410 SPORTING EIFLES AND AMMUNITION 



the same condition as directly after firing. When wiped out 

 with a piece of cloth it was found to be absolutely uninjured. 



When we come to the last point, we find that not only is 

 the flame temperature greatly lower with Axite than with 

 Cordite, but the total heat of decomposition is nearly one-fifth 

 less. Its erosive effect is therefore much less than that of 

 Cordite. Again the residue deposit of Axite, instead of being 

 deleterious to the barrel, is actually beneficent. It is actually 

 of a lubricating nature, as can be proved by firing Axite first 

 and Cordite afterwards from the same barrel. The Cordite 

 cartridge will then show an increased velocity of something 

 like 50 feet per second. Moreover, whereas the use of Cordite 

 giving high velocities nickels the barrel by excessive friction, 

 Axite does not. I have therefore no hesitation in saying that 

 a rifle used with Axite alone should have a greatly longer life 

 than any high- velocity weapon has hitherto had. 



I have thus dealt with my three points. As a sportsman's 

 powder Axite stands alone ; and in my opinion Messrs Kynoch 

 are warranted in saying that they believe it to be without 

 a rival. 



No one would be rash enough to say that a very few years 

 may not produce wonderful results in the way of inventions. 

 It may be, though it seems unlikely, that a smokeless powder 

 will be produced which will far excel Axite for sporting 

 purposes. It may be that electricity will be sufficiently 

 understood to place a kind of portable lightning at the dis- 

 posal of the sportsman. It may be, and this is more likely 

 than all, that before the new century is half gone all the big 

 game of the world will have followed the way of the American 

 bison. But in any case these two inventions are the most 

 important ones of recent date. Moreover, and this is to my 

 mind a great point, they are not what I call " faddy " improve- 

 ments. We have had a great deal too much of these in recent 

 years, when one firm of gunmakers after another has brought 

 out a new high -velocity rifle, generally differing just enough 

 from its predecessor to make it impossible to interchange the 

 cartridges. The multiplicity of cartridges is an undesired 

 evil to the travelling sportsman, of which we had more than 

 enough in the days of the Express. Messrs Westley-Richards' 

 Patent Bullet and Messrs Kynochs' Axite Powder are for all 



