FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [52] 



Shoulder-gun with wooden stock — Continued. 



Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 56340. XJ. S. Fish Commission. 

 Not used at present ; formerly employed in connection with 

 gun-harpoons and bomb-lances. 



Brown's whaling-gun. 



Stock, barrel, and guard-plate, gun-metal; trigger-guard fastened 

 to stock with three screws; rigid eye on trigger-guard for 

 laniard; front and rear sights ; breech-plug cast with stock ; 

 stock recessed for two nipples; stock and barrel connected 

 by a screw-joint; muzzle reinforced with a gun-metal band. 

 Stamped "Eobert Brown, ITew London, Connecticut." Length, 

 4G inches; weight, 36 pounds. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 

 1882. 56341. TJ. S. Fish Commission. A kind of gun formerly 

 used for projecting gun-harpoons. Charged with ordinary -pow- 

 der and discharged from the shoulder. Not used at present. 



Brown's gun (short). 



Stock, barrel, and trigger-guard, gun-metal. Stock screwed to 

 barrel by means of permanent breech-plug cast with the stock. 

 Small eye cast with trigger-guard for laniard. Laniard, lance- 

 warp. Copper band at muzzle. Length, 36^ inches ; weight, 

 33 pounds. New London, Connecticut, 1882. 56339. Gift of 

 Messrs. Lawrence & Co. Stamped "C. A." and supposed, from 

 its resemblance in almost every detail to the Brown gun, with 

 the exception of the length of the barrel, that it may have 

 been manufactured by Eobert Brown, New London, Connecti- 

 cut. Not used at present. 



ElFLED whaling GUN. 



Barrel, cast steel, nine grooves; stock, walnut; rigid eye for lan- 

 iard. Length, 38 inches; weight, 18 pounds. New Bedford, 

 Massachusetts, 1882. 56338. Gift of Edward P. Haskell, jr. 

 Manufactured by Grudchos & Eggers, New Bedford, Massa- 

 chusetts. This kind of gun was formerly used, to a limited 

 extent, however, by American whalemen, but has been sup- 

 planted by the more recently improved patterns, the principal 

 objection being the rifled barrel. Aside from the trouble and 

 delay occasioned by a foul barrel, it was found impossible to 

 use any other lances than those made especially for it. Some 

 of these rifles have been transformed into the class of guns 

 known as "smooth-bores" by removing the grooves; but they 

 were not regarded with much favor, and the manufacture of 

 rifled guns for whaling has virtually ceased. Kentucky rifle 

 powder, F. F. G., was used, the amount for each load being 

 graduated by the " charger" of the flask furnished with the 

 gun. 



