A/i Unpublislied Manuscript. 



4ii 



To try the gun, first, as to its suiting' 

 you, having found a weight which you 

 like and a nice delicate grip, fix both 

 your eyes steadily on any object, a nail 

 head on the wall or a pattern in the 

 paper. Raise the gun slowly and stead- 

 ily to your eye. Close the left eye, 

 look along the barrel, and if the object 

 is fairly covered, the gun suits you and 

 you can shoot with it. If not, go on 

 trying to find one that will. 



But to be sm-e of a good gun, go to a 

 good known maker. He will give you 

 means of trying, so as to ensure fitting 

 you, as to grip, bend of the stock, weight, 

 etc. — for in order to shoot well your gun 

 must fit you as well as your coat — and will 

 receive your order as to weight, price, 

 etc., and if you are not suited it will be 

 your own fault. 



As to prices, Mr. Krider can turn out 

 a perfectly safe and sound common 

 gun, which will shoot, not like his best 

 guns, but well enough for ordinary 

 work, for about thirty dollars ; for fifty 

 dollars he can turn out a gun of which no 

 sportsman need be ashamed, and which 

 will do its work quick, clean, decisively 

 and creditably to the satisfaction of all 

 parties concerned ; and, from that up- 

 wards to one hundred and fifty dollars, 

 one, which if it can be beat at all, will be 

 very hard to beat, which will be beautiful 

 enough in finish, proportions and every- 

 thing, to fill its own place respectably 

 against a handsome London gun ; and 

 which I would rather have than any 

 Birmingham gun, not excluding Dean 

 & Adams', Westley Richards', or El- 

 lice's, that ever was turned out. 



Mullin's scale of prices are much 



about the same, and his work very 



similar to Krider's. 



On and after January 1, 1897, the Ameri- 

 can Angler will be exclusively devoted to 

 angling and its cognate themes, and the 

 subscription price will be reduced to ONE 

 DOLLAR. 



Do this and you will have a good gun. 



Don't, and perhaps you will get your 

 head blown off ; but if you do, don't 

 blame me. 



Every man who wants a gun and can 

 afford to have one, can afford to pay 

 twenty-five dollars for one. If not, let 

 him wait till he can. It will be a 

 cheaper way to him than to buy a 

 Brummagen at $12, and at the end of 

 six months find himself without any gun 

 — burst ? any hand — blown off ! a large 

 doctor's bill — to pay ! 



At all events, if no accident happens, 

 the having a good piece that will work, 

 will amply compensate the delay which 

 saved him from getting a piece of use- 

 less trash. 



As to sportsmen, who keep guns for 

 pleasure, / say they can always afford 

 to give from $50 to $150 for a gun, or 

 else they can't afford to shoot for pleas- 

 ure at all ; and had better let it alone. 



They can't get a real good one for 

 less ; and if they shoot knowingly and 

 intentionally with a bad gun, they are 

 not sportsmen. 



If you want to import a high-priced 

 English gun, go to any respectable gnn- 

 makcr, not gunseller, and say " I want 

 a Manton, a Purday, a Lancaster, or 

 anybody you please ; there is my check, 

 or my security, or my order, if he 

 knows you, get me a first-rate fifty- 

 guinea gun." Weight, so and so. 

 Write a private letter, if you please, to 

 the English builder, and you will get 

 the genuine thing. 



I have done so more than once, and 

 never failed attaining my object. 



Now you know how to buy a good 

 gun as well as I do, or as any one in the 

 world who is not a practical gunsmith. 



How to Try a Gnu. — Load with its 

 usual charge of powder and .shot, which 

 ascertain from the maker, and observe 

 carefully. 



