MUZZLE-LOADING PUNT-GUNS 197 
a mistake to think that the quick loading of a punt-gun is a 
matter of importance. Really it is one of small moment. 
To load a large fowling-gun easily and quickly by opening the 
breech may be more pleasant than loading from the muzzle ; 
but we think that is all which can be said of this improvement. 
In actual fowling afloat, there is usually plenty of time to load. 
Three shots a day (unless random shots are unwisely taken), 
or four at the most, are about as many as one need ever expect 
to fire out of a punt-gun, fowling on British waters as things 
are now. Of course exceptions may occur, and oh, how 
anxiously we all seem to cling to these exceptions rather than 
stick to the general rule! Exceptions in wildfowling occur 
but once in a decade. Work on general lines, and things will 
answer much better. 
As modern punt-guns are now all breech-loaders, and many 
really good old weapons of the muzzle-loading type fall into the 
hands of amateurs who wish, as far as possible, to be up to date 
in their gear, yet have to consider the outlay, we give a few 
hints on the conversion of punt-guns, and describe a design 
from a gun which has acted well. We do not advise men who 
seek to earn a living at times by wildfowl shooting to have 
their muzzle-loading swivel-guns converted, as the job is 
rather costly, even when done as cheaply as possible, and the 
alteration does not usually improve the shooting of the gun 
unless a great deal of work is done; and, lastly, the charge 
has generally to be reduced for the sake of safety, because the 
gun has to be chambered to take its proper cartridge. 
Practical wildfowlers were much against the first breech- 
loading punt-guns put on the market. The objection to the 
weapons arose out of the fact that they were very heavy, in 
proportion to the charge they would fire—an important 
item afloat. Muzzle-loading guns at that time fired much 
larger charges of powder and shot than a breech-loader could 
of the same weight, and, what was of greatest account, they 
