42-1 LEAVIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



distance up the barrel, either in the shape of a wad, ball, or any 

 other accidental obstruction such as before mentioned. 



Altliough the internal pressure first produced at the moment of 

 ignition be not sufficient to burst the barrel asunder at the breech, 

 the sudden shock occasioned by the resistance of the obstruction, 

 though not equal to the first force generated at the breech end, 

 might be, however, quite sufficient to tear the barrel to pieces at 

 the point of contact. 



RECOIL. 



The recoil — or, as it is vulgarly called, '■Hhe kick — of a gun' 

 may be produced by several causes, all of which, however, have 

 their primary origin in the projectile force of the powder, or rather 

 in the resistance offered to the expansive fluid generated by the 

 ignition or explosion of a mass of powder. In all fire-arms of 

 perfect construction the recoil is in proportion to the friction or 

 resistance offered during the exit of the shot from the barrels; 

 and it is only when this resistance, or rather the consequence of 

 this resistance, — the i^ecoil, — becomes disagreeable to the shooter, 

 that we look for the cause and the remedy, as there must, of course, 

 under every circumstance, be some recoil in fire-arms, no matter 

 how perfect the barrels may be in their construction. 



Imperfections in the manufacture of the barrels are fruitful 

 sources of reaction in shot-guns; and, if they are not perfectly 

 symmetrical in their bore and smooth throughout their entire sur- 

 face, the piece will rebound more or less severely at every dis- 

 charge, no matter how small a quantity of powder may be used. 

 If the barrel be wider at one point than at another, although this 

 difference may not be perceptible to the eye, the repercussion will 

 be greatly increased ; as, the shot being somewhat arrested in its 

 progress through the barrel, the impelling force of the powder 

 exerts itself so much the more to overcome the barrier, and thus 

 creates a back-action, which spends itself upon the breech. A 

 recoil produced from such a cause is of a most dangerous character, 

 and will eventually burst the weapon, as it is impossible for barrels 



