H 
RECOIL GEARING FOR PUNT-GUNS 189 
this spring gear for a double punt-gun, yet it could be adapted 
' for such a weapon by placing the spring under the barrels, 
similar to the method employed in the Colonel Hawker spring. 
The design herewith is one of entire! originality on our part. 
We specially recommend it for firing a big gun from the bows 
of a light sailing boat. By the aid of this spring a large gun 
can be safely fired without any inconvenience whatever. This 
gear is found by our experiments to be so strong, if made 
Recoil Gear for Swivel-Gun mounted in the bow of rowing boat 
(Plan) 
exactly to our specification, that no breeching-rope need be 
employed as an addition to safety, provided the fastenings of 
the bed-plate to the boat are perfectly secure. For punting, 
our choice is the stout breeching-rope by itself. The reasons 
of our choice we state in another part. Our gear, like most 
other spring recoils, has no elevator, and on this account, be- 
sides others, we do not advise its use, or any other steel spring, 
aboard a punt. Of course, elevating gear could be arranged 
in its working, but not without extensive additions. All spring 
gears of this kind require close attention to all their working 
parts, to keep them free from sand and rust. This matter alone 
is one which goes a long way towards putting them out of 
