. Seaton (English).
1889— Mr. V. Dicks (English).
1890 — Signor Guidicini (Italian).
1 89 1 — Count Gajoli (Italian).
1892 — Count Trautmannsdorf (Austrian).
1893 — Signor Guidicini (Italian).
1894 — Count Zichy (Austrian).
1895 — Signor Benevutti (Italian
INANIMATE TARGETS.
As a pastime the shooting at glass balls or
bottles has long been practised in this country, but
was developed and made a fashionable amuse-
ment in the United States by Mr. Ira Payne,
And How to Use It. 279
Captain Bogardus, Dr. Carver, and other profes-
sional shots.
The inanimate targets now in use may be
divided into two distinct classes — balls and
" pigeons."
The balls, at first plain hollow spheres of colour-
less glass, were afterwards made of blue or amber
glass, and filled with feathers ; later the spheres were
chequered to prevent the shot from glancing, and
this stage of development is the highest reached
by the glass ball. Balls made of various resinous
compositions have been tried, and have a certain
sale, but as there is difficulty in getting them suffi-
The " Carver" Revolving Trap.
ciently brittle they have not generally supplanted
the glass balls. Other plans have been tried, as
bell balls, puff balls, explosive balls, etc., but they
have not proved successes commercially.
The traps to throw the balls have been wonder-
fully developed. From the modified catapult used
at English fairs they have advanced to a rotating
trap which simply defies trickery on the part of the
trap puller or his assistants.
28o The Breech-Loader,
The "Hatch" was one of the first popular
traps, it was followed by the "Bogardus" and
the " Carver," which has a coil spring instead of
a flat one. The " Mole " was an early rotating
trap ; the card was an improvement upon it, and
the modern rotating trap is a close copy of its most
approved pattern.
The Ligowsky clay pigeon trap was the next
improvement in the way of an inanimate flying
target ; the trap now much improved, and pigeons
also perfected, are still on sale.
Instead of " glass balls " or " clay " pigeons, the
broken fragments of which are objectionable on
lawns and in parks, thin brass balls or pigeons
filled with fine powdered charcoal may be obtained ;
when fairly struck they emit an unmistakable
cloud of dust, and the worn-out targets are readih'
collected. Inanimate targets made of a com-
position of resin and plaster, coal tar, and ashes, or
other suitable materials worked up until thoroughly
incorporated and moulded under great pressure, arc
now largely used ; they fly well, break easily when
struck, and are so coloured as to be visible against
any background.
Good traps such as the "Standard," "Keystone,"
" Blue Rock," or " Peoria," will throw these targets
so well as to aflbrd excellent practice even to good
shots. Nothing affords .so much amusement with
the gun at a small cost, and as a pastime it may be
strongly recommended to all who are fond of snap-
AxD How TO Use It. 281
shooting. The trap recommended is so constructed
that it imparts to the thrown target a high rotary
motion, and at the same time throws it with little
friction. The trap also so throws the target that it
has a steady flight and a good velocity, which is
The Blue Rock Trap.
not perceptibly greater at the commencement than
at the end of the flight.
There are certain accessories necessary, such as
cords, planks, and holding-down pins, and clubs
will also provide themselves with pulling gear;
and whether using three or flve traps, will decide
upon a definite method of determining in which
order the traps shall be sprung. The use of dice
or a trap-pulling indicator will eff"ectually prevent
collusion between the shooter and puller.
The following rules are those generally observed
in inanimate target shooting, and with little or no
282 The Breech-Loader,
alteration may be applied to matches with any
number of traps.
RULES FOR INANIMATE TARGET SHOOTING.
1. Decision of Judges.— Two judges and a referee shall
be appointed to judge all matches. If the judges
cannot agree, the referee shall decide, and his decision
shall be final.
2. Special Duties of Ref free.— The referee shall see
that the traps are properly set at the beginning of a
match, and that they are kept in order to the
finish.
3. Flags for Judges. — Each judge shall be provided with
a red flag and a white flag. They shall raise the red
flag to indicate a "broken" bird, and the white flag
to indicate "lost " bird ; they shall raise both flags to
indicate " no bird " or an imperfect bird ; they shall
also announce the score in a loud voice.
4. Keeping the Score.— It shall be optional with the
judges and referee to keep the score themselves, or
appoint some one for that purpose, and the score thus
kept shall be the official score, provided, however,
that the referee must testify to the correctness of the
score or scores made under his supervision, if re-
quired.
5. Score with Ink. — All scoring shall be done with ink
or indelible pencil ; the scoring of a lost bird shall be
indicated by a "0 ;" of a dead or broken bird by a
6. Traps. — All matches shall be shot from three traps set
level, in the segment of a circle 5 yards apart. The
radius of this circle shall be 18 yards. The traps
shall be numbered from No. i on the left to No. 3 on
the right consecutively. All traps must throw the
birds a distance of not less than 40 yards.
And Ho IV to Use It. 283
Each trap must be tested for this standard distance before
the shooting begins, and if any trap be found too weak
to throw the required distance, a new trap or spring
must be substituted.
7. Adjusting Traps. — The lever or projecting arm of the
trap shall be so adjusted that the elevation of the bird
in its flight at a distance of 10 yards from the trap
shall not be more than 8 feet nor less than 4 feet, and
the angles of flight shall be as follows : —
No. I trap shall be set to throw a left quartering bird.
No. 2 trap shall be set to throw a straight-away bird.
No. 3 trap shall be set to throw a right quartering bird.
After the traps are set for the above angles, if the bird for
any reason shall take a different angle, it shall be con-
sidered a fair bird, provided the trap has not been
changed.
8. Pulling of Traps.— The trap-puller shall stand at
least 6 feet behind the shooter, and when the shooter
calls " Pull," the trap or traps shall be instantly
sprung. In single bird shooting he should pull the
traps indiscriminately, and not one, two, and three
consecutively. He shall pull equally and regularly
for all shooters. If the bird is sprung before or at
any noticeable interval after the shooter calls " Pull,"
he can accept the bird or not, but if he shoots the
result shall be scored.
9. — Screens. — No screens shall be used. Back-stops may
be provided for trappers, not to exceed 10 yards
from the end traps, and not to exceed 3 feet in
height.
10. — Distance, — In single bird shooting the rise shall be
18 yards for lo-bore guns, 16 yards for 12-bore guns.
In double bird shooting the rise shall be 15 yards for
lo-bore guns, 14 yards for 12-bore guns.
All distances mentioned in these rules must be accurate
measurement.
284 The Breech-Loader,
II.— Gun. — No gun of larger calibre than lo-bore shall be
used.
12.— Loading Guns. — In single bird shooting only one
barrel shall be loaded at a time, and the cartridge
shall not be placed in the barrel until after the shooter
has taken his position at the score ; in double bird
shooting both barrels to be loaded at the score.
13.— Position of Gun. — The butt of the gun shall be held
below the armpit until the shooter calls "Pull." If
this rule be violated, and the bird is missed, it shall
be scored as a " lost bird." If it be broken, it shall
be declared "no bird," and another shall be shot at.
14. Broken Birds.— A bird to be scored broken must
have a perceptible piece broken from it while in the
air. The decision of the judges and referee on this
point shall be final. No bird shall be retrieved to be
examined for shot marks.
If a bird be broken by the trap the shooter may claim
another bird, but if he shoots, the result must be
scored.
15. Single Bird Shooting.— Each contestant shall shoot
at three birds before leaving the score. If two birds
are sprung at the same time, it shall be declared " no
bird."
16. Double Bird Shooting.— Both traps must be pulled
simultaneously, and each contestant shall shoot at
three pairs consecutively, thrown as follows : —
First pair from No. i and 2 traps. Second pair from No. 2
and 3 traps, and third pair from No. i and 3 traps.
If only one bird is thrown it shall be declared " no
birds," and if the gun miss fire on either bird it shall
be declared "no birds." In each and all such cases
another pair of birds must be shot at.
17.— Tie Shooting. — All ties shall be shot off at the
original distance, and at the number of birds agreed
on by the contestants. If, however, the contestants
And Ho IV to Use It. 285
cannot agree promptly on this point, the referee shall
fix the number, and his decision shall be final. The
rules prescribed for single and double bird shooting
shall prevail in tie shooting.
18. — Challenge.— No challenge shall be considered unless
the parties challenging are contestants.
THE BEST RECORDS.
The best records made at inanimate targets are
very much higher than anything obtained from live
bird shooting. According to a list recently pub-
lished there are more than a dozen shooters in the
United States who have broken 100 of the in-
animate targets without a miss, and the score
made and recorded at a public competition. Up-
wards of fifty shooters have scored more than 90
out of 100.
" Young Nimrod," an English boy, has, with his
28-bore gun and f oz. of shot, frequently scored
88-100 at clay pigeons.
In a series of twenty-five matches, at 100 clay
pigeons each at each match, between Dr. Carver
and Capt. Bogardus, 2,227 were broken by Dr.
Carver, and 2,103 by Capt. Bogardus, at 18 yards
rise. Dr. Carver made two scores of lOO each
without a mis;s, and won nineteen matches, tied in
three, and lost three. His lowest score was the
first — 72 ; and twenty of his scores exceeded
90 broken. Capt. Bogardus once scored 99, his
highest, and three times 63, his lowest in this series
of matches.
2B>6 The Breech-Loader,
At glass balls still less skill is required ; but the
best record is Mr. Scott's — 700 smashed con-
secutively with a Greener gun. Dr. Carver, in a
match with Mr. Scott, broke 9,737 out of 9,950
shot at ; Mr. Scott, 9,735 out of the same number.
Out of the last 950 in this match Dr. Carver missed
two only, and Mr. Scott three.
The quickest time recorded for breaking 100
glass balls with a shot gun is just under five minutes.
Capt. H. Bogardus, the great American wing shot,
made a match against time in December, 1879, and
succeeded in breaking 5,500 glass balls in a few
seconds less than 7 hours 20 minutes. The misses
numbered 356. The captain used an English gun
with two pairs of barrels — one pair (lO-bore) shoot-
ing 4 drams of powder and \\ oz. of No. 8 shot ;
the i2-bore pair were loaded with 3^ drams i oz. of
No. 8 shot. During the match the captain loaded
for himself, and changed the barrels no less than
fifty-five times. Three miss-fires only occurred in
the whole series of 5,855 shots. The balls were all
sprung from spring traps.
At a gun trial held at Leavenworth in 1886, a
Greener 12-bore gun was shot with " King's Quick
Shot " powder, an explosive the author has never
had an opportunity of trying. The gun beat all
its opponents easily — some were much heavier
guns and larger calibre.
HOW EXPERTS SHOOT.
The most skilled exponents of the art of wing
And How to Use It. 287
shooting should be able to give some hints of value
to all who wish to become expert in the use of the
shot gun. The author having* unique opportunities
for acquiring a knowledge of the methods followed
by professional trap shots in aiming and handling
the gun, is enabled to give a few facts which prove
how diverse are the modes of unerring shots, and
how different the advice which would be given by-
various successful shooters. Dr. Carver shoots on
the snap-shot system, shooting both barrels in
quick succession at the pigeon. Captain Brewer
shoots at some pigeons, and holds ahead of others
determining which to do immediately the bird is
released from the trap. Mr. J. A. R. Elliott, than
whom there is, perhaps, no better or steadier all-
round trap shot, also follows the dual plan. He
shoots on both systems most successfully, and is
able to change his methods of shooting from one
pigeon to the next. He appears to shoot most
rapidly, but is in reality a most deliberate shot,
judging every bird the instant it takes wing, shoot-
ing slowly at a slow-flying bird, and very quickly,
and with both barrels, when a quick-flying bird is
released. With quartering birds, that is at cross
shots, it is his invariable plan to hold ahead of
them, estimating the angle in which and the rate
at which they are flying, and leading them from
six inches to two feet with the first barrel, and
from two feet to six feet with the second. This
ability of accurately judging the flight of birds and
288 The Breech-Loader,
the allowance necessary to grass them won him
the match at fifty birds with Mr. Fulford. The
wind was high at the commencement, and de-
veloped into a stiff gale during the match, and
blowing irregularly made it almost impossible to
gauge accurately what wind allowance should be
made. The first dozen birds were shot at with a
light gun, with a charge of 3J drams of Schultze,
and i\ oz. of No. 6 shot; at the fourteenth bird
a heavier gun was taken and No. 5 shot used.
The match finished with thirty-seven killed straight,
the score being 46-50 to Mr. Fulford's 43-50.
With the second gun and heavy shot Mr. Elliott
shot very rapidly, catching his birds as near the
trap as possible, and using both barrels.
Mr. Fulford, whose score of 194 grassed in suc-
cession has never been approached, holds ahead of
his birds. Having ascertained by actual experi-
ment that at forty yards his shot was stringing
from twenty to thirty feet, he took that margin in
shooting, and found that whether holding a little
high or a little low he still killed the pigeon clean,
providing that he held eight to ten feet ahead of a
bird going across.
The great stringing of the charge is due to
the heavy charge of explosive used. The average
stringing in a properly loaded gun is about ten
feet at forty yards ; this is equal to a drop in the
mean velocity from 900 feet per second (the ve-
locity of the first pellets of the charge) to 650 per
And How to Use It.
289
TABLES OF THE PATTERNS MADE BY THE BEST GUNS IN
THE LONDON GUN TRIALS OF 1859, 1866, 1875, 1878, 1879, and
THE AMERICAN GUN TRIALS OF 1873, 1874, 1879.
Pattern.
Rore.
drams.
oz. shot.
Ris:ht. Left.
London Gun Trial,
1859—
Muzzle-loader
12
2| X
iiNo.6
290 pellets to oz.
158 118
Breech-loader
12
3 X
i\ No. 6
144 90
London Gun Trial,
1866—
Breech-loader
12
2 X
iiNo.6
280 pellets to oz.
131 123
Breech-loader
16
2\X
I No. 5
100 118
London Gun Trial,
1875-
Average.
*Breech-loader
12
3\ X
li No. 6
270 pellets to oz.
214
*Breech-loader
ID
4 X
iiNo.6
241
*Breech-loader
20
2i X
I No. 6
145
*Breech-loader
8
6 X
2iNo.6
358
London Gun Trial of
Explosives, iBjS—
Breech-loader
12
3^ X
ii No. 6
220-08
London Gun Trial,
1879—
Chilled shot.
Breech-loader
12
2\ X
iiNo.6
270 pellets to oz.
223
Breech-loader
16
2f X
I No. 6
174
Breech-loader
23
2i X
^No.6
174
New York Gun Trial,
1873—
Breech-loader
12
3 X
li No. 6
Shot with paper shell
150
Breech-loader
12
3i X
li No. 6
Shot with metal shell
211
Breech-loader
10
4|x
iiNo.6
Shot with paper shell
211
Chicago Gun Trial,
1874-
Breech-loader
12
4 X
I No. 7
309 pellets to oz.
180
Breech-loader
10
4^ X
I No. 7
191
Chicago Gun Trial,
1879-
Breech-loader
12
?,\ X
i\ —
291 pellets to oz.
170
Breech-loader
10
4 X
I4 —
200
Breech-loader
16
2i X
163
Breech-loader
20
4x
I —
138
* These four guns were shot in the selected circle, and with chilled shot.
290 The Breech-Loader,
second (the velocity of the last pellets of the
charge).
The swiftest flying pigeon travels at about one-
third the rate of a charge of shot at thirty yards,
and whilst theoretically it is correct to lead a
quartering pigeon from five to seven feet, there are
few trap shots who do it.
LONG SHOTS.
The extracts from a few letters received by the
author will best serve as instances of exceptionally
long shots which have recently been made. One
sportsman, writing from Canada, says : —
" Since I have had my Treble-Wedge-Fast
i2-bore hammerless gun, 28 inches long, 7 J lbs.
weight, forty guinea quality, made by you in 1880,
I have made many exceptionally long shots in
duck-shooting.
" In the month of October this fall, however, I
made three shots which, in ju.stice to you, are de-
serving of especial mention. On the occasion in
question my gun, which is full choke in both
barrels, was charged with 3J drs. of Curtiss and
Harvey's No. 4 powder, with one felt and two card-
board wads between powder and shot, and ijoz.
of No. 2 chilled shot with cardboard wads.
" With the first shot I killed two black ducks
crossing on the wing at 75 yards, with the second a
single blue bill (small duck) sitting at 100 yards,
and with the third a single black duck sitting at
And How to Use It.
291
fully 1 10 yards. When the length and weight of
my gun, and the moderate charge of powder, and
the large size of the shot used, are taken into con-
sideration, I think the three shots in question, which
were all fired one after the other within an hour's
time, are worthy of ranking as extraordinary shots."
From another gentleman the author has just
received the following : —
"xMr. W. VV. Greener,
" Birmingham,
" Dear Sir,— The little i6-bore Ejector gun I
ordered came to hand, and I have had a good
opportunity of testing it, and must say I am very
much pleased with it.
" I killed some geese at 50 to 55 yards with it,
using 3 drs. E.G. and i oz. No. i shot, but of course
it is not a goose gun." — F. G. S., May 17///, 1892.
292
The Breech-Loader,
Extract from a letter /^ The Field,
December gth, 1 876.
" In the third week in November I went
out partridge shooting in Yorkshire (birds, as
every one knows, are as wild as hawks at this
season of the year). Accompanying me were
two gentlemen, both quite first-rate shots. All
three of us had equal chances throughout the day.
