CHINESE SPORTSMAN AND WEAPONS 215 



The bend is carefully filed on the outside 

 and the vent spliced in a suitable place. 

 The priming pan is added in such a man- 

 ner as to meet the special requirements of 

 the shooter, whether right-handed or left- 

 handed. The barrel is mounted on a pistol 

 stock, fitted with a spring cock and trigger 

 and fastened on the outside of the stock 

 near the breech, the barrel being fastened 

 to the stock by moveable thin silver bands, 

 each from a half to one inch in width. 

 The barrel is then removed from the stock, 

 made red hot over a slow fire and rubbed 

 over with some wild grass which, on 

 touching the barrel, turns it a fine dark 

 blue. After this process the barrel is 

 again mounted on its simple stock and 

 presents rather a handsome appearance. 



Now that the shooter has his new gun 

 ready for use he loads it with home made 

 powder and shot and fires it by a slow match 

 ingenously applied to the priming powder 

 by the beak of the cock when the trigger 

 is pulled. As stated, the ammunition as 

 well as the gun, and as well as the imple- 

 ments for carrying the ammunition, are all 

 of home manufacture, and usually made by 

 the shooter. The powder is made almost 



