MUZZLE-LOADERS AND BREECH-LOADERS. 167 



fifty shillings the thousand ; it may be recapped by 

 an instrument made for the purpose with, a peculiar 

 cap, and may be used, on an average, three times. 



The cartridge must be loaded as the gun would 

 be, only by the use of a short ramrod or a special 

 loading implement ; the powder is poured in, a wad 

 placed above it, and the shot and another wad follow. 

 The cartridge may then be trimmed down and the 

 end bent over, so as to retain the load securely, if it 

 is to be carried for a considerable distance ; but 

 where the shooting is from a boat or stand, the case 

 should be left untrimmed and of full length. A 

 chamber is cut away in the lower part of the barrel, 

 which corresponds exactly with the cartridge-case, 

 so that the latter fits perfectly in it ; but, if there is 

 an interval between the end of the cartridge and the 

 shoulder in the barrel, no injury to the charge or the 

 shooting appears to result. A small notch is cut in 

 the upper edge of the barrel to contain the brass pin, 

 and allow it to project so as to receive the blow from 

 the hammer. 



When the bolt is withdrawn and the barrels are 

 allowed to fall so as to bring the open breech fairly 

 into view, the loaded cartridge is inserted, the bar- 

 rels are sprung back to their place with a sharp snap 

 that sends them home at once, and are ready to be 

 discharged. To allow the cartridge to be inserted, 

 the hammers must be drawn to half or full cock; 

 and when the trigger is pulled, they fall upon the 

 pin, which penetrates the cap and fires the load. 

 The entire mechanism is so simple that it can hardly 