At the end of it one of my friends had seven brace,
the other six brace, but the choke had sixteen
and a half brace. I advisedly say the 'choke,'
because I was fully convinced that the gun alone
was the cause of my overtopping my friends by so
large a number. I measured that day three suc-
cessive shots — 65, 71, and 62 yards ! In my honest
opinion, I look upon the full choke-bore as the
And How to Use It. 293
greatest and most wonderful improvement ever
made in a gun, and I prophesy in a few years we
shall hear but little of the old style of boring.
"Frederick A. Milbank.
" Wemmergill Lodge."
Frovi The Field, December 22,rd, 1876.
" I can now further state that I have tried it at
' very hot corners ' at pheasants, and I defy any
one, after a day's shooting, to point out a single
bird that has been 'blown.' My experience has
proved beyond doubt that the choke-bore does
not blow pheasants or any other game to pieces at
20 yards.
"Frederick A. Milbank.
"Wemmergill Lodge."
294 ^HE Breech-Loader,
fart II.
NOTES ON RIFLES.
CHAPTER X.
RIFLES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT.
THE INVENTION OF RIFLING — THE BROWN
BESS — THE BRUNSWICK — THE JACOBS — W.
greener's EXPANSIVE RIFLE BULLETS — THE
MINl£ RIFLE— THE ENFIELD— THE WHIT-
WORTH — THE HENRY — THE METFORD— THE
LEE-SPEED — TUBULAR BULLETS.
Most writers assign the invention of spiral-
grooved arms to Gaspard Kollner, gunmaker, of
Vienna, in the year 1498, though others state that
his barrels had straight grooves, and that he first
applied the system to arms for target practice
at Leipzig. Other writers attribute the invention
to Augustus Kotter, of Nuremburg, 1500 to 1520;
but, however that may be, all seem agreed that
the honour of the invention is due to the Germans.
Firearms were introduced into the British Army
in the year 1471, and from that date until the
Commonwealth were on the matchlock principle.
During the reign of James I. a few of the
leading regiments were armed with the flint lock.
In the reign of William III. it came into general
And How to Use It. 295
use, and from it was developed the renowned
Brown Bess, which, for a century and a half, was
the regulation arm of the British Forces,
The Brown Bess weighed 1 1 lbs. 2 ozs. ; the
barrel was 3 feet 6 inches, and of 753 bore or
1 1 gauge. The bullet was two sizes smaller than
the bore, and was wrapped up in a loosely-fitting
patch, which formed a cartridge. The service
charge was 4J drachms of powder, and a bullet of
490 grains. She was easy to load even when foul,
and, beyond her rude lock, there was little mechan-
ism to get out of order.
The old Muzzle- loading rifle employed in con-
nection with a tightly-fitting ball, never was and
never could be employed by troops generally, the
force required to push home the bullet rendering
its use as a weapon of war impossible.
After the French wars the chief military
Powers of Europe found the plan of loading a rifle
to be so intolerable that the English, French and
Prussian authorities each determined, almost at
the same time, to set themselves the problem of
discovering an efficient substitute.
The Brunswick Rifle was shortly afterwards
produced. In this arm the grooves were reduced
to two, and a belted ball was used. The pro-
jecting belt enabled the bullet to catch the channel
instantly and — when wrapped in a greased patch —
to descend easily, without the necessity of hammer-
ing. The length of the barrel was 33 inches, and
296 The Breech-Loader,
the bore 704 or 13 gauge, and the weight 11 lbs.
5 ozs.
The labour of loading was greatly diminished,
and any charge of powder could be used without
fear of stripping the bullet, which was a very
frequent occurrence under the old system of
rifling.
The shape of the projectile, however, was ill-
adapted for cleaving the air ; on first emerging
the belted side went foremost, but quickly obeying
the ordinary laws it revolved on its shorter axis,
presenting its larger area or flat side to the air.
To equalise this in some measure Brigadier-
General Jacobs (to whom the scientific world is
deeply indebted for the zeal and energy he dis-
played in carrying out such extensive and costly
experiments) invented the four-grooved rifle and
bullet. The bullet had two bands cast upon it at
right angles to each other, and was found to give
greater range and accuracy.
General Jacobs offered this invention to the
Indian Government in the year 1846, by whom
it was rejected with the plea that "The Brunswick
being considered good enough for the British
Army, was good enough for service in the Honour-
able East India Company."
Notwithstanding this rebuff the gallant officer
continued his experiments with the object of dis-
covering the best kind of bullets to be used in
the rifle which he had invented, as he found that
And How to Use It. 297
the globular ball could not be depended upon
beyond 300 to 350 yards.
After numerous experiments — many of which
were attended with curious results — a conical ball
with a globular spheroidal base and heavier than
the former bullet was adopted, and which gave
excellent shooting at 600 and 800 yards.
Soon after this invention the Minie bullet was
introduced ; General Jacobs immediately set himself
the task of improving upon it, and succeeded in
The Jacobs Bullet.
producing a projectile of the form illustrated. It
contained a charge of powder in a copper tube, the
front of which was primed with detonating powder
and exploded upon impact.
Explosive shells were invented long before this
time, Captain Norton having successfully experi-
mented with them as far back as 1823.
The principal outcome of General Jacobs'
elaborate trials and experiments was a double-
barrel 32-bore four-grooved rifle, deep grooves
f turn in 24 inches, which was sighted up to 2,000
yards, with leaf and tangent sight, and also the
projectiles before mentioned.
In 1836 the late W. Greener produced the first
298 The Breech-Loader,
perfect expansive bullet. It consisted of an oval
ball, a diameter and a half in length, and had
a flat side, also a perforation extending nearly
through it, a cast metallic taper plug with a head
like a round-topped button. The end of the plug
being slightly inserted in the perforation, the ball
was put into the rifle either end foremost, and
upon the explosion taking place the plug was
driven home, and the bullet expanding filled
up the grooves of the rifling and prevented
windage.
W. Greener's Expanding Bullet.
A trial was made of this invention in August,
1835, at Tynemouth, under the command of
Major Walcot, R.H.A., and a party of the 60th
Rifles, when the success of the experiments far
surpassed the expectations of the military men
present.
It was then proved that with Greener's ex-
panding bullets, rifles could be loaded as easily as
smooth-bore muskets.
Fifty charges with Greener bullets were fired
into a sandbank, and upon recovery the balls were
found to bear the impress of the grooves of the
And How to Use It. 299
rifle, thus proving- that the expansion of the bullet
actually took place.
The report of this trial, submitted to the Board
of Ordnance by Major Walcot, although very
favourable, received very little consideration by
the authorities at Woolwich.
It was rejected by them, simply because the
Government was not at that time prepared to
adopt a new weapon for the British Army, and not
for the reason stated by the Secretary of the Board.
It is believed that out of consideration for the
Duke of Wellington, who was hostile to change in
matters of military equipment, and who was wil-
fully blind to the defects of the old musket, this
wonderful invention was passed over practically
unnoticed. This seems to be proven by the fact
that a new weapon was adopted soon after the
death of the Duke in the year 1852. The rifle
in question was the Minie rifle and system of
bullet, for which the inventor, Captain Minie, of
the French army, received ^^20,000 from the
British Government, although they had years
before refused the same principle exactly when
offered to them by Mr. W. Greener, in 1842. Mr.
Greener, under command of the Board of Ord-
nance, constructed model arms for trial. They were
rejected by the Select Committee at Woolwich,
whose power was superior to that of the Master-
General, though he was fully pledged to afford Mr.
Greener a second trial.
300 The Breech-Loader,
During the succeeding years Mr. Greener made
several unsuccessful attempts to obtain from the
British Government some recognition of his
claims to the invention, and not until Mr. Schole-
field, the member for Birmingham, moved in the
House of Commons for copies of the correspond-
ence between the Board of Ordnance and Mr.
Greener, and the papers connected therewith, was
this act of injustice truly exposed. Eventually
the Government, after much trouble, admitted Mr.
Greener's priority, and awarded him £\pQO in the
army estimates of 1857.
Mr. Greener stated in his work, " Gunnery in '
"1858," that there is no evidence that either"
" Delvigne or Minie had any profound knowledge "
" of the science of gunnery ; and their knowledge "
" of the principles of expansive rifle bullets were "
" so meagre as to justify the assumption that their "
" only connection with its production was that of"
*' copying from the Times, or from my works, "
"published in 1842 and 1846."
The Minie rifle was 702 bore, or between 13
and 14 gauge, and had 4 grooves, one turn in
6 ft. 6 in., firing a projectile weighing 680 grains,
which had a hollow base into which an iron plug
was driven by the force of the explosion, and thus
expanding filled into the grooves of the rifling.
About 28,000 of these arms were made, and
supplied to a certain proportion of nearly all the
regiments of the army. It was not, however, a
And How to Use It. 301
success, on account of its great tendency to fouling,
and also the strength of the sides of the projectile
not being well adjusted, the iron plug was occa-
sionally driven right through the bullet, converting
it into a hollow leaden cylinder, a portion of which
would remain in the barrel.
A modification of the " Greener-Minie " prin-
ciple was afterwards adopted by the Government,
the bore was reduced to '577,^ or 24-bore, and the
rifle weighed 8 to 9 lbs.
It will be noted that this was about half the
bore of the old Brown Bess.
It was a combination of several systems sub-
mitted to the Government by the following gun-
makers, who expected to have their rifles adopted
in toto : — Purdey, Westley Richards, Lancaster,
Wilkinson, and Greener.
The Government made use of the good points
of each, and constructed a new model at their own
works at Enfield, from whence it derives its name.
The rifling was 3 grooves and i turn in 6 ft. 6 in. ;
the barrel 3 ft. 3 in., and the available range
1,100 yards. A new model was introduced shortly
afterwards known as the short Enfield. It had a
barrel 2 ft. 9 in., with five-groove rifling, [ turn in
4 ft. 6 in. A great number of Enfield rifles were
* At this time the bore of a rifle was given in decimals of an
inch, iiibtead of as previously by the number of spherical balls to
the pound ; the latter system has, however, been retained in con-
nection with shot-guns.
302 The Breech-Loader,
afterwards converted into breech-loaders on the
Snider system.
Mr. Whitvvorth, at the cost of the British
Government, next produced his hexagonal rifle
with a bore of '450 inch, or 52 gauge. The extreme
length of the projectile, and the quickness of the
spiral, was considered a great marvel at the time.
The bullet is shown in the illustration ; it weighs
530 grains, and is if inch in length ; it is also
hexagonal. Th.e barrel is formed like a female
screw, completing one turn in 20 inches, or two
The Whitworth Bullet.
turns in the barrel of 3 ft. 4 inches ; it is hexagonal
with its largest diameter — that is, from angle to
angle '500 inch ; the diameter from side to side
•450 inch.
The objections raised to the rifle were numerous,
but the experiments and the production of the
system will always be regarded as of great scientific
value.
The demand for a breech-loader, in consequence
of the great success of the Prussian needle gun,
excluded its adoption for the army. Mr. Whit-
worth's experiments proved the greater accuracy
And How to Use It.
303
the "450 bullet possessed over those of larger
diameter.
The Henry rifling which next appeared was a
modification of the Whit worth system applied to a
breech-loader. In conjunction with the Martini
breech action, it has done and is still doing good
service at both target and game. The bore is '450 ;
The Henry Rifling and Bullet.
weight of bullet, 480 grains; powder charge, 85
grains. The barrel is 33 inches and has a spiral of
one turn in 22 inches. It is accurate up to 800
yards, but its actual range is considerably beyond
this distance.
For match shooting the Metford system sur-
passed the Henry for accuracy at long ranges.
304
The Breech-Loader,
Exceptionally good diagrams have been made at
1,000 yards and even beyond.
In the Figs, the Metford rifling and bullet
are shown ; the grooves, five in number, are very
wide, and barely 4000ths of an inch deep. The
military pattern grooves are more rounded, seven
in number and slightly deeper, so as to be more
lasting. Both styles of grooving scarcely alter the
shape of the bullet, as will be seen by the illustration
The Metford Riflinor and Bullet.
which represents a bullet fired from a Metford match
barrel 34 inches in length.
The grooves of the rifling are of uniform depth
and on an irregularly accelerating spiral, there
being a little over a complete turn in the length of
the barrel although the spiral finishes at the muzzle
at the rate of one turn in 17 inches.
The Lee-Speed magazine lately adopted by our
Government is of American invention with certain
modifications made by Mr. Speed at Enfield.
The infantry arm weighs 9 lbs. 8 oz. The
rifling is on the Metford system, having seven
grooves with one turn in 10 inches against one in
22 with the Martini, whilst the barrel is three inches
And How to Use It.
305
shorter, being only 30 inches long. The magazine
is 3i X 2 inches, and holds 10 cartridges; a " cut-
off" of the simplest description, in the shoe of the
rifle, blocks the exit of the magazine and converts
the weapon into a single-shot arm.
The rifle and bullets are illustrated in the
chapters on sporting rifles, where also further
particulars of the range, etc., are given.
The rifles of the future, we think, will be still
further reduced in bore and the bullets of tubular
form.
The following extract is taken from The Field
of February 3rd, 1894, and gives an account of
the latest improvements in this direction.
TUBULAR BULLETS.
The Field, February 3rd, 1894.
" Sir, — If the reports of the recent experi-
ments in Germany with the Krnka-Hebler bullet,
The Krnka-Hebler Tubular Bullet.
mentioned in *' Arms and Explosives," are to be
relied upon, there is likely to be a wonderful
The Breech-Loader.
307
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3o8 The Breech-Loader,
improvement in small arms in the near future.
The bullet, which is said to be suitable for all
rifles of the modern long-range, small-bore type,
is torpedo or cigar shaped, and is of about six
diameters in length. A tubular passage of about
one-third of the diameter of the projectile allows
the air to pass through the bullet, and this, to-
gether with its tapering ends, diminishes the
resistance of the air to a very great extent, and
leaves little or no vacuum behind it. The bullet
is made in two patterns : in one, it is cased ex-
ternally with steel ; in the other, the air passage is
lined with that metal to give it stability. A wad,
or sabot, of paper centres the bullet and keeps
it steady in its passage up the bore ; it also takes
the force of the explosion. A cylindrical metal
ring or guide-roll, fixed on the bullet, takes the
rifling.
"The sabot parts company from the bullet
when the latter leaves the muzzle of the rifle.
" In the experiments above alluded to, the
following results were obtained with the bullet
in a 5 mm. or •196-bore Hebler rifle —
Distance in Yards. [ Velocity in ft. sec. Penetration^m inches in
0
2966
33'i4
547
2769
34-45
1094
2585
3478
1640
2417
34*^2
2187
2257
33'i4
2734
2106
30-84
And How to Use It. 309
" These results show to what a wonderful extent
the tubular bullet overcomes the resistance of the
air, the remaining velocity at 2,700 yards being
about three times as great as that of most
long-range small-bore bullets at that distance,
while the trajectory is so flattened that it may
be possible to use one sight for all distances up
to i,oco or 1,200 yards on a miHtary weapon.
" There appears to be no reason why this
invention should not be applied to sporting arms.
It would greatly increase their effectiveness, espe-
cially as regards flatness of trajectory, and the
tubular bullet would probably act very much like
the express hollow-pointed one in its effect on
game. " B."
3IO The Breech-Loader,
CHAPTER XL
THE SPORTING RIFLE.
EARLY LARGE BORES — SIR SAMUEL BAKER'S
RIFLE — FORSYTH'S RIFLE — THE ORIGIN OF
THE EXPRESS — THE '303 LONG - RANGE
EXPRESS — TABLES OF WEIGHTS AND LENGTHS
OF DOUBLE RIFLES — CARTRIDGES FOR
EXPRESS, LONG RANGE, AND ROOK RIFLES —
ACCURACY AND RANGE OF SPORTING RIFLES
— VELOCITIES — ENERGY — PENETRATION —
BULLETS — SINGLE RIFLES — COMBINED RIFLE
AND SHOT GUNS — CHOKE-BORE RIFLE — RIFLE
POWDERS— LARGE BORES— CHOICE OF A
SPORTING RIFLE — SIGHTS — ROOK AND RABBIT
RIFLES.
Prior to the year 1845 smooth-bore guns of
either 14 or i6-calibre were the favourite weapons
for elephant and large game shooting in Ceylon.
The rifles then used were usually of i6-bore,
and fired a charge of li drachms only of powder,
with a I -ounce spherical ball. The sights were
adjusted up to 200 yards ; fair accuracy could be
obtained at known ranges with such weapons, but
it was difficult to hit at unmeasured distances,
since the trajectory was very high, owing to the
AxD Ho IV TO Use It.
311
low velocity given to the bullet by so small a
charge of powder. The penetration and striking
energy were weak ; for these reasons smooth-bores
were preferred, which, when loaded with a double
charge of powder (6 drachms), and firing the
I -ounce hardened spherical bullet, gave a very
high velocity, and consequently a flat trajectory
Polygroove Rifling, as used for Muzzle-loaders.
and great penetration, although the accuracy
beyond fifty yards was imperfect.
The late Sir Samuel Baker seems to have been
the first to introduce into Ceylon the large-bore rifle.
In 1840 he drew up a plan for an experimental
rifle to burn large charges of powder, in order to
get a high velocity, low trajectory, and great
power. The plan was successfully carried out by
Mr. Gibbs, of Bristol, who produced a rifle weigh-
ing 21 lbs., to fire a charge of 16 drachms with a
3-ounce spherical or 4-ounce conical bullet. The
barrel was 36 inches long, with rifling exceedingly
deep, two broad grooves having one turn in the
312 The Breech-Loader,
length of the barrel. Twelve months afterwards
his experiences in Ceylon elephant shooting
decided him to order a battery of double-barrel
lO-bores constructed on the same principle.
