14 IMPLEMENTS FOR COLLECTING, AND THEIR USE. 



ments with a wet (not dripping) rag, and then with an oiled 

 one. For the full wash use cold water first ; it loosens dirt 

 better than hot water. Set the barrels in a pail of water ; 

 wrap the end of the cleaning rod with tow or cloth, and pump 

 away till j'onr arms ache. Change the rag or tow, and the 

 water too, till they both stay clean for all the swabbing you 

 can do. Fill the barrels with boiling water till they are well 

 heated ; pour it out, wipe as dry as possible inside and out, 

 and set them by a fire. Finish with a light oiling, inside and 

 out ; touch up all the metal about the stock, and polish the 

 wood-work. Do not remove the locks oftener than is neces- 

 sary ; every time they are taken out, something of the exqui- 

 site fitting that marks a good gun ma}^ be lost ; as long as they 

 work smoothly take it for granted they are all right. The 

 same direction applies to nipples. To keep a gun well, under 

 long disuse, it should have had a particularly thorough cleaning ; 

 the chambers should be packed with greasy tow ; greased wads 

 may be rammed at intervals along the barrels ; or the baiTcls 

 may be filled with melted tallow. Neat's-foot is recommended 

 as the best easily-procured oil ; porpoise-oil Avhich is, I believe, 

 used by watch-makers, is the very best ; the oil made for use 

 on sewing machines is excellent ; " olive " oil (made of lard) 

 for table use answers the purpose. The quality of any oil 

 may be im^jroved b}' putting in it a few tacks, or scraps of 

 zinc, — the oil expends its rusting capacity in oxidizing the 

 metal. Inferior oils get "sticky." One of the best prevent- 

 ives of rust is mercurial ("blue") ointment : it may be freel}^ 

 used. Kerosene will remove rust ; but use it sparingly for it 

 " eats" sound metal too. 



§9. To LOAD A GUN eflfectivcly requires something more 

 than knowledge of the facts that the powder should go in 

 before the shot, and that each should have a wad a-top. Prob- 

 ably the most nearly universal fault is use of too much shot 

 for the amount of powder ; and the next, too mucli of both. 

 The rule is hulk for hulk of powder and shot ; if not exactly 

 this, then rather less shot than powder. It is absurd to sup- 



