298 MY SOMALI BOOK 



air and after impact. He maintains, x^robably with 1 

 justice, that insufficient credit is given to the powers 

 of the spherical bullet, by reason of neglect of the 

 necessity for seeing that it fits the bore tightly, so as to 

 prevent loss of velocity by windage ; also by too loose 

 loading of the bullet into the cartridge. 



Now the weapon used in this case is either a rifle, 

 in which case its weight in a 12-bore is excessive, or 

 a smooth-bore which in handling has no advantage 

 over a Paradox. The Paradox bullet in the same bore 

 has an equal striking surface with a considerable 

 increase of weight as compared with the spherical ball, 

 while its shape is not such as to make it much more 

 liable to deflection. Beyond fifty yards the Paradox 

 bullet is the more accurate, while if its velocity is less 

 at close quarters, it has thereby the more stopping- 

 power by reason of giving greater " impact shock " 

 and a more knock-down blow with its greater weight. 

 The bullet from a smooth-bore has the advantage that 

 it can be constructed at will of soft or hardened lead and 

 the charge of powder varied as desired within limits. 

 But the Paradox hoUow-pointed bullet is a sufficiently 

 consistent performer, so that this need not affect us 

 much. On the whole, the balance of advantages is 

 unquestionably with the ball-and-shot gun, a weapon 

 which Mr. Hicks has left out of his calculations. 



As between the spherical ball and the high velocity 

 rifle bullet, it will have been seen that I have no doubts 

 as to the importance of a large striking surface, shock 

 effect and general reUability in the behaviour of a 

 buUet after impact, and that I do not consider the 

 modern H.V. small bore possesses these qualities to an 