According to Captain Forsyth and other
authorities, there was not a good rifle suitable
for sporting purposes in India known up to i860.
The long-range rifles, such as the Enfield or
Jacobs, were not adapted for game shooting, on
account of the high trajectory and lack of striking
force, so even at this time smooth-bores were
still preferred for large game, on account of their
long-point blank range when loaded with heavy
charges. The great fault of the rifles made for
spherical ball up to this time was in the style of
rifling. The spiral of the grooving was much too
rapid, and caused the bullet to strip when using
heavy charges of powder.
Captain Forsyth, after careful study of the
subject, concluded that one turn in ten feet was
ample for a 12-gauge spherical ball rifle; that
the grooving should be shallow and broad ; and
that the bullet should be of the same diameter as
the bore. In this he was quite correct; the
system was perfect, and is the same as used to-day
for large-bores using spherical and short conical
projectiles. When using a thin patch, the loading
was easily effected, the bullet being uninjured by
hard ramming ; when firing, the patch instead of
the bullet took the grooving, and imparted a rotary
And How to Use It. 313
motion to the bullet, which retained its sphericity,
and so offered less resistance to the atmosphere.
Any charge of powder could be used without fear
of stripping the bullet. With the breech-loader
the only modification is an increased size bullet,
which fills up the grooves entirely, and a reduction
in the number of grooves. The characteristics of
this rifle are : velocity equal to a smooth-bore,
accuracy sufficient for sporting distances, flat
trajectory, and great striking energy. It was held
in high esteem by Indian sportsmen for some years,
but is now in a measure superseded by the Double
Express.
THE ORIGIN OF THE EXPRESS.
Many lay claim to the invention of the Express
principle, but to this honour we think no one man
is justly entitled. It is of gradual growth, and has
slowly developed into its present state of per-
fection.
The special feature of the Express is its long
point-blank range, the essential quality of the
sporting rifle.
The true definition of the term " point-blank "
is given by Captain Forsyth in " The Sporting
Rifle " : — " The point-blank range of a sporting
rifle is defined to be the distance up to which a
shot may be taken without considering elevation
at all : that is, covering exactly the object in-
tended to be hit."
314 The Breech-Loader,
It is evident that the longer this point-blank
range can be made the better will be the rifle for
sporting purposes. The Kentucky rifle,"^ of Ameri-
can production, was pre-eminently distinguished in
this respect. At anything under lOO yards the
aim was taken point-blank with the same sight ;
and consequently, it made no difference whether
the squirrel squatting on a branch, or the wild tur-
key's head over the tree-top, was at 20; 50, or 90
yards away ; only cover it truly, and down it went.
Another feature in the Express is its great
striking force. This is obtained by reducing the
bore to about one-half the area, retaining the
heavy charge of powder, and diminishing the
weight of the projectile to about half that of the
i2-bore. The high velocity imparted to the light
bullet by such a heavy charge causes it to expand
upon impact, and thus exerting its entire energy
upon the animal struck.
Express rifles are made considerably lighter
thaTi the weapons in use formerly, while the
accuracy is more precise at distances between 150
and 300 yards.
Different degrees of penetration are to be ob-
* The Kentucky rifles were made by several of the principal
makers in the United States previous to the year 1850. There were
several sizes : one was bored to lake spherical balls of 90 to the pound,
and had a barrel of steel 42 inches long ; others of larger bore
carried balls of 60 and 40 to the pound. The usual method of charg-
ing was to place the ball in ihe palm of the hand, and then pour the
rifle powder over the ball until it was covered.
And How to Use It. 315
tained by slight modifications in the projectiles
employed in the same Express rifle.
The solid hardened bullet possesses sufficient
penetration for the largest of game ; a softer lead
bullet will mushroom slightly upon impact^ but still
give good penetration. A bullet with a hollow
point, not too deep, has high velocity and pene-
trative force ; by degrees the hollow may be
increased to obtain expansion upon striking, or the
bullets may be reduced in length until they are
suitable for the lesser animals.
The foregoing remarks apply alike to all the
usual Express bores from '360 to '577.
Although previously stated in this chapter that
long-range military rifles were unsuited for sporting
purposes, we have now an exception in the •303-bore
Lee-Metford, which, by reason of its long-point
blank-range and exceptionally high velocity, is to
be classed as an Express, since the true meaning
of Express, as applied to rifles, is a rifle giving a
higher initial velocity than 1,600 feet per second,
with a trajectory flat enough to admit of one
sight for all sporting distances. The •303-bore
has all the qualities of the Express in the highest
degree : in fact, it surpasses by far the usual
standard of Expresses in point of velocity and
trajectory.
To better illustrate the advantage of the flat
trajectory; with the '303 rifle, it is necessary only
to use one sight for any distance up to 200 yards.
3i6
The Breech-Loader,
And How to Use It.
317
3i8 The Breech-Loader,
a fine sight being taken for loo yards and a full
sight for 200 yards ; this is sufficient allowance to
obtain the correct elevation.
The illustrations here given are designed
expressly with the object of showing at a glance
the advantage of a flat trajectory for rifles intended
for sporting purposes. The same system has been
repeated in each case for the various bores, in order
that comparison will be easy.
The drop of the bullet is indicated in inches on
each wood-cut for three distances : 50, 100, and 150
yards.
These diagrams were made at all distances with
the 50-yard sight.
With the "500 and '450 Expresses the mean
drop is so slight at distances between 50 and 150
yards (being only 4^ inches and 3 inches respec-
tively), that it gives command of the vital portions
of any ordinary-sized animal's frame from any point
within the longer range. With the "577 Express
the average drop is 10 inches ; and with the
Martini-Henry, 15 inches.
In the '450 diagram, the shot fired from 150
yards are shown higher or nearer the 50-yard shot
than is the 100-yard shot ; this is in utter disagree-
ment with all laws governing the flight of pro-
jectiles, and can only be attributed to the peculiar
effect of the "jump" action of the rifle in firing,
which gives an increased elevation in addition to
the permanent angle of the sight adjustment. In
And How to Use It. 319
a lesser degree it is also shown in the diagram of
the 'Soo-bore.
With a i2-bore rifle firing a spherical ball with
7 drachms of powder a diagram would be obtained
very similar to that of the Martini. The mean
drop between the 50 and 100 yard ranges is about
2j inches, and 14 inches in the next 50 yards.
With the •303, the diagram would have still less
vertical deviation than the "450 Express.
It will be readily seen, then, that for unknown
distances such a rifle has an enormous advantage
for sporting purposes ; and although it may not be
possible to make a diagram on the target at a
known range superior to the Martini, the shooting
would be infinitely superior at unknown distances,
since the one sight of the "303 is correct for any
sporting range ; whereas, with the Martini elevation
would be required. At ranges over 200 yards the
•303 is far superior to the Martini for accuracy, as
will be seen by the reports from South African
sportsmen, whose letters we reproduce in another
chapter for reference.
As with all Express rifles, the penetration of the
•303 is regulated by the kind of bullet employed.
The hard bullet, nickel-coated, as used by the
army, has sufficient force to penetrate the whole
length of an elephant ; many such instances have
been recorded from time to time in the sporting
papers. It was recently reported that two rhinos
were killed by one bullet as they stood side by
320 The Breech-Loadrr,
side. For sporting purposes, the Tweedie, or soft-
nosed, bullets are generally used, being so designed
as to expand on striking the game.
Other methods have been tried to adapt the
•303 bullet to sporting purposes : by making it
open at the point, by making longitudinal slits
through the hard metal case, spiral slits, circular
slits — in fact, almost any plan which will weaken the
bullet, and cause it to lose its shape on striking.
Another effective plan is to file off about yV of an
inch of the point, which gives a bullet suitable for
soft-skinned animals; many experiments have been
tried with these projectiles. The following letter
appeared in The Field m April, 1894, and will best
convey an idea of the effect of such bullets on
game : —
'' Having procured a horse which was killed in
the ordinary manner, we immediately (while the
body was quite warm) had it strung up by the legs.
The first shot, fired at 60 yards, struck behind the
shoulder ; the bullet passed through the rib, and
sufficiently expanded to cut the heart to ribbons,
and smashed the rib on the opposite side ; the
second shot at the shoulder ; the bullet entered the
bone, smashing it into powder and breaking up
into small pieces ; the third shot, from 140 yards,
at the hip, completely smashed up the entire bone ;
the bullet broke up in a similar manner to the
second shot ; the bones in the vicinity of the points
of entrance of bullets were not only pulverised for a
AxD Ho IV TO Use It.
321
circumference of 3 to 4 Inches, but were split up for
some distance."
The appended wood-cuts show the forms taken
by the various bullets after use. Under each will
be found the explanation.
303 Soft "303 Nickel
Nosed Covered Bullet.
Bullet. Regulat'n Pattern.
•303 Soft nosed Tweedie Bullet '303 Nickel Bullet
after passing through after passing through
wood lain, thick. 45in. of solid wood.
The illustration of the muzzles shows the exact
size of the •303-bore, applied to double rifles ; it
is the smallest of the Express rifles. The lightest
weight for such a rifle is 8 Ib.^., the standard charge
is /ij grains black powder, or 30 grains of cordite ;
the velocity obtained by the former is 1,850 feet
per second, the latter 2,050 ; the extreme range
being 3,500 yards. Until the introduction of the
•303, the smallest "of the Expresses was the '360. It
V
322 The Breech-Loader,
is particularly suitable for bustard, gazelle, and roe-
deer shooting. The bullet weighs 155 grains, and
the powder 50 grains ; double rifles can be made as
light as 6 lbs. with 26-inch barrels. They are
handy little weapons, with great smashing power.
The range is 250 yards, point-blank range 130
yards.
The '400 Express is a hard-hitting weapon, and
very effective for deer-stalking in general. The
bullet weighs 230 grains, powder 80 grains ; with
26-inch barrels the minimum weight is 7 lbs. It
has a range of 250 yards, with a point-blank range
of 160 yards.
The '450 Express is an excellent all-round
weapon ; it is not too large for the Cervida?, whilst
it is equally effective among tapirs, seals, and
bears, and may be successfully used at leopards,
panthers, tigers, and the larger soft-skinned carni-
vora. The bullet weighs 270 grains, powder no
grains. The lightest weight for a rifle of this bore
is 7| lbs. The effective range is 300 yards, and
point-blank range 150 yards.
Rifles of this bore, when firing bullets of 360
grains, have been successfully used by Mr. Selous
and other African sportsmen at lions and, with a
still heavier bullet, even at elephants.
The "500 Express, of exactly 4. -inch bore, is
considered by most Indian sportsmen as the most
effective all-round weapon for that country ; it has
great smashing power, good penetration, and it is
And How to Use It. 323
not too cumbrous to cover moving game. The
bullet weighs 340 grains, the charge of powder is
usually 130 grains, the range is about 300 yards,
and the point-blank range 130 yards. The mini-
mum weight for the rifle is 8^ lbs.
The -577 is the largest Express rifle manu-
factured ; it possesses great smashing power, and
is particularly useful in boar-shooting and among
dangerous game. The bullet weighs 520 grains,
the powder 160 grains. Its effective range is a
little over 220 yards, point-blank about 120 yards ;
io| lbs. is the lightest weight for this bore rifle.
The recoil of the smaller Express rifles is re-
duced to a minimum ; with the '303 it is less than
with an ordinary 12-bore game gun ; in the '400
it is cognisable ; in the -450 and -500 it is not at
all uncomfortable ; but with the '577 it is heavy.
The benefit of a double rifle is apparent, as the
extra weight of the double barrel considerably
modifies the recoil.
The " Magnum " Express differs from the simple
Express in the cartridge, which is of greater
capacity than those generally employed, and is
loaded with heavier charges, and as light a bullet
as compatible with accuracy. In some cases it is
only the Express principle overdone ; in others,
benefits result. Rifles for the " Magnum " should
be heavier than the simple Express.
The charges of powder and weight of bullets
will be found in tabulated form on page 303.
324
The Breech-Loader,
Double rifles, similar to above,
cartridge cases, are also made to shoot accurately,
and give good penetration, up to 500 yards. These
almost rank semi-Express rifles, for such results
can only be obtained by reducing the powder charge
and increasing the weight of the bullet.
LENGTH AND WEIGHTS OF DOUBLE-BARREL
SPORTING RIFLES.
Length of Barrels.
26 inches. | 27 inches.
28 inches.
360 Double Express ...
•400
'450 .-
•500 ,,
"577 .-
6 lbs.
7 lbs.
7i lbs.
Si lbs.
loj lbs.
74
8
^\
10^
8|-9
8f— 10
io|— II
If made for the "Magnum " Cartridge, a little heavier is
recommended.
Length of Barrels
22 23 I
( inches, inches. '
24 inches.
I. 25 I 26 I 27
i inches. I inches, inches.
20-bore Rifle
6 lbs. pet
Sphei
-ical 61
61-8
16 ,.
12 ., ,,
, 7 -•
8 ,,
7i
81
:7f-9
H
10 ,.
10 ,,
loA
II
8 ,,
..113 lbs. i4lbs. I4f-I5
1 ! 1
"
1
1 1
Length
of Barrels.
,. 22 . 23
[inches niches
25 26 27 |_ 28 30
inches inches inches inches inches
1
20-bore Choke-bore Rifle
16 „
12 ,, ., ,,
10 ,,
8 ,,
1 lbs. lbs.
11 12
lbs.
6
6i
8
lbs. lbs. lbs. Ibc.
6| 6.',
6.2 6f
6i 7 7l-9
8i 9—10
13
And How to Use It.
CARTRIDGES FOR EXPRESS RIFLES.
BULLETS.
Bore.
Powder.
Hollow.
Solid.
•360 Express 2\ in. st. taper
50 grs
155
190 gr.
SiVin
55 grs
190
•400 Express 2f in. bottle-necked
80 grs
230
260
'400 ,, Magnum, 3j in. ,,
no grs
230
260
**45o ,, bot.-neckd 2| in.
no grs
270
310 or heavier
•450 Long straight taper, 3I in.
120 grs
270
310
,, .1 1.
120 grs
323
365
•450 Magnum, bottle-necked, 3^ in. ...
140 grs
325
365
f -500 Express, bottle-necked, 2\l in. ...
130 grs
340
380
•500 Straight taper, 3.^ in
142 gi-s
440
480
.. 3in
136 grs
340
380
•500 Magnum, bottle-necked, 3I ni. ...
160 grs
440
480
■577 Express, straight taper, 2| in.
160 grs
520
560
sin-
167 grs
570
610
* The Standard Cartridge for the No. i Express, and for which all
our rifles are constructed, unless distinctly specified otherwise.
t Standard Cartridge for No. 2 Express, -500 bore.
CARTRIDGES FOR LONG-RANGE SPORTING RIFLES.
No. I Carbine -450 li in. bottle-necked
No. 2 Musket '450 2^% ,, „
for Sealing Rifles
for Metford Match Rifles
Regulation Martini 577/450, Solid Brass
,, Boxer
■303
Powder.
Bullets.
55 g'-s.
' 76
65
70
90
90
I 8s ,, |48o
71^ Black 215
40 Riflite I215
380
480 Hollow
400 Express
450
270
540
The above are the Standard loads for Rifle Cartridges as generally
supplied by Messrs. Eley Bros, and G. Kynoch and Co. They are
obtainable at storekeepers' and gun dealers', and may be relied upon as
correctly loaded.
Heavier bullets for special purposes can be supplied.
326
Express and Long-Raage Cartridges (exact size)
The Brefc/i-Loader
327
ACCURACY AND RANGE Ol' SPORTING RIFLES.
F'or most sporting purposes, the condition of
accuracy is held to be filled if all the shots are
grouped within a 6-inch circle at 100 yards, and
this degree of accuracy is possible of attainment
without sacrificing the velocity of the bullet or
discarding the enormous advantage of the second
shot obtainable from the Double Express.
Xo. I.— 7 Shots from No, i Express, loo vards.
Selected rifles, under favourable circumstances,
are capable of making finer diagrams, but much de-
pends upon the circumstances and the man behind
the rifle. Diagram No. i is an exact reproduction
of the shooting made at 100 yards with a Double-
barrel No. I Express, by W. W. Greener, by the
editor of Sportens at Helsingfors ; a finer diagram
has never been made with a Double Express rifle.
Diagram No. 2, made with a 25-guinea Greener
rifle, is just above the average for a No. \ Express,
32^
The Breech-Loader,
No. 3 diagram was made with a Martini- Henry
at lOO yards.
ACTUAL DIAGRAM
JO CONSECUTIVE SHOTS
lOOYARDS
FROM A
DaUBLE450
EXPRESS
By#WG[^EENER
For distances of 200 yards and over, the heavier
the bullets the better will be the shooting.
A, YD How TO Use It.
329
Large-bore rifles, 12 to 8 gauge, will not quite
equal the Express in point of accuracy. The
diagram No. 4 is that of a double 8-bore, with
No. 3. — 7 Shots 100 yard;
actual Diagram. Military
Martini.
Xo. 4.
-Bore Double at 50 yards.
Spherical ball and lo drachms of powder at 50
yards ; 8 shots in 2| x ly^ inches.
Diagram Xo. 5 was made by A. H., of Saigon,
with a Greener double 8-bore, weighing only 13 lbs.
The charge used was 10 drachms of powder with
J6'
The Breech-L oadea\
spherical ball; 147 hits in a 12-in. circle at iio
yards out of 163 shots fired.
Most large game is shot at very close distances.
Captain Forsyth says of jungle shooting: —
"One-half at least are shot at under 50 yards,
three-quarters under 75 yards, and all, without
i^
'W
No. 5. — 8-Bore, 147 hits in 12-in. circle a no yards.
exception, under lOO yards. On the hills a shot
at 150 yards naay sometimes be made."
Another well-known sportsman allows a
greater range. In a letter written to the author
he states : —
" I have just made a bag with my "450 Ejector,
Aavj Ho IV TO Us/-. It. 331
killing three very fine Markhor (mountain goats)
in three shots at about 300, 250, and 180
yards."
Of the sport in Africa, the usual sporting ranges
will be learned best from the opinions of a few of
the leading hunters.
Count Samuel Teleki says : —
"In my trip in Africa I killed 18 elephants
with the -577, 3 of these animals being killed
with a single bullet each, shot in the head, at
distances ranging from 90 to 100 yards ; i from
250 yards. My experience is that when it is
necessary to shoot big game at fairly long range
the '577 is an invaluable w^eapon, and infinitely
more valuable than a Winchester. In all, I
killed 82 rhinoceri, 75 of them being bagged
with the '577 at various ranges ; I also bagged
84 buffaloes, some with the -500, shooting
the solid bullet, and nearly all the rest with
the "577 ; on one or two occasions the bullet
went quite through the body of the animals. I
have always found, in shooting big game, that
the shock conveyed by the heavy bullet driven
by a fairly large charge of powder is a most
desirable feature in a rifle, and absolutely essen-
tial when shooting game at anything like close
quarters."
Another sportsman, writing to The Field,
says : —
" At the time I was shootine best in March,
332 The Brukch-Loader,
being strong and well, 1 bagged with the •577
alone (a rifle weighing 10 lbs. 6 ozs.) 25 head of
game, comprising buffalo, zebra, wart-hog, bush-
pig, hippo, and lion in 27 consecutive shots."
From another letter we extract : —
"My best record was 25 buck and a pig out of
27 shots ("577) ; pig, badly wounded, got away,
otherwise I should have bagged 26 head of game.
My 16 hippopotami out of 17 shots is a matter of
history in the Shire Highlands ('577 and hard
bullets)."
Although in the last two accounts the actual
distances are not mentioned, from a conversation
we had with the gentlemen we are able to state that
the ranges were mostly under 80 yards, and many
under 20; this is in a measure confirmed by the
fact that so many head of game were killed with
so few cartridges.
There has recently been much discussion on the
merits of the •303-bore for elephant and large game
shooting, and many remarkable performances with
this bore have been recorded.
One great advantage it possesses over the larger
bores is that of weight. Up to the present time, as
will be gathered from the foregoing letters, 8-bores
and the "577 Express rifles have been the favourite
weapons with hunters of large and dangerous game.
They possess enormous power, and their bullets
convey great shock, which is the principal feature
in guns of this class.
AxD Ho IV TO Use It.
1 5 -^
C ^ til
3 O
Sip.
(N rO On ON On
O On O "^fvO M vo CI t^ ON u-)0 lO
ID ON'O U-) O ■^i- i-i tJ- OnnO N >-i "^
00 lOCl MvOOO OvO Tl-rO'Nj rrjfo
•HOmcOMOJMClrO too VO
^roc^.'^rotnOOOOOOO
On t^ t^OO 00 " LO lOvO 00 (N m O
»O00 t^ tv\0 CO O 00 •^ ■rfo tr U-,
I : : : r : . 4 ^ ^J ^
O ON N Tj- ro O lO LO lO ON LC t^'R
to O d '^f- t>.0O -^ M (M 00 t% CO lO
w O CO-^iO^^Cj 0) too 00 (N 0)
NO
.5?
6 lbs.
7-14 oz.
8-14
9
10-2 oz.
9 lbs.
t/-j
« M ro
CI
m
Cl 0 OS 30 -1-
334 ^^^ Breech-Loader,
The 8-bore, owing to its great weight, has been
discarded by many sportsmen in favour of the '577,
which is capable of good work, as the following ex-
tracts from Sir Samuel Baker's book will testify : —
" The '577 solid bullet of 650 grains and 6 drachms
of powder will produce an astonishing effect, and
will completely paralyse the attack of any lion or
tiger, thus establishing a thorough confidence in
the heart of its proprietor.
" A very large tiger may weigh 450 lbs. ; a "577
bullet of 650 grains, propelled by 6 drachms of
powder, has a striking energy of 3,520 foot pounds.
This may be only theoretical measurement, but the
approximate superiority of 3,500 lbs. against a
tiger's weight 450 lbs. would be sufficient to ensure
the stoppage of a charge or the collapse of the
animal in any position, provided that the bullet
should be retained within the body, and thus
bestow the whole force of the striking energy."
BULLETS.
The selection of bullets for dangerous game
shooting should be very carefully made, since the
wrong employment of a projectile may lead to
serious consequences. A sad experience of an
adventure with a tiger was reported in an Indian
journal a few years ago. Mr. Frazer, a police
superintendent, made an attempt to shoot a tiger
with a light hollow bullet at five feet distance only ;
the bullet struck exactly in the centre of the face,
A, YD How TO Use It.
335
but just an inch too low, knocking out the right
eye and smashing all the teeth ; the second shot,
taken hurriedly, struck the tiger in the chest, but
too low ; the bullet unfortunately broke up instead
of penetrating. Had the bullet been solid, there
can be no doubt tliat the tiger would have suc-
cumbed to the first shot. The affair unhappily
ended in the death of the orderly and a severe
wounding of Mr. Frazer.
'z.'j-j Bullet of Pure Ledd cxUacted from Tiger.
Concerning bullets, Sir Samuel Baker says : —
" .\ bullet of pure lead, •577-borc, with a velocity of
1,650 feet per second, will assume the form of a
button mushroom immediateK' upon impact, and
increase in diameter as it meets with resistance
upon its course, until when expanded beneath the
elastic hide upon the other side, it will have become
fully spread, like a mature mushroom. I prefer
pure lead for lions, tigers, sambur deer, wapiti, and
such large animals, which are not thick-skinned,
as the bullet alters its form and nevertheless
remains intact ; the striking energy being concen-
trated within the body."
336
The Breech- Loader,
The difference in the striking energy of a hollow
bullet from that of a solid is enormous, owing to
the inequality in weight. If you wish a bullet to
expand, use soft lead, but keep the metal solid ; if
great penetration, use hard solid metal — either y o tin
or tV quicksilver. Nickel-coated bullets, except
for the '303, should be used with the greatest pre-
caution ; those made for the Martini are 'OoS of an
i
•360
'400
•450 -500
Express Bullets.
•500
■577
inch too large for the bore, and require a specially
constructed rifle of -461 calibre.
SINGLE RIFLES FOR SOUTH AFRICAN SPORT.
In South Africa for shooting antelope on the
open veldt at long ranges, accuracy is the essential
quality of the rifle ; also great penetration is
required in order to ensure the bullets reaching the
vitals, as many shots are taken at animals going
away.
The Martini has been the favourite weapon,
and is most commonly used. The sporting pattern
is the most suitable ; it is half-stocked, has pistol
grip and solid, flat, engine-turned rib, as shown in
A\D Hon- TO Use It. 337
the illustration. It has either the 2- (or more)
leaf and tangent sight, or the 7-leaf flush sight.
Another system of breech-action in general
favour is the Field sliding block action, its chief
advantage being easy access to the breech end of
the barrels for cleaning purposes. To operate the
mechanism, the lever on the side of the action is
pressed forward {see illustration). Both the Martini
and the Field mechanisms arc applicable to the
•303 bore, which should supplant all others for
South African shooting, owing to its low trajectory,
great penetrative force, and extreme accuracy at
unknown distances and long ranges.
The breech mechanism of the Lee-Speed
magazine rifle is not liked by many sportsmen
on account of its clumsy appearance. The project-
ing bolt on the sliding block is awkwardly arranged
and liable to catch in the clothing, and so become
displaced ; for sporting purposes the Martini system
is to be preferred, on the score of neatness and ease
of manipulation.
Appended are a few testimonials to the good
qualities as sporting rifles of this new bore, as
actual practice on game is more convincing than
experiments at targets and fixed objects.
Extract from letter :
" The '303 rifle I tried, and was very pleased
with the result. I had a large shooting-party out
the day I tried it ; unfortunately, the day was very
much against me — blowing 'great guns' as the
w
33«
V^^'
The Breech-Lo. / ier.
339
Cape expression goes— but, notwithstanding, half
the bag of the day fell to the -303 Greener : namely,
23 out of 46 buck.
"Graaff Reinet, 1893."
Extract from letter just received from South
Africa :
" We have received the six -303 rifles and the
cartridges ; they are most satisfactory. I tried
mine, and made the largest bag in the shortest
time on my record : viz., 1 1 bucks in an hour.
''J. R."
Extract from TJie Kiiuherley Independent :
**A curious thing connected with the gun is
that it has scarcely any recoil and but a slight
report. The penetration is very gx-eat ; two shots
fired at a heavy stinkwood post by Mr. A. J.
Wright went right through, and left a hole as
clean and unsplintered as if it had been made
with a gimlet. At 200 and 300 yards the point-
blank shooting was all that could be desired. At
400 yards Mr. Wright made 5 consecutive bulls ;
at 500 yards he made 3 bulls and i centre; at
800 yards, 2 centres and i bull. Time being short,
the remaining trials were made without a marker;
but at 1,000, 1,500, and 1,800 yards Mr. Wright
and Mr. Finlason succeeded in hitting the target
five times out of six shots. In order to try the
extreme ranges, four shots we/e fired at 2,500 yards,
and Mr. Wright missed the target by only a
w 2
340 The Breech-Loader,
couple of yards ; while Mr. Finlason highly aston-
ished himself by dropping a bullet just over the
target on to the mound. Half in jest, the party
went back to Mr. Wright's house, and aimed at
the Diamond Fields Horse cannon target ; and
with the aid of a field-glass the bullets, on two
occasions, were distinctly seen to strike over the
target. The distance is about 3,500 yards. This
is an extraordinary range for any rifle. Exactly
the same results were obtained from the Martini,
which has been adapted to the Magazine '303 Rifle
Cartridge. The rifles were made by W. W. Greener,
who is licensee under the Lee-Speed patents to
manufacture them."
A cheaply-made rifle of "303 bore on any
system whatever should be avoided, since the strain
exerted is greatly in excess to that on any other
rifle. When adapted to the Martini action of
best quality, it is most reliable, and can be
guaranteed.
A double-barrel Ejector -303 is now made,
and will, no doubt, be the future weapon (for those
who do not object to the price) for sport in South
Africa.
COMBINED RIFLE AND SHOT GUNS.
The combination of a rifle and shot gun in one
double-barrel weapon is much esteemed by South
African sportsmen. The right barrel is usually
full-choke i2-bore, 30 inches in length (longer
And Ho IV to Use It.
341
barrels are made to order). The left is rifled, and
generally bored to shoot the No. 2 musket cart-
ridge, ye grains powder, and 480 grains solid
bullet. It is sighted from 100 to 700 yards with
a 7-Ieaf flush sight.
It is made on Greeners treble wedge-fast prin-
ciple, as no other system of breech action is adapted
so well to withstand the enormous strain produced
by the heavy bullet.
Combined Rifle and Shot Gun.
The rifle barrel may have Aletford rifling to
take the Metford match bullet^ -540 grains, with
the usual charge of powder.
Express bullets may be used with large charges
of powder from the rifle barrel. The right barrel
will shoot spherical ball with accuracy at short
ranges, and will also be suitable for buck shot.
The lightest weight for a weapon of this class,
with barrels 30 inches in length, is ^ lbs., but a
few ounces heavier will be found an advantage.
A combination •450-bore rifle and i6-bore
shot barrels with 30-inch barrels can be made as
light as 8 lbs. ; -303- and i6-bore, ^ lbs, to 9 lbs. ;
34^ The Breech-Loader,
•303- and i2-bore, 9 lbs. to 9^ lbs. Other combi-
nations to special order.
Greener's Special Interchangeable Sights for
target and game shooting used upon special order.
The prices for such weapons are : — Hammer
rifle and shot gun combined, treble wedge-fast
breech action, from £1^ 17s. upwards; Hammer-
less, from £21 upwards.
GREENERS PATENT CHOKE-BORE RIFLE.
This weapon is distinctly different in principle
to the rifle choke-bores offered under fancy names,
and it achieves what none other has yet accom-
plished. It is a perfect shot gun and perfect rifle
in one.
The grooving is invisible, cannot foul, and is
as easily kept bright and clean — througJiout its
ivJiole leitgtJi — as is the barrel of the shot gun.
// Jias the accuracy and force of the heavy I'ifle
combined with the lightness and handiness of the
shot gun. It is, without doubt, the best weapon
for snap-shots at large game, deer-drives, boar-
drives, also tiger, bear, and elk-shooting, or when-
ever advantage has to be taken of a snap-shot
at driven or moving large game.
It performs equally well with conical and
spherical ball, solid and hollow bullets, light and
heavy charges of powder. Shoots shot of any
size, making regular patterns equal to any ordinary
cylinder gun.
And Hon' to Use It.
343
With a gun on this system weighing 7 lbs., o^ood
diagrams can be made up to 80 yards, with charges
of powder up to 3f drachms and spherical ball,
without excessive recoil.
The " stopping " power of the spherical ball is
well known to all hunters of large game.
The short conical bullet, with steel core and
point (as illustration), has great striking-force
and penetration.
Steel- Pointed Bullet.
"Spherical.
Hollow Conical.
SAJOKELESS POWDERS FUR '303 AND OTHER
RIFLES.
The smokeless powders for use in rifles have
not yet been brought to a desirable state of per-
fection. With rifleite the shooting obtained is not
constant; the diagrams made are more or less what
is technically known as "up and down": that is,
a good single '303 will make an oblong diagram
at 100 yards, measuring 2 inches wide by 6 to
8 inches deep, with an occasional shot still
lower, and not squarely grouped, as would be the
case when using black powder. We attribute this
344 T^HE Breech-Loader^
to the variation in strength of the detonating
powder in the caps, which produces uneven quick-
ness of combustion of the powder, and resulting
in different velocities. Another fault at present
existing in connection with the ammunition for the
■303 is the greater liability to miss-fires. In conse-
quence of the greater pressures developed, it has
been found necessary to increase the thickness of
the metal caps. The ordinary primer was liable to
burst and allow the gas to escape through the
striker hole. These faults, however, will doubtless
be overcome in the near future.
Black powder gives less velocity than rifleitc
or cordite : hence the shooting with black will be
lower than with either of the others ; and it follows
that with a rifle sighted for one powder a slight
allowance will have to be made when using others
giving higher velocities. The velocities taken
by chronograph record — rifleite, 2,020 ; cordite,
2,050 ; black, 1,850. The latest powder introduced
for the '303 is known as Corded Ballistite.
These high velocities are obtained at the ex-
pense of a greatly increased strain upon the breech-
action and barrels. The pressure exerted has
been computed to be 18 tons to the square inch :
a pressure considerably higher than produced in
any other rifle. It is evident, then, that double
rifles, to withstand this enormous strain, must be
made of the very best materials only, and upon
Ihe strongest system known. The Treble-Wedge
And How to Use It. 345
Fast Breech-action already described, applied to
either the Hammer, Hammerless, or Ejector actions^
is the only suitable system.
LARGE-BORE RIFLES FOR BIG-GAME SHOOTING.
My close attention to this branch of the gun
trade has gained my rifles a well-known reputa-
tion, and these arms may be styled one of our
specialities.
The question as to whether a large rifle is or
is not a necessary adjunct to successful big-game
shooting has long been disputed. Many well-
known Indian sportsmen are in favour of large-
bore rifles, and deem them indispensable to slay so
ponderous an animal as a full-grown elephant ;
and to stop a charging bison, a weapon is required
that will give good penetration, with great smash-
ing and paralysing power. The rifles should in-
variably be double-barrelled, and the material and
workmanship of the finest qualit}\ I believe
that the double 8-bore rifle, with the brass case,
and specially rifled for the 1,008-grain spherical
and short conical ball, will be found sufficiently
powerful for the largest game. Until I intro-
duced these solid-drawn brass cases, the 8-bore
was in reality only a 9-borc, the bullet weighing
900 grains.
The breech action should be with the patent
Treble-Wedge-Fast, either of hammerless or with
back-action low hammers, as illustrated.
34^
Thp. Breech-Loader.
And How to Use It.
347
The ordinary weight of such a rifle with 24-inch
barrels is about 16 lbs. ; but they have been made
as light as 13 lbs. to give excellent results. The
recoil with a rifle of this weicrht, when usingr
spherical ball, will not be found excessive. The
diagram of 147 hits in a 12-in. circle at no yards.
8-l)ore Brass Cartridge for Eleph.nt KiHc (exact size).
bore Conical Bullet.
shown on page 330, was made with a rifle of ihis
weight.
The usual charge for the brass case is from 10 to
12 drs. of powder, loaded with spherical ball as
illustrated.
These rifles are sighted up to 200 yards, and have
a point-blank range of about 100 yards, beyond
which distance the}' are seldom used. A pistol
34^ The Breech-Loader,
hand is invariably attached, to enable the rifle to be
more firmly gripped.
Double 4-bores are made on the same prin-
ciple, and with the same actions as the 8-bores
described above. They, however, are generally
bored perfectly cylindrical, and not rifled. They
weigh from i8 to 20 lbs. The powder charge is
12 to 14 drachms, and a bullet of 1,510 grains.
The author of " Thirteen Years among the Wild
Beasts of India" wrote of his large-bore rifles : —
"Greener's Treble-Wedge-Fast Rifle, 8 -bore,
double-barrelled, weighing 17 lbs., and Greener's
Treble-Wedge-Fast, double smooth-bore, 4-gauge
Ball Gun, weighing 19 lbs., were built for me by
W. W. Greener in 1874, since which time they
have been in continual use, and have been fired
several hundreds of times with 12 drams and a
2-oz. bullet, and with 16 drams and a 4-oz. bullet
respectively. They have never required any re-
pair, and are still sound, and the breech-actions
as close as when they left the factory. They have
given me every satisfaction.
"S. P. Sanderson,
" Superintendent of Government Elephant
•* Keddahs, Dacca."
It should be noted that solid brass cases are
recommended, and will always be used by the
author for rifles of this bore, unless expressly
ordered to the contrary. The internal diameter
And Ho IV to Use Ir. 349
of the brass case being greater than that of the
paper, it allows the use of a larger bullet, as
explained in the chapter on Brass and Paper
Cases.
Owing to the great difficulty in producing
perfect barrels of Damascus of so large a bore,
Greener's wrought steel is used in preference ;
Laminated steel and Damascus by special arrange-
ment only.
For large-bore rifles heel-plates of india-rubber
are usually fitted, to lessen the effect of the recoil.
Some sportsmen prefer a properly padded shooting-
coat, as the rifle can be brought up into position
much more freel}'.
ON THE CHOICE OF A SPORTING-RIFLE.
With most sportsmen the occasions for firing a
rifle at large game are comparatively {Q\\r ; they
will consider it false economy to purchase a cheap
weapon, especially if such weapon is less efficient
and likely to fail them when favourable oppor-
tunities for using the rifle occur.
In hunting large and dangerous game, it is
better to be able to fire two shots in one second
than to have four or six or a dozen available
at intervals of two or three seconds each ; as a
hunting-weapon, or sporting-weapon, the double
rifle is superior to the magazine rifle, no matter on
what principle the breech mechanism is con-
structed.
JD'^
TfU: JJh'JiJJ^ Jl-L ( ).l D/:A'
The next point is, not to be underarmed ; that
is to say, the weapon must be fully up to the
maximum work it will be called upon to do.
Either the '450 or "500 double Express is probably
the best all-round weapon for general Indian
shooting ; if bison is likely to be met frequently the
'577 is preferable.
As stated already, much depends upon the
loading of the Express. Mr. F. C. Selous, in his
'•' Travel and Sport in South-East Africa," says that
•450 express bullets lighter than 360 grains should
not be used for hartbeest, lions, and other similar
game. And again on the choice of a rifle — " Should
any of my readers acting on my advice determine
to buy a "450 rifle, let them be very careful about
the kind of bullet they use. For large game^, long
heavy solid bullets, and for large antelope and
lions, the best kind of bullet is one weighing about
360 grains, with a small hollow point, good thick
walls round the hollow part, and a heavy end.
Such a bullet will mushroom on striking an animal,
but will also have great penetrating power."
The bore of the rifle will sometimes appear to
be of less importance than the weight of the arm.
No one can use a heavy rifle effectively if he has
also to carry it long distances; and in countries
where a gunbearer or attendant is not available, the
weight of the arm will be of greater importance.
Unneces.sary weight has long been a conspicuous
cause of complaint against American rifles; this,
And How to Use It. 351
however, is one result of manufacturing rifles in
quantities by machinery.
A test of the '450 calibre Winchester with a
powder charge of 90 grains, and a solid bullet of
200 grains was made at a London shooting-ground
in December, 1893 ; the results, as published in
The Field, of December 9th, showed that the
muzzle velocity obtained was 1,527 feet, at 200
yards 1,051 feet, energy at muzzle therefore 1,557
foot-pounds, at 200 }'ards 738 foot-pounds, thus
greatly inferior to the ordinary English Express of
•450 gauge, with no grains, and 320-grain bullets,
which gives 1^776 feet muzzle velocity, 1,218 at
200 yards, energy at muzzle 2,254 foot-pounds,
and at 200 yards 1,066 foot-pounds.
It is, of course, possible to secure better results
for special work by permitting an 'excess of one
feature by sacrificing others ; and in the American
rifle, as a sporting weapon, too much appears to
have been sacrificed to accuracy, possibly because,
as Mr. Gould states, " I believe fully twenty shots
are fired at an inanimate target to one at game."
It has already been stated that none of the
American rifles are so powerful as the English
Expresses.
The following experiences of a young sports-
man well known to us will verify this statement.
He says : —
" A short time ago I had an extraordinary ex-
perience when shooting fallow-deer from a position
352 • The Breech-Loader,
up a tree with a '44 Winchester rifle. I selected an
animal for my mark on the outside of a herd some
40 yards away, the only point offered being be-
hind the left ear. My aim was perfectly true, the
bullet striking the root of the ear and passing
down under the brain cavity and out under the
right eye ; this was a good shot, but it failed to
bring the doe down. A second shot, taken a short
time afterwards, struck behind the right ear, taking
exactly the same direction corresponding with the
first shot, until it met the course of the first bullet,
which it adopted, passing out of the same hole
under the right eye. After chasing the herd for
an hour and a half, the doe, dropping out, gave an
opportunity for another shot, which was taken at
the neck, behind the ears ; the bullet passed through
the muscles above the spinal column, taking away
a piece of the bone. The fourth, a side-shot,
struck through the tear-hole (an inch below the
eyes).
" The fifth hit low in the neck. This at last
brought her to the ground, enabling me to get up
to her and complete my work with a knife.
" I was afterwards asked why I did not try the
shoulder shot. In the first place, behind the ears
was the only mark offered ; and, secondly, I had
previously taken a shot with the same rifle at a
doe, which struck only 3 inches behind the heart,
and it was not until after a two hours' run that this
animal was secured.
. And How to Use It. 353
" The skull of the animal, showing the bullet-
marks, we had in our possession for some
time."
After this experience with the Winchester, our
friend discarded it in favour of a '450 Express, which
he has used at all subsequent shoots with great
success.
To compare with the above wx give an account
of his next shoot with the "450 Express.
At a doe going away, at a distance of 50 yards,
aim was taken between the ears ; the bullet carried
away about 3 or 4 inches of the top of skull, ex-
posing the brain, and killing instantly.
Another curious shot demonstrates the value
of velocity : a deer, in the act of jumping, was
struck by a '450 Express bullet just below the
knees, which knocked off both legs at the joints,
leaving the upper sides of the joints as though
severed with a knife.
Our correspondent has since had much ex-
perience in deer-shooting, and affirms that he never
had occasion to fire a second shot at a deer with a
•450 Express.
Neither does he remember ever seeing a deer
hit with a -450 bullet run more than 20 yards before
falling.
Although the foregoing remarkable shots were
all made with a -450, we consider the '400 bore
Express much more suitable, being quite powerful
enough for deer-shooting.
354
The Breech-Loader,
SIGHTS FOR SPORTING RIFLES.
There are various forms of sights used for sport-
ing rifles. We give illustrations of those most
generally used.
1 5
%
Cape Sight.
Sights for Sporting Rifles.
No. I bead sight is a good form for large-bore
rifles. Nos. 2 and 4 are suitable for Express or
Target rifles. No. 3 is considered the best for fine
shooting ; the V is broad and extends the whole
And How to Use It.
355
width of the leaf, having a platina line to mark the
centre; sometimes a small slot is preferred, as in
No. 4. No. 3 is also adapted for rough work, and
is not easily broken. No. 6 is a leaf sight, roughed
to prevent reflection. The muzzle sights are put
in lengthways instead of across the rifle, as
formerly, and are frequently inlaid with platina for
jungle shooting.
The favourite sight for use at the Cape
is a leaf and tangent sight combined (Fig. 7), beino-
suitable for both game and target practice. A
Greener's Interchangeable Si^^hts.
7-leaf sight for 100 to 700 yards, and occa-
sionally a lo-leaf sight is preferred, for rifles
intended for game shooting only. These sights
are all suitable for double and single rifles, and the
combined rifle and shot gun.
Ivory Fore Sights are recommended, as they
catch the eye quickly when shooting at running
game in bush country.
Fore Sights, for use at night, have ar
356
The Breech-Loader,
enamel-fronted leaf, which may be closed down
flush with the rib when out of use.
Greener's Interchangeable Fore Sights
for game shooting and target practice. The great
advantage of this system is : — A new sight in case
of accident, or another pattern to suit circum-
stances, can be fitted in a few seconds, without
the aid of tools.
Open V Sight.
Lyman's Sight.
Lyman's Fore Sights are applicable to single,
long-range, and rook rifles.
Telescopic Sights are fitted to special order ;
they are adjustable, and with spring eye-piece, to
And How to Use It.
357
JM
Lyman's and Beach Peep Sights.
prevent injury to the eye from the recoil, with
cross wire for different distances. Easily fixed and
removed.
ROOK AND RABBIT RIFLES.
For rook and rabbit shooting, single breech-
loading rifles are generally used. There are at
present several sizes in the market, the most popular
bores being : —
Bore.
Powder.
Bullet.
•297/230
3 grs.
38 grs.
long
5grs.
38 grs.
•297/250
Zgrs.
56 grs.
•295
10 grs.
80 grs.} Same Rifle
•300
10 grs.
•360 No. 5
14 grs.
134 grs. ) 5 j^j^
•380 long
12 grs.
124 grs. i ""^^^ "^'"^
35?
The Bkeech-Loader,
And How to Use It. 359
The breech actions applicable to rook rifles are :
the Martini, the top-lever, the side-lever, and the
hammerless.
The top-lever Hammer Rook Rifle has the
ordinary bottom holding-down bolt, half pistol-
hand, rebounding lock and octagonal barrel. The
extracting is effected by a strong lever on the side
of the breech action engaging with the extractor.
Such rifles are sold at prices varying from 6 to 10
guineas, according to the quality and style of finish.
The well-known Martini action is most suitable
for small rifles when properly made, and for the
cheaper qualities is recommended in preference to
a cheap and necessarily unreliable hammerless. It
is neat in appearance and easy to manipulate. It
has the advantage of a safety bolt, and of being a
hammerless ejector, since a jerk of the lever expels
the fired case. The prices range from 4 to 8
guineas.
The side-lever system may be had by those
who prefer a drop-down action to the Martini
system. Prices from 4 to 5 guineas.
Hammerless rifles are constructed with a suit-
able mechanism of the Anson type ; they are
strong, reliable, and simple, and cost from 10 to 12
guineas.
Rook rifles are usually sighted up to 1 50 or 200
yards. The short -360 and the -320 bore cannot
be considered accurate beyond lOO yards, but up
to that distance they are perfect.
360 The Breech-Loader,
The -380, with a soHd bullet, is accurate and
effective up to 200 yards.
For naturalists these rifles offer special advan-
tages, as the skin is only broken in one place, and
the range is greater, thus enabling the collector to
O
00 YDS DIAGRAM
(FULL SIZE)
FROM
^^320 ROOK RIFLE
^WWW-GREENER
add to his bag many specimens that could not be
obtained with a shot-gun.
The diagrams here shown were made by a
member of the firm with a "320 bore Martini
rifle.
At 40 yards the 21 consecutive shots fired are
all within the size of half-a-crown ; and at 100
yards the mean deviation is only \^^ inch, and all
shots contained in if x 2 inches.
And Ho IV to Use It. 361
Two shots were taken from this rifle by a friend
in our presence : the first at a sparrow sitting on a
high tree ; the second at a small bird on a hay-rick
thirty yards distant ; both birds were killed. This
21 Consecutive Shots on size of Half-a-Crowo, 40 yards.
320 Rook Rifle.
speaks well for the sighting and adjusting of the
rifle.
The -300 bore is the general favourite for rook
and rabbit shooting.
The -220 is too small a bore to be of much
ereater value than as a saloon rifle.
362 The Breech-Loader,
CHAPTER XII.
RUDIMENTS OF RIFLE-SHOOTING.
AIMING PRACTICE — POSITIONS FOR RIFLE-
SHOOTING — PRONE — KNEELING — STANDING —
THE BACK POSITION — POSITIONS FOR TARGET
AND GAME SHOOTING.
The beginner should first make himself ac-
quainted with the rifle he is about to use; that is
to say, he should understand something of the
trajectory and the elevations required for the
distances he is likely to shoot at. This and the
mechanism of the lock should be his first study.
Then comes the correct method of aiming.
Aim. If the following few simple instructions
be carefully observed, he will have the foundations
of a good rifleman's knowledge. As to whether he
will excel as a rifle shot depends upon his personal
ability and application. Aim is dependent upon
the quality of eyesight, the care with which it is
applied, and the steadiness of hand.
Practice should first be made at a target having
a 6-inch bullseye at 100 yards.
The system of aiming adopted by almost every
good shot, and undoubtedly the best method, is to
A AD Now TO Use It. • 363
align the rifle beneath the centre of the bullseye
and gradually raise it until the tip of the foresight
appears to almost touch- the bottom edge, care
being taken to keep the rifle per ectly upright. A
small space should always intervene — the amount
should be just as little as the eye can recognise
without any strain, as shown in the small woodcut.
To aim at an object it must be seen ; if the object
As the Bullseye should appear above the Sight.
and the foresight be of one colour ; no definite spot
can be chosen by placing one over the other, as
both will appear to merge into one.
To aim correctly, take more or less of the
foresight over the true centre of the backsight ;
but never more at one time than another. We
advise a full sight, that is, the whole of the bead of
a sporting foresight, or with a military rifle a half-
sight — the half of the barleycorn.
Position. We recommend the prone position
to beginners, as being more steady than either
standing or kneeling. Lying in the prone position,
the body should be carried well to the left, at
an angle of about 45°, with the legs well apart ; the
rifle, when at the shoulder, then comes well across
364 The Breech-Loader,
the chest ; the left shoulder being well forward,
the elbow of the left arm will very comfortably
take a position on the ground, almost under the
fore-end, and the forearm should be as nearly
upright as the elevation of the rifle will allow ; the
fore-end and barrel should be firmly grasped with
the left hand, but there must be no straining of the
muscles or a tremulous motion will be set up,
which is fatal to good shooting ; in fact, one of the
most important factors in obtaining steadiness in
any position is to feel perfectly easy in the position
adopted ; this is soon gained by practice. The
right hand should grip the small of the stock
firmly, and the forefinger be placed so far round the
trigger as to press it with the second joint ; the
pressing must not be sudden, but a very gradual
increase of pressure until the scear is released.
After a little practice, one knows exactly what
amount of pressure is required ; this is a point upon
which the beginner should be most careful. It
should be practised in every position many times,
simply snapping the lock without any charge in
the barrel ; the eye should be kept on the sights
steadily, and any movement of the sights from the
correct aim when pressing the trigger should be
noticed, and the practice continued until the
trigger can be pulled without any movement of
the rifle. This is of more importance to the beginner
than it at first appears, for if he commences to
shoot without any of this position and aiming
And How to Use It. 365
practice, the recoil and smoke will prevent his
observing this error.
When the shots can be kept in a circle of 6
inches on the target at ICX) yards, the kneeling
position may be tried.
The left foot should be pointing to the right
front. Kneeling on the right knee with the foot
well behind the left, the lower joint of the right leg
will be exactly at right angles to the rifle, and the
left elbow resting on the top of the left knee will
bring the arms and rifle in the same relation to each
other as described in the prone position. Shooting
in this and the standing position in windy weather
is more or less uncertain work, with even the best
shots; and snap-shots must be taken under such
conditions. Some men find an advantage in
swaying the rifle gently across the target, and
pulling the trigger sharply as the foresight is
approaching the edge of the bullseye ; but we
cannot altogether recommend this system to the
beginner. For the standing position, turn almost
to face half-right, and carry the right foot well away
from the left and almost at right angles to the
target ; this brings the rifle when at the present
well across the chest, and the left hand is thereby
able to hold the rifle well forward more easily, and
without straightening it too much. This position
is of course the most unsteady, but at the same
time it is the most useful for general sporting
purposes, and should be well practised. The back
366 The Breech-Loader,
position, except for long ranges, is not much
needed by the sportsman. To take this position
readily and correctly, sit on the ground facing the
target, holding the rifle across the body ; lie on the
back, then turn sufficiently on to the right side to
allow of the right thigh being almost squarely on
the ground ; the legs should then be drawn up,
placing the left foot on the ground, toe pointing
to the right front, with the knee almost upright,
but inclining slightly to the left. The right knee
should be bent round the left foot so that the outer
side, or that next to the ground, rests on the left
instep.
The barrel of the rifle should be laid on the
right knee ; the left hand, grasping the top of stock
close in front of the heel-plate, pulls it into the
hollow of the shoulder more between the body and
arm than in the other positions ; raise the head and
take a small portion of the left coat-sleeve at the
wrist between the teeth, to steady the head.
The right elbow rests on the ground, and the
right hand, gripping the stock lightly, has little to
do but press the trigger as usual.
From this position aim can be taken comfort-
ably and accurately especially at long ranges with
the aid of orthoptic and spirit-level sights.
The position, although possessing the advantage
of steadiness and better vision for long ranges,
requires more practice to acquire properly. A
slightly lower elevation should be allowed on
And Ho IV to Use It. 367
account of the greater distance between the eye
and foresight.
POSITIONS FOR RIFLE-SHOOTING.
Of positions in rifle-shooting, Mr. A. C. Gould,
in " Modern American Rifles," says, ** A rifleman
is generally able to shoot well in almost any posi-
tion, if the object shot at be large, and at short
ranges ; but when he aims at the 8-inch bulls-
eye at a distance of 200 yards, or one proportion-
ately reduced at a shorter distance, it is found that
it is impossible to hold the rifle perfectly still, and
the attempt is made to find a position in which one
can hold the rifle best. Undoubtedly, the physique
of a person has its influence on the choice of
positions, for nearly every rifleman sooner or later
decides on some position which suits him best, and
takes it when shooting.
" Young riflemen very naturally study the
position of experts, but as they find fine shots
shooting in various attitudes, it generally follows
that they try the difi"erent positions until they find
a preferred one."
For shooting buck at long range, the prone
position is considered the best, and most generally
adopted by the sportsmen of South Africa. The legs
should be apart, and inclined towards the left, thus
reducing the effect of recoil ; this position should
not be taken when the weapon used is an 8-bore :
368 The Breech-Loader,
we have recently read of a sportsman who has
cause to regret so doing when firing at an elephant.
The recoil when in this position would be very-
great ; he would have done better to have adopted
the kneeling position, or even a sitting position,
resting the left elbow on the left knee.
It has been found in practice that a rifleman
shoots higher when he fires from the prone or the
kneeling position than when shooting from a
standing position.
Z6^a
APPENDIX.
SINGLE TRIGGER GUNS.
Since the last edition of this book was published, guns
having but one trigger to fire both barrels have been
introduced, and have received much attention from
sportsmen and gunmakers. Though some of the earUer
designs are intricate and compHcated, and the hability to
accidental discharge with them not always satisfactorily
overcome, the departure on the whole has been very
successful. The advantages to be derived from the
change are^ certainly considerable though varying with
individual shooters ; three are specially noticeable.
Firstly, since the hand has no longer to be moved
back to reach a second trigger, a better fit of stock can
be arrived at, while improved markmanship also results
from its unvarying length. Secondly, a much quicker
second shot can be fired, and a larger percentage of kills
will consequently be secured. This quality will make it
particularly serviceable to trap-shooters, where the pigeons
must be dropped within a narrow boundary. Lastly, the
bruising of the back of the second finger against the
guard — a matter of importance to some sportsmen — is
avoided. On the other hand, with some of the single
368^ Appendix.
trigger mechanisms trouble has occasionally been ex-
perienced, and these advantages partly detracted from,
by the impossibility of firmg either barrel first when
desired or as necessity occurs.
For wildfowling or mixed shooting, where guns with
barrels of different shooting powers, or where cartridges
loaded differently for each barrel are desired to be used,
it is imperative that the single trigger invention should
have a selective action. Moreover, it is desirable that
the mechanism employed to effect this should be simple,
reliable, and capable of being employed instantly without
effort. Those hitherto designed have not fulfilled these
requirements, but, on the contrary, have been either
ineffectual or awkward to manipulate, and have invari-
ably multiplied the complications and increased the
delay in firing.
In the trigger now to be described, however, these
difficulties have been overcome and intricacies success-
fully avoided by making use of a different principle from
that employed in any other single trigger. It enables the
object in view to be accomplished by the aid of two
limbs only.
This mechanism, to which the author has given the
name " Selective Trigger," consists of a trigger blade of
the ordinary form, slotted to receive the "selective" finger
pull, which is pivoted in the lower part of the blade, and
3^8^ Appendix.
has an arm reaching upwards to the scears. If the finger
pull is pressed above the pivot (marked on the pull by a
slight ridge), this arm keeps its normal position under
the right scear and releases it in the ordinary way ; but,
if the pressure be applied below the pivot, the finger pull
rocking backward on its centre brings its upper arm
forward and under the left scear, before the trigger blade
itself is moved. The motion being continued, the whole
trigger moves upward, and the left scear is released.
When the pressure is removed, the trigger, under the
influence of a small spring, returns to its normal position,
with the arm of the finger pull under the right scear.
It is impossible to discharge both barrels together,.
for even should the finger press exactly on the ridge the
trigger will automatically lock itself till such a time as the
power is diverted into a sufficiently upward or down-
ward direction to fire either the right ^or the left barrel
respectively.
The Selective Trigger, besides being subjected to
every conceivable mechanical test, has been used in the
field by many unprejudiced sportsmen, and has given
satisfaction from the first in spite of the unaccustomed
movements of the finger its use entails. Among others,
the editor of Latid a?id Water was very successful at the
first trial, as the report published in the issue of that
paper for February 5th, 1898, gives ample proof.
368^
3^8/ Appendix.
the monarch ejector gun.
Many sportsmen having shown a preference for an
ejector with separate locks for the ejecting mechanism,
the author has experimented for a long time with the
view to finding one with the strongest possible action
combined with the least complication in design.
The " Monarch " ejector (see illustration) seems to
fill these requirements, and after many trials the author
has found it to be perfectly reliable under all cir-
cumstances.
As shown^ the parts are few and simply arranged, and
the design enables each limb to be strongly made, which
is a very necessary point in all fore-end ejectors.
During the last two years the author has sold some
hundreds of " Monarchs " without having received any
complaint of their efficacy, and intends to use this system
much more extensively in the future.
WROUGHT STEEL FOR GUN BARRELS.
In spite of the numerous steels, chiefly of foreign
manufacture, which have recently been introduced, the
author has nothing to detract from his former remarks in
this book regarding the material best suited for the
above purpose.
Considering in the first place the composition of the
cr
Appendix. 368
different manufactures of steel barrels, then the various
processes to which they are afterwards subjected in the
building up of the gun, and above all the known nature,
and the probable extent of strains they are intended to
resist, he still thinks that Wrought Steel will be found the
best, and that in practice it will give the most satisfactory
results.
During the nine years Wrought Steel barrels have
been manufactured not one has ever been returned to
him burst, and remembering the quantity of new nitro-
powders, giving so many different kinds of strain to the
barrel, which have come into fashion in that time, this
must be considered a test of wonderful severity.
369
LONG SHOTS.
EX /R ACTS FROM THE LO.VDO.V '-FIELD:
My gun is one of W. W. Greener's first quality, 28-in.
barrels, 61b. 10 oz, boih barrels full-choke. I used it on
partridge the first half of September with a light spread
charge (2| drs. and i oz. N". 6, card wad only between
powder and shot) in both barrels, and found it all 1 could
desire. When birds got a little wilder I introduced the
ordinary long-range charge for the second barrel, and fre-
quently brought down birds dead at 50 yards to over 60
yards. I have used the spread charge wi h good results in
covert shooting, on pheasants, hares, rabbits, and woodcock,
without in a single instance spoiling either fur or feather.
I find it kills well up to 40 yards With the ordinary long-
range cartridge, loaded with No. 5 shot, I have on three
occasions killed pheasants dead at over 60 yards. But,
apart from the extra range gained with the choke-bore, there
is another and, to my mind, a more important advantage— I
mean the style in which it kills at the middle distances — 30
yards, 35 yards, and 40 yards. This is noticeable with all
kinds of game, but perhaps especially with hares. The col-
lapse of a hare under the choke-bore, with No. 4 or No. 5
shot, is remarkable.
The accusation against " chokes" of smashing the game
is, I believe, much exaggerated. With the ordinary cart-
ridge 1 have killed pheasants, hares, and rabbits within
20 yards, and they have not been shattered. The new gun
seems to me much less objectionable in this respect than the
old gun with the concentrator.
In conclusion, I would say to those seeking information
and advice, " If you are a fair shot, and want a new gun for
3/0 The Breech-Loader,
general shooting, by all means get a choke-bore ; but do
not go to a second-rate man, or to one who does not believe
in chokes, but will make you one if you like. Go to one of
the makers whose names are associated with these guns,
and who ' do believe in them.' "
Lancashire, Dec. 18. Fiat Experimentum.
From The Field, /^-z^z//^??'/ 13///, 1877.
Sir, — I have recently been unng a choke-bore, full
choked, built for me by W. W. Greener, at rabbits ferreted
in small coverts and hedge-banks, and can therefore answer
some of the inquiries as to the effect of such guns for that
kind of shooting. My gun weighs 7 lbs., is 28 in. long in
the barrels, is light at the muzzle and heavy at the breech,
and is an exceedingly handy one, with which I can get
quickly on my quarry. I was desirous of finding a charge
that, with No. 5 shot, would give a pattern of about 130 in a
30 in. circ'e at 40 yards, and found that with 3! drs. of No. 4
powder, a | n. felt wad on powder, i cz. of No. 5 chilled
shot, and card on shot, I could obtain a steady average of
130 pellets at such circles at y; yards (the extent of my
target range), the pellets being very evenly distributed over
the whole circle, and with great force. This charge I have
been using at rabbits with marvellous effect. It paralyses
them so completely on hitting that they are utterly unable
to move. The penetration is so good that the pellets pass
clean through the rabbit when hit sideways, and when hit
going straight away the penetration is proportionally deep,
and they are rolled over at once. Not one that has been
hit has escaped, and there has not been an instance of one
being cut into ribbons, and afterwards creeping into a hole.
The effect was the same at about 45 yards. An ordinar\'
gun, with a charge of i^oz. of No. 6 shot and 3idrs. of
powder, puts into a similar circle from 130 to 140 pellets, but
w'th far less penetration than the first-mentioned charge
And How to Use It. 371
from the choke-bore, consequently the killing powers of the
choke-bore are much greater. The rabbits that were shot at
moderate distances were not spoilt, and those shot at very
close quarters were not more so than would have been the
case had they been shot with ordinary guns. If thicker
shooting is required, the addition of k oz. of similar shot, and
also of a cloth or pink-edged wad on the powder, gives a
pattern of about 165. The addition of another i oz. of shot,
making ijoz. of shot, the powder being kept up to 3^ drs.
throughout, brings the pattern up to about 180, and with
great penetration, but without any appreciable recoil when
using the gun at game. It is evident, therefore, that by the
use of different sizes and chnrges of shot these guns can be
so loaded as to make them available for any description of
shooting, and as I find that I can hit with this gun equally
as well as with my other guns, I feel assured that choke-
bores will become favourites in the hands of those who know
how to use them, and who take care that the bend and
length of stocks are right for them. Such guns will kill in a
far cleaner manner, and score more game. Should thinner
shooting be required, the shot only should be reduced, as
reduction of the powder reduces the penetration, and tends
to keep the shot more clustered, and makes the pattern less
regular. Should less penetration be required, it is preferable
to use smaller sizes of shot and lesser charges of them than
to reduce the full charge of powder, as a full charge of the
latter spreads the shot more, and makes the pattern far
more even, thereby increasing the chances of hitting.
W. F. B.
Sir, — When I was over at Scarborough a few weeks
since I shot seven herons, four of which I killed at extra-
ordinary distances with No. 4 shot. They were as follows :
80 yards, 95 yards, no yards, and 130 yards ; the last bird
I fired at was at an angle of 50 degrees, and fell directly it
was struck, falling head first, and as the day was fine and
no wind, the distance I was off could not be overestimated,
Y 2
172 The Breech-Loader,
as from where I stood to the dead bird it measured a trifle
over loo yards. I may mention that I fired at it out of spite,
it having seen -me and would not come nearer,
C. Metcalf.
Kingston Villa, New Parks, Scarborough.
Extracts fro7n The FiFLD.
Sir, — I have often read inquiries in your columns about
choke-bore guns. I purchased a 12-bore last September
direct from Greener, and must say that I have killed a few
most extraordinary shots — viz., a wood pigeon (single bird)
at least 100 yards distant ; several partridges at or over
80 yards ; one rabbit running, broadside on, distance
measured 81 yards. I put five No. 6 shots into her, two of
them passing clean through. Another most extraordinary
shot : — I fired at a single mallard rising from the Thames,
wounding the bird sufficiently for my companion to walk up
to it and kill it afterwards. This distance was judged by
three friends with me to be at least 150 yards. No. 4 shot
used. I am prepared to prove all these statements, if re-
quired, by independent witnesses. I have since purchased a
second gun for a friend, and that turns out equally good.
William Box.
Uffington, Faringdon, Berks, Jan. 12.
Sir, — Having purchased one of Greener's No. 12 choke-
bores this season, I beg to give you the following as my ex-
perience of it. I consider it kills on an average at least
20 yards further than a non-choke bore, and if large shot is
used will kill at great distances. I myself killed a htron
sitting at 100 yard?, and on skinning the bird found he was
hit in five places. I have also tried it on wild-fowl with good
success at distances at which an ordinary gun would not
have been of any service. I have made good bags on snipe
and other game during the last month without smashing the
birJs.
Leamington, Jan. 10.
And How to Use It. 373
You will be pleased to read the following : — 1 was out on
the Monday following Christmas-day with a shooting-party
in the bush, and had with me one of your noted Patent
Treble Wedge-Fast guns that I purchased from you,
when I did good work with it. I killed at 90 yards a fine
bush buck ram, weighing about 150 lbs. ; hit him on the
heart side ; had a charge of buckshot A.A.A. ; and a friend
of mine killed a wild duck, with one I sold him, flying, at
over 90 yards.
W. Thompson.
Port Elizabeth.
Sir, — The gun arrived safe, and I have spent a few days
at plover shooting, and find that the gun shoots first class.
I killed with one barrel at 45 yards twenty plover, I also
killed a single plover at 63 yards, and two out of three that
were flying at 80 yards. I killed three out of a flock of
about 150 plover at loi yards. The gun suits me in every
way. I enclose you the account of the first pigeon match I
shot with it ; you will see that I made the best shooting,
killing my birds cleaner than anyone.
W. M,
London, Ont.
Extract from American Field, /a//, yth, 1893.
Our guns were full-choke Greener hammerless 12 gauges,
and cartridges loaded with 3^ drams by measure of S.S., a
waterproof and two pink-edge wads, and i^ oz. No. 3 chilled
shot. George and I killed 100 geese from 60 to 90 yards.
One day, as a joke, George fired at a flock of geese over 100
yards from him, and brought down five with one barrel, three
of them stone-dead. A flock of brant came to one side ; I
raised my gun. " Don't shoot ! " said George. I did though,
and killed two of them fully 1 1 5 yards.
William Bruce Leffingwell,
Author of ^' Shooting on Upland, Marsh, and Stream.
374 ^^^ Breech-Loader,
Dear Sir, — I performed a feat, with the Royal Quality
Ejector Gun you made for me, to-day that I think is worth
mentioning. I was out with my brother and the keeper,
snipe shooting; when near the river up got a duck and a
ni'llard and flew off down wind. I expected they would
turn and come back over us, so we got behind a high bank.
As I expected, they did come back, right over us. I fired
and hit the mallard with my first barrel, and killed him with
the left. The duck went on ; but I threw out the cases and
slipped in a No. 8 as quick as lightning, and brought down
the duck stone dead 60 yards off. This is a fair proof of
the value of an ejector gun. I shall tell my friend Lythall
of this. — Yours faithfully,
(Signed) Geo. A. Passingham.
Fermoyle, Castle Gregory, Co. Kerry,
Jan. 8th, 1895.
Extract from a letter by G. A. Passingham, Fermoyle,
Co. Kerr)^
You ask me how the gun handles. I am pleased to
say it is simply perfect in this respect, and is a most
powerful gun — by far the best shooting gun I ever had. I
have had a double 8 by Cogswell & Hnrrison, a single 4-
bore by J. & W. Tolley, and a single 8 by the same maker,
and a single 8 by a local m;m (Gallyan, of Cambridge) ; but
this gun of yours beats them all. I give you three con-
secutive shots : — Two teal out of a flock; the two aimed at
killed at no yards. One widgeon out of a flock of about
thirty, at 151 yards (measured, not stepped). Two ducks at
J 10 yards, both killed — not two out of a flock ; ihe mallard
fell dead, and the duck flew on 300 yards and fell dead.
I do not mean to say the gun is going to repeat such a
performance as this often, but the gun must shoot very
hard, for the widgeon had two No. i shot right through
him, in at the back and out at the breast, at 151 measured
And How to Use It, 375
yards ; the bird was standing in some shallow water at the
lime There is no recoil at all now ; I would
not mind pulling both the triggers at once.— Yours
faithfully,
(Signed) G. A. Pa.'SINGHAM.
P.S. — The loads used were:— Black, 6 + 2| No. i ;
Schultze, 75 + 2| No. I ; Schultze, 84 + 2^ No. i.
[Weight of gun 11^ lbs., 32-in. barrels.]
Extract from The Field, January 26tk^ 1895.
Sir, — Mr. Chapman, in his interesting articles on " Wild-
fowling," is, I think, unduly prejudiced against 4-bore and
double 8-bore guns. The idea of a 4-bore recoiling to
such an extent as to capsize a single-handed punt is absurd.
I have fired a good many shots from 4-bores, but never felt
any unpleasant recoil, using 10 drs. and 3^ ozs. of shot. As
to double 8-bore5, I maintain they are far more useful than
lo-bores ; they are handy, and much more powerful than
lo-bores. I have one of Greener's double 8-bores that is as
handy a gun as one need wish to have, and it is a very
powerful gun. I can stop duck and widgeon going down
wind when flighting at a tremendous pace, and I have shot
a snipe with it.
I should advise every wild-fowler to have in his punt a
double 8-bore ; it often comes in useful when the punt gun
canno:; be used, such as firing over a bank. I used to have
a single 4-bore and a double 8-bore and cripple-stopper in
my punt.
(Signed) G. A. Passixgh.\m.
Fermoyle, Co. Kerry, Jan. 21.
Extract from The Yl^xxy^fanuary s^h, 1895.
THE -303 RIFLE AS A SPORTING W^EAPON.
Sir, — Seeing a discussion in your columns on the "303
as a sporting weapon, I should like to say a few words about
3/6 The Breech-Loader,
a double '303 ejector built by W. W. Greener for me, a»^d
used on our hunting expedition near the Zambesi this
season.
My late father took with him a double '303 ejector built
by Reilly and Co., and he did excellent work with it at all
kinds of game, even bringing down three partridges on the
wing, and he bagged five little wildebeest with five bullets.
I and my brother had used singles before, but had not tried
the double at heavy game, such as buffalo, etc., and we were
sceptical about its killing these heavy animals. We used
the '450 and 12-bores at buffalo and elephant ; for water-
buck, wildebeest, etc., we found the Tweedie and Andrews
bullets to act well. We bagged a good percentage of hits
being able to place the shots better than with the larger
bores ; for, in spite of target practice, where the '303 might
suffer, at game, for unascertained distances, the "303 beats
the lot with its flat trajectory and lightness, being easy of
manipulation. My servant carried the double •303, and oc-
casionally I used it when firing at 100 yards. One day I
thought it mi^ht be tried at buffalo. Sallying out, I came
on a herd, and in two shots with solids — right and left —
dropped a buffalo bull and cow dead ; the bull was hit on
shoulder, and the cow received the bullet in at the rib ; it
went out of the opposite shoulder. Both lay within 20 yards
of where they received the bullet. On another occasion I
bagged two — right and left— with one bullet each ; and
bagged five buffaloes with five shots — two bulls straight
from behind with one bullet each. I also bagged buffaloes
with one shot each through the head.
Needless to say, this pretty little toy was my companion
for the remainder of the hunt. I really loved it, and always
carried it myself. At charging buffalo I was always ready,
and laid several of them low, and in some cases stopped a
charge by a well-planted shot, sending the quarry off at an
angle.
One day my brother and I were travelling through to
part of the country where the white man had seldom trod,
And How to Use It. 2>77
and, in passing through a sandy river, we observed two old
bull buffaloes lying fast asleep on the sand. Having the
camera with me, I was tempted to try a shot ; but, as we
wanted meat, and the surroundings were dense, I decided to
shoot one first and photograph him afterwards. A small
stream of water a few inches deep swept slowly past his tail,
the brush of which nearly touched it. They both lay there
unconscious of danger, when the silence of the forest was
broken by the crack of the two barrels ; the '450 passed in
on the point of the shoulder, and lodged about 15 in. in the
shoulder ; the '303 broke the shoulder and passed out on the
other side, making an ugly tear in its exit. The bull at-
tempted to rise, but found he was incapable of doing so, and
after a few struggles all was over. This was a very old bull.
With these I found the '303 bullet to pass out, the same as
with cows ; but the bulls in their prime kept the bullet in.
Cows always fall dead after running a few yards if hit in the
ribs, the bullet passing out of the shoulder.
With crocodiles we were also successful, killing twenty
of them v/ith the "303. My brother took the two eyes and
top of head out of one with an Andrews bullet ; we always
struck them through the brain and spinal cord.
With elephant they answered well ; and I put a bullet
through an elephant bull's head with a "303 solid bullet and
brought him down. The only drawback to a "303 is the
want of a blood spoor ; for game, unless struck through the
neck, brain, or spine, invariably run a few yards. This
drawback, however, is not to be considered where the
country is tolerably open : in the dense bush it is a
calamity. But then close shots can be obtained ; and at
short distances, say 30 yards, I generally fired at the head of
a buffalo. Even if I did not kill it the first shot, I noticed
that I never failed to bag it in the end, as the animals soon
stand if hit about the head.
I regretted that I did not use the -303 at lions ; but I
think, as it does its work so well at other animals, that one
need not fear using it at the carnivora. We killed a very
3/8 The Brrech-Loader,
large lion one day, and had a bit of ticklish work followinj^
him in long grass, using the '450 bores ; and he rec ived
four dead shots, and still was capable of doing mischief. If
we had used the '303, probably we should have blamed the
rifle ; but a rifle should be given a fair trial, for the best of
weipons will have their bad days. '1 his lion was the largest
we had ever killed or seen, and Mr. Rowland Ward, Picca-
dilly, is se'ting it up for us, together wiih the record giey
rhebok.
In conclusion, I think that I shall be offering good advice
by recommending intending investors in '303 arms to go to
he best makers, and get good value. The work of Greener,
Reilly, Westley Richards, etc., can be relied on ; and, al-
though a single '303 burst in my servant's hands, I do not
discard their use for all that. I see many in use in my
vicinity that leave nothing to be desired. But a double is
my fancy for any sporting weapon ; and what experienced
hunter does not remember the time that a second barrel has
saved him from a toss, or probably his life t
Henry T. Glynn.
Sabie Hall, Transvaal, Nov. 30.
Extract from The Field, /««^ u/, 1895.
Sir, — It is with pleasure I have read Mr. R. T. C.'s letter
in your issue of April 6, in connection with the '303 Rifle
as a Sporting Weapon, as it endorses all that I have said
about it. I have already stated my experience wiih it, and
can safely say that the weapon cannot be beaten for what is
called an "all-round weapon." I quite agree with Mr. C.
that a 10 bore is the weapon in dense covert with elephant
and rhino, where a blood spoor is necessary, and shots are
obtainable at 20 and 30 yards. I have ordered from Mr-
W. W. Greener a lo-bore fowling-piece, with his invisible
rifling, which will be a useful weapon in wild parts and avoid
the bother of two guns, which for customs purposes, native
carriers, etc., is a consideration.
And How to Use It. 379
Of the antelope I have killed lately with the '303, all
except one collapsed as if struck by lightning.
A duiker ram running, hit in at hip, smashed backbone,
minced meat up in its passage, and came out near the rib,
making a two-inch tear in its exit.
A duiker ram, shoulder-shot off at elbow, hanging by a
piece of skin ; bone shattered into small pieces.
A duiker ram, bullet along ribs, carried away two inches
of ribs, and exposed the heart (which partly hung out),
passed in behind the shoulder, and came out on the chest.
Bushbuck ewe, in at one ear and out at the other, making
a big tear at exit ; brain-pan smashed to pulp ; vertebrae
broken also,
Bushbuck ram, in at the short rib and out at the point
of the shoulder ; dropped on the spot.
Bushbuck ram, t^o bullets, low down in the body,
running, at 200 yards ; ugly tears where the bullet passed
out.
The above were killed uith soft-nosed lead bullets, and
the hole down the centre filled with wax. These are of Mr.
C. W. Andrew's make ; they apptar to me to destroy the
meat too much and make ghastly wounds. And when a
buck is hit on the tail, and the bullet passes along the
vertebrae, it looks as if you could roll it up. A better bullet
is the soft nose lead without a hole. This serves well at
waterbuck, sable, wildebeest, etc., as well as at smaller game.
Then there is the Tweedie bullet, with a small sofc nose,
hardly noticeable. This gives great penetration, and is
more suitable for the heavies. I have not used Jeffery's
bullet with the slits down the nickel part ; but I hear them
well spoken of. I used solids at buffalo, and did well with
them.
I may say that the -303 is fast coming into use in our
part of the country. There is nothing like practical experi-
ence with weapons ; and the powers of the -303 in the field
will astonish any hunter, especially those who have used
big -bore elephant muzzle-loaders in their day. It is hard to
380 The Breech-Loader.
get over the prejudice against these tiny instruments of de-
struction ; and if the first shot or two be failures, the weapon
is discarded — the prejudiced man forgetting the fact that
every weapon has its bad days.
I should not recommend a military arm. I had one, and
it nearly disgusted me against the '303. But since I have
my double "303, I think there is no handier and better
weapon, and I do not fear facing anything with it.
It is needless to point out the great advantage of having
a cartridge that is almost smokeless. A friend of mine,
hunting in Nyassaland this season, complained bitterly
about the smoke of his "450 bore. And many an accident
has occurred, or head of game been lost, through this
drawback.
To conclude, I can confidently recommend the "303 as a
sporting rifle. Its flat trajectory places it as a sporting
weapon a long way ahead of an> other rifle ; and the velocity
of the bullet is so great that one can take aim at a crossing
buck, where, with other rifles, you have to take aim into
space ahead. It wants attention in cleaning, and wire
brushes must be used.
(Signed) Henry T. Glynn.
Sabie Hall, Transvaal, May 2.
INDEX.
Ability to shoot, 225
Abuse of guns, 117
Accuracy of rifles, 327, 360
Action springs. Cost of, 128
Actions, Clogged, 114
Adjustable try -gun, 104
Adjustment of ejector guns, 34
Advantages of ejector guns, 34, 71
Africa, Rifles suitable lor, 336
Ahead, Holding, 226 et seq.
Aiming, Hints upon, 230
Alexander, Col. G. D., on buckshot, 47
Aligner, Oliver's, 107
Alignment for various shots, 228
Allowances in aiming, 228
Altering bend. Cost of, 127
Altering guns, 130
American gun stock, 82
Anson and Deeley hammerless sys-
tem, 26
Anvils, Difference in, 195
Approaching shots, 233
Art of wing shooting, 223 ei seq.
Ascending shots, 234
Automatic safeties, 35
Back-action locks, 25
Bad position illustrated, 240
Baker, Sir S., on large bore rifles, 311
Balance, 84
Ball guns, 178
Bar .ocks, 25
Barrel welding, 5
Barrels, Bursting strain of, 187 ; com-
parative qualities of various 9 ;
methods of making, 3 ; of different
gauge for one gun, 79 ; safe to
use when rusted, 9 ; Whit worth's
steel for, 12 ; varieties of, 3 ;
wrought steel for, 8
Beginner, Hints to the, 212
Belgian gun-barrels, 6
Bend of a gun, 81
Bent stock for left eye, 98
Best gun. Definition of a, 73
Best records at the trap, 271 et seq.
Big game. Rifles for, 345
Birmingham proof house, 62
Blue Rocks, 259
Bogardus, Capt. A. H. ; his be^i
score, 271
Bores, Capabilities of various, 149
et seq.
Boundaries, Pigeon shooting, 262
Boxes, Grouse, 247
Brass and paper case guns, 52
Brass cases for duck guns, 39
Brass cases, How to load, 176
Breech-action, Definition of, 18
Brewer, Captain, Gun used by, 45;
his position at the trap, 108
Bringing up the gun, 228
" Brown Bess," 295
Brunswick rifle, 295
Buck-shot in choke-bores, 47
Bulge in Greener's steel barrel, 15
Bulging of steel barrels, 11
Bullet, Jacob's, 297
Bullets for chokes, 180; for large
game, 334 et seq.; varieties of, 336
Bull's-eye as seen over rifle, 363
Bursting strain of gun-barrels, 186
Bursts m steel barrels, 12 et seq.
Cap-chambers, 196
Capabilities of guns, 142, 146, 149
et seq.
Cape guns, 46
Carrying a gun, 216, 217
Cartridge-cases, 190
Cartridge chamber, Form of, 16
Cartridges, How to preserve, 131
Carver, Dr. W. , Gun used by, 68
Cast off. Definition of, 84
Cast over gun-stock, 98
Cast steel barels, 11
382
Index.
Cautions, ir6
Chamber of barrel, i6
Champfered butt plate, 86
Chicago gun trial, 289
Choice of a gun, 53 ; of a rifle, 349
et seq.
Choke, Amount of, 164
Choke-bore rifles, 342
Choke-bored duck guns, 37
Choke-bores, on game, 370 et seq.
Choke-bores, Belgian barrel unsuit-
able for, 6
Choke-boring, History of, 133
Choosing a gun to fit, loi
Circle-jointing, 64
Clay pigeons, 280
Cleaning guns. Directions for, 11 3
et seq.
Close shooting cartridge, 174
Cocking mechanism of ejector, 32
Coil-mainsprings for hammerless
guns, 30
Collector's rifles, 360
Comb, Definition of, 81
Conical bullets, 347
Continental style of shooting, 109 ]
Contraction of barrel, 165 j
Conversion of guns, 130 !
Cost, of guns 72 ; of new barrels, I
79 ; dependent upon workmai,- ;
ship, 80 ; repairs, 125
Counting shot, 200
Cover shooting, 236
Cross-bolt mechanism, 24
Cross-bolt, Advantage of, 24
Cross-eyed gun-stocks, 96
Cross shots, 231, 233, 242
Crusher gauge, 186
Cylinders v. Chokes, 155, 168, 170
Damascus gun-barrels. Varieties of, 5
Damascus gun-barrels, how made, 4
Damascus iron, 4
Danger of cheap guns, 56
Daw's central-fire gun, 2
Dents in barrel, 126
Dents, To remove, 129
Descending shots, 234
Detachable muzzles, 134, 138
Detergents, 119
Diagrams, Facsimile, "yi-] et seq., 360
Difficult wing shots, 234
Dirt in gun actions, 114
Dimensions of gun-stocks, 8i et seq.
Distribution of pellets, 156
Division of shooters, Where danger-
ous, 255
Doing up old guns, 127
" Doll's Head" breech-action, 24
"Dominion" gun, 24
Double-grip mechanism, 20
Double rifle, 346
Drill, 212
Drives, How to organise, 245
Drop-down breechloader, Inventor
of, 2
Duck guns, 37
Echelon, Definition of, 252
Eight -bore guns, 38
Ejector guns. How to put together,
113
Elephant rifles, 345 ; shooting of, 329
Elevation of gun-rib, 103
Elliot's position at traps, 213
Enfield rifle, 301
English gun-barrels, 61
English gun-s'ock, 82
Etiquette of the field, 244 et seq.
Expansion bullets, 297
Expensive guns, 74
Experimental barrels, 12, 15, 17
Expert shot. How to become an, 226
Explosives, Composition of, 18 r,
183 ; qualities of, 185 ; differ-
ence in grain of, 181 ; " E. C,, "
183 ; inflaming points of, 185 ;
"S. S.," 184; "Schultze," 183
Express rifles, Varieties of, 322 et seq.
Extra barrels, 79
Extra limbs, 128
"Facile Princeps " hammerless sys-
tem, 28
Facsimile patterns, 158-163, 169
Fallow deer and the Winchester
rifle, 352
Fairburn's choke, 166
Fastenings for fore-ends, 19
Faults of cheap guns, 55
Favourite makers, 148
" Field " rifle, 338
" Field " gun trials, 137
Figured gun-barrels, 62
Finish of guns, 73
Fire-arms. First use of, i
Firing point of explosives, 185
Index.
383
First notice of choke-boring, 136
Fit of guns, 100
Fitness of steel for gun barrels, 12
Fleming on shooting, 224
" Fleur de Lys'' on duck gn^ns, 41, 43
Flight of a load of shot, 151, 156
FUnt-lock musket, i
Force at impact, 149 et seq. See
also Penetration
Fore-end, Definition of, 18
Fore-end ejecting mechanisms, 34
Fore-pnrt, Definition of, 18
Fore-sights, 355
" Forester " hammerless gun, 27
Forged names on guns, 59
Forsyth's rifle, 312
Foul barrels. How cleaned, 120
Four-bore guns, 38
Four-grooved rifle, 297
Freeing a gun, 116
French proof-house, 62
Front-action 1< cks, 25
Full-choke, Definition of, 165
Game gun. Specification of a, 149
Game guns. Standard gauge for, 45
Game preserving. Where possible, 253
German grip, 93
Glass ball shooting, 279
Good V. cheap guns, 53
Gould, Mr. A. C, on American
rifles, 351
Greener z\ Mini6, 300
Greenerian bullet, 297
Greener's system of choke-' orinj,
167 ; of hammerless, 27 ; shot
counter, 201 ; unbreakable stock,
90 ; wedge-fast mechanism, 63 ;
wrought steel barrels, 13
Greys in g^n barrels, 8
Griffith, R. W. S., on velocities, 154
Ground game. How to shoot at, 233
Grouse driving, 247
Gun-barrel iron, 3
Gun-barrels, English, 61
Gun-cases, 203
Gun-implements, 203
Gun-locks, How to take apart, 123
Gunpowders, 181 et seq. See also
Explosives
Gun-room, The, 130
Guns, How to store, 131
Guns of odd sizes, 51
Half-choke, Definition of, 165
Half-pistol hand, 90
Hammer, Hammerless, and ejector
guns compared, 69 et s^q.
Hammerless gun-lock. Parts of, 22
Hammerless gun-locks. Ho at to strip,
124
Hammerless tumblers. Cost of, 127
Hammerless system. Origin of, 26
Hammers, Cost of, 127
Handling in the field, 218
Hare-shooting, 254
Heavy guns, 51
Hebler-Krnka bullet, 305
Heel, Definition of, 81
Henry's bullet and rifling, 303
" High-Life" shells, 192
Hints on trap-shooting, 266
Holding ahead, 226 et seq.
Holding the gun, 215
" Hold on " aiming, 229
Hollow ribs, 80
Horn before guard gun-stock, 93
Horn grip guard, 93
Homsey Wood grounds, 261
How experts shoot, 286 et seq.
How guns should work, 114
How to clean guns, 118
How to load shot guns, 172 et seq.
How to repair guns, 128
How to shoot a rifle, 363
How to store g^ns, 130
How to use guns, 211
Ignition, 193, 194. 196
Impedimenta. 206
Implements, 128, 132, 203
Importance of fit, 97
Improved cylinders, Definition of, 165
Improving cylinder barrels, 1^7
Inanimate bird shooting, 278
Inferiority of hammer guns, 69
Intercepting safety bolts, 35
Interchangeable sights 355
Iron Damascus barrels, 7
Ivory fore- sights, 355
Jacob's rifle, 296
Jamming. Causes of, 116
Jump in firing rifles, 318
Kentucky rifles, 014
Killing circles, 167 et seq.
Kites, Use of, 253
KoUner invents rifling, 294
384
Index.
Kotter invents spiral grooves, 294
Krnka tubular bullet, 305
Laminated steel barrels, 6
Large b- re guns, 37, 142
Large shot decreases strain, 78
Lee-Metford rifles, 315
Lefaucheux breech - loader, 2 ;
mechanism, 26
Lengthening cartridge chambers, 79
Lengths of gun-stock, 87
Level ribs, 80
Levelling muzzles when aiming, 241
Liege gun-barrel proof, 62
Limbs, Additional, 128
Loaded guns in vehicles, 221
Loading cartridges, 198
Loading, Positions for, 219
Loads, Standard, 37
Loads for wild-fowl guns, 41
Lock-work, Definition of, 19
London gun trials, 137 et seq.
Long -barrel led guns, 46
Long cartridges in short chambers, ']']
Long, J. W., on boring, 134
Long range v. Express rifle trajec-
tories, 314
Long shots, 290 et seq., 369 et seq.
Lubricants, 119
Lyman's sights, 356
Mabbeiley's detachable muzzle, 138
Machine, Greener's, for counting
shot, 200
Machine-made guns, 58
Magazine cartridge, 205
Magazine rifle, 338
" Magnum" wildfowl gun, 38
Mainsprings, Cost of, 127
Manufacture of guns, 61 et seq.
Marks of proof houses, 63
Marksmanship, '^23 et seq.
Marolles, M. , on gun-boring, 133
Martini-Henry rifle, 303
Measures of a gun, 81
Mechanism, A. & D., 27 ; of the
breech-action, 64 ; of the gun-
lock, 21. ^V^ a/5tf Hammekless
"" Medium " wildfowl gun, 38
Metford rifling, 304
Millbank, Sir F, A., shooting by,
292 et seq.
Miniature rifles, 357
Mini(^ bullet, 299
Modern guns, Highest class of, 32
Modern style, Shooting in, 243
Modified chokes, Loads for, 172
Muscular sense aligns gun, 225
Muzzle-loaders, To load, 221 ; how to
strip, 124
Naturalists' guns, 51
Needham's ejector, 32
New York gun trial, 289
Nitro-compounds, 183, et seq. See
Explosives
Nitro powders in duck guns, 42
Of holding on, 235 et seq.
Oliver's sight aligner, 107
Ornamentation, Increased cost due
to, 80
Origin of the Express, 313
Overhead shots, Position for, 239
Overheating steel barrels, 14
Overloading, 177
Packs, How to shoot, 252
Partridge driving, 246 ; stalking, 252
Parts of the gun-lock, 21
Patchy patterns, How caused, 177
Patent wad for scatter charge, 175, 180
Pattern, Definition of, 140, 152; made
with duck-guns, 38 ; highest, 157;
killing, 158, i6Setseq., 162
Patterns, Facsimile, 158, 163, 169
Penetration, 149 et seq. ; how tested,
141 ; of rifle bullets, 319.
Percussion guns, 2
" Perkes's" ejector, 34
Personal error in aiming, 224
Petroleum as a lubricant, 120
Pheasant driving, 247
Physiology of aiming, 224
Pigeon gun, Definition of, 145 ;
weight of, 45,
Pigeon shooting, 257 et seq. See also
Trap-Shooting
Pin-fire system, 2
Pistol grip, 82
Pointing guns. An offence, 211
Poly groove rifling, 311
" Poking " shots, 236
Posiiions, Bad, 240 ; correct, 216,
217 ; for driven game, 221 ; for
loading, 219, 222 ; for tifle-
shooting, 363 ; various, 88, 89,
no, 237 et seq., 241.
Preserving, Hints on game, 253
Index.
385
Pressures, 187
Prettiest of shots, 234
Prices of guns, 72
Primers, 195. See Igxitiox.
Processes of gun-barrel making, 4
Proof-houses, 62 ; proof-marks, 63
Proof of steel shot-gun barrels, 1 1
Pull off, Weight of, 207
Pulling apparatus for traps, 260
Pulling the trigger, 214
Putting guns together, Directions for,
113
Quartering shots, 233
Quick shots, Methods of, 242
Rabbit rifles, 357
Rabbit shooting, 255
Range, 154
Range of sporting rifles, 327
Ratio in flight of bird and pellets, 227
Rational gun-stock, 94 ; loads, 173 ;
stock. Shooting with, 89
Reboring, Cost of, 127
Rebounding gun-lock. Inventor of, 2 ;
mechanism of, 21 ; for hammer-
less, 32
Rebrowning, Cost of, 127
Recess, Choke-boring, 166
Record-scores, Best at inanimate
birds, 285 et seq.
Registration of pressures, 187
Reloading cartridges, 199
Remarks on weight of guns, 51
Removing choke, Cost of, 127
Repairs, 125
Report of gun trials, 137 et seq.
Resorts, Pigeon shooting, 258
Re-stocking, cost of, 127
Ribs. 80
Riddling, a superstition, 168
Rifle and shot guns, 340
Rifle cartridges, 325 et seq.
Rifle chokes, 342
•' Rifleite," 343
Rifle ShootiiNG, 362 et seq.
Risky shots, 249
Rook-rifles, 357
Roper-muzzle, 134
Russian tallow as lubricant, 119
Safe-handling of guns, 211
Safety bolts, 35
Saltpetre, t8i
Sanderson, Col. G. P., on rifles, 348
Scalding barrels, 120
Scatter loads, 175, 180
Scelp twi-t gun-barrels, 4
" Schultze," 183
Scott, W. , Record score by, 272
Secondary scears, 36
Second-hand guns, 59
Selecting buck-shot, 178
i Self-acting ejector gun, 34
j Seloiis, F. L. , on long-range rifles, 350
I Setting gun-stocks. Cost of, 127
■ Shaky breech-actfons. Cause ot, 117
I Shape of gun-stocks, 81 et seq.
Shells. 190 et seq. See Cartridges
Shooting, How to obtain best, 244
Shooting positions, 88, 89, no, 216,
219, 221, 237, 241, 363
Shooting. See PATTERN, PENETRA-
TION, Velocity, etc.
Shop-worn guns, 60
6hort-barrels, Shooting of 149, 157
Short cartridges in long chambers, 77
Shortening barrels, 78
Shortest barrel for good shooting, 78
Shot, First use of, i ; sizes of, 191 ;
varieties of, 188
Shot-guns as ball-guns, 179
Shot spreaders, 175, 180
Shot-wads must be thin, 78
Side-lever mechanism, 20
Side-lock hammerless guns, 29
Siemens steel for gun-barrels, 14
Sight aligner, Oliver's, 107
Sights, Rifle, 354
Single rifles, 336
Slamming up guns, 209
Small bore duck guns, 44 ; game
guns, 49
Small charges in long cases, 78
Small shot increases stra'n, 78
Small shootings. How to work. 244
Smokeless lifle-powders, 343
Snap fore-end fastenmgs, 19
Snap-shooting. 235
Soundness of the cross-bolt gun, 68
Speed of birds. 226
Speed of ejector guns, 71
Spherical ball lifle, 319
I "Sporting Life " cartridges, 196
I Sporting long range rifles, 320
; Sporting Martini rifle, 338
Sporting weapon, -303 as. 375
386
Index.
Spread. 153. See also Vxx'X'E.v.'^
Springing of gun-stocks, 92
Spurious guns, 58
Standard lengths and weights, 37
Steel barrels, Experiments with, 11
Steel barrels, How made, 10
Steel for gun-barrels, 8
Steel-pointed bullets, 343
Steel preferabl-^ to Damascus, 10
Sterling steel gun-bairds, 14
Stock, Definition of, 19
Stock, To splice, when broken, 130
" Stonehenge " on breech-mechan-
i.ms, 25
Storing hammerless guns, 36
Stra=ght-away shots, 230
Straight-hand gun-stock, 82
Straigh'-ribs, 80
Straight-stock gun, Shooting with, 88
Strain increased by using smaller
shot, 78
Strain upon breech - mechanism,
Direction of, 23
Strength of Greener's cross-bolt, 68 ;
of steel barrels, 13
Stringing of pellets, 151
Stripping guns. Directions for, 121
Swamped -ribs, 80
Swedish wads, 196
" Swing '' shots, 228
Table of results of public gun tri lis, 289
Targets, 140
Temporary repairs, 128 et seq.
Ten-bore guns, 44
Test, Live pigeon as a, 164
Testing explosives, 183
Testing triggers, 209
Tests lor duck guns, 40'
Thickness of gun-barrels, 16
Thick wads not to be used over
shot, 78
Tightening breech-mechanism, 127
Time occupied in ignition, 195
Time required to aim and shoot, 227
Toe, Definition of, 84
Top-connections, 67
Top-lever breech-fastenings, 23
Trade guns, 55
Trajectories compared, 306 et seq.
" Trap" gun, 24; definition of a, 145
Trap-shooting, 257 <?/ seq. ; hints en,
266 ; inanimate bird, 282 ;
positicn in, 213 ; rules o^",
Huriingham, 362 ei seq, ; 1. B.
S. A., 278
Traps, Pigeon-shooting, 258
Treble wedge-fast mechanism, 25
Triggers, 90 ; pull of, 207 ; safety
bolts for, 35
Tiue cylinder, Shooting of, 165, i63
Trustworthiness of steel barrels, 10
Tubular bullets, 305
Turner's detachable muzzle, 138
Turpentine as a detergent, 119
Tweedie's bullet, 321
j Twisted gun-barrels, 4
Two pairs of barrels to one gun, 79
I Types of modern guns, 20 et seq.
Unamended shooting, 97
Unbre.ikable gun-stock, 90
Unsuitable wads, 177
! Use of choke-boring, 165 ; good
j carlridges, 117
Value of guns, 53
Various steels used for gun-barrels, 16
Vehicles, Loaded guns in, 219
Velocities, Tables of, 149, 152, 155;
rifle, 333
Wadding for nitros, 174 ; varieties
of, 197
\ Wads cause barrels to burst, 13
I Wads, Swedish, 196
I Waiting for driven game, 220
I Walking in line, 249
Walnut wood for gun-stocks, 19
Walsh, J. H. , on breech mechanisms,
25
Waste in gun-making, 73
Weakness of welded barrels, 9
I Weight reduced by shortening
I barrels, 78
Welded barrels, weaknesses of, 9
Westley-Richards' breech-action, 66
Wheel-lock musket, i
Whitworth bullet, 302
Whitworth's steel gun-barrels, 12
Wild fowl guns, 37, 142
" Winchester " rifles, 351
Winners of the Grand Prix, 278
Winans and Sinnock wads, 175, 180
Woodcock shooting, 254
Workmanship in good guns, 74, 76
! Wrought steel for gun-barrels, 8
I '' Young Nimrod," Best score by, 285
I
Henry C. Squires & Son,
20, CORTLANDT STREET,
NE'W YORK,
General Dealers in Sportsmen's Supplies,
ARE SOLE AGENTS FOR
W. W. GREENER'S GUNS
IN THE UNITED STATES.
A very large store of Guns of all grades
can always be seen.
Also Ammunition, Fishing Tackle,
Dog Furnishing,
Tourist and Camping Goods,
Trunks,
Athletic Goods, etc. etc.
HENRY C. SQUIRES & SON,
Importers and Dealers,
20, COKTLANDT STBEET,
New York City,
Prices of
W. W. GREENER'S
BREECH-LOADING GUNS,
WITH ALL THE LATEST IMPROVEMENTS.
HAMMER GUNS.
Grade A. Greener's "Dominion" Gun, Top-lever Double-
Bolted Snap Breech action, with Greener's
Treble-wedge-fast bolt ; handles well, and
will shoot and wear to the satisfaction of any
sportsman ... ... <^9 9 o
Grade B. A Top-lever Gun, with either Bar or Back action,
Laminated or " Siemens " Steel Barrels ... lo lo o
Grade E. Greener's ''■Forester'''' Gun, Treble-wedge-fast
Cross-bolt, Rebounding locks, Front action.
Engine-turned rib, neatly finished, and
slightly engraved ... ... ... ... 13 ^3 o
Grade E. I. Greener's "Far-killer " 1616 o
Grade E. 2. Superior make and finish... ... ... ... 21 o o
Better qualities, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 guineas.
Grade E. Royal Quality 57 ^5 o
SINGLE BARRELLED GUNS
From 5 to 10 guineas.
HAMMER DUCK GUNS.
Single Barrel 8-bore Duck Guns from 13 guineas.
,, ,, 4-bore ,, ,, ,, 20 ,,
Double ,, 8-bore ,, „ ,, 16 ,,
,, ,, 4-bore „ ., ,,25 ,,
HAMMERLESS DUCK GUNS,
Single Barrel 8-bores from 30 guineas.
,, „ 4-bores „ 35 „
Double ,, 8-bores ,, 30 ,,
„ ,, 4-bores ,,4° m
GREENER'S HAMMERLESS GUNS.
The *' Facile Princeps " lock mechanism, the celebrated Treble-wedge-
fast Breech Mechanism, patent side Safety Bolt, with which these guns arc
fitted, have given every satisfaction in all parts of the world.
Grade D. Hammerless Gun on the famous A. & D. principle
Grade I). I. Hammerless Gun, engraved
Grade F. A plainly finished, well-made, Hammerless Gun
withr>ut engraving
Grade F. i. Better quality, neatly finished and engraved
Grade F. 2. With "Greener's Steel" or English Laminated
Steel Barrels ... ... ... ... ... 26 5
This Type of Gun, 12-bore, can be made, with 27-inch barrels,
as light as 5f lbs.
Better qualities, 30, 35, 40, and 45 guineas.
Royal Quality, £'^'j 15s.
^13
13
0
14
14
0
16
16
0
21
0
0
W. W. GREENER'S SELF-ACTING
EJECTOR GUNS.
Grade M. Cheapest Ejector Gun, thoroughly sound work-
manship ... ... ... ... ... ... ;^26
Grade G. The highest development of the Sporting Shot
Gun, neatly engraved, and well finished ... 31
Better qualities, 35, 40, 45, and 50 guineas.
Grade G. Royal, Royal Quality, being the very best, both
as to material and workmanship ; the Barrels,
"Greener's Steel," best Laminated Steel, or
finest English Damascus ; and the Gun most
tastefully finished and artistically engraved with
sporting scenes or fine scroll design ... ... 63
SINGLE-TRIGGER GUNS.
3V O T I C E.
W. W. Greener's latest success, THE PATENT
"SELECTIVE" SINGLE-TEIGGER MECHANISM,
by which EITHER Barrel can be fired instantly and
at ivill by pulling the same Trigger, will be applied to
Hammerless Guns of 30 Guineas and upwards, and
Ejectors of 35 Guineas and upwards, at an extra price
of FIVE GUINEAS.
Tlie Standard Work upon Firearms.
The Gdn amd its Development.
With Notes on Shooting.
SiJCth Edition.
Revised and Brought Down to Date,
virith many Additions, containing
some 550 Illustrations, 750 Pages.
Price 10/6.
THE GUN AND ITS DEVELOPMENT" contains a lull
history of Early Firearms, Cannon, and Gunpowder, and
traces the evolution of the Modern Military Rifle and Sporting
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has been thoroughly revised, added to, and brought down to
date by varied additions.
A few Opinions of the Press.
" Written with creditable fairness." — Tke Times.
• ' We can cordially recommend the book to our readers. " — The Field.
"An elaborate and comprehensive treatise." — Turf, Fields and
Fai-f/i {New York).
"Artistic in character, and full of entertainment."' — Illustrated Loiuioii
Neii-s.
"A comprehensive encyclopaedia. ... An invaluable book of
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ture of firearms." — Forest and Stream {New York).
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SIXTH EDITION now ready, price 10/6.
MESSRS. CHAS. SCRIBNER'S SONS, NEW YORK.
^<R. W. GREENEK,
6«, HAlMdRKIJT, LONDON, S.W.: and
PRIZE WORKS, ST. MARIS SQUARE, BIRMINGJlAM.
mimU HUMAIE CATTLE KILLER.
This admirable invention consists of a short rifled
barrel chambered to receive a small cartridge v/ith
steel-pointed bullet. It is terminated by a bell- shaped
chamber which serves to deaden the sound, protect
the operator from the flash of the explosion, and to
direct the bullet through the brain into the spinal
cord, thus avoiding the necessity of pithing. The
animal is killed instantly, and can be bled without
danger.
This instrument in no ivay offsets the flavour of the
meat, and kills old hulls as easilf/ as coirs.
" The test was very successful, and Mr. Gough, a butcher of large experience, con-
siders the explosive method far superior to any in use at the present time." — Birmingham
Daily Mail.
"The animal's death was instantaneous, and if that were all, the advantage of the new
machine over the poll-axe would be consi lerable." — Birmingham. Daily Post.
"The usual painful operation of pithing is not necessary, and this was borne out by
yesterday's experiment." — Birmingham Daily Gazette.
"I have used it in my slaughter-house for upwards of six months and have never
known it fail. The effect is instantaneous, killing the beast immediately."
Ekui.ngton. J. H. RYMOND.
TO BE OBTAINED ONLY FROM
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W. W, GREENER'S Order Form.
Name-
Address
Description of Breech. Action-
No. and Page in Price List
Price and Terms
Gauge
Length of Barrels-
Weight of Gun
Shooting— Left Barrel
Right Barrel-
Stock Bend - at Bump, at Comb ^-
„ Length at Centre, at Toe, at Bump '^^
,, Cast-off ^
If Pistol Hand, &c.^
Fore-end » Locks-
Finish — » Sight-
Engraving » ^^^ —
Safety required
When to be finished ^
Gun Case No » ^^^°®-
Remarks and Shipping Instructions
THE BREECH-LOADER
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WITH NOTES ON RIFLES
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W. W. GREENER
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