i8o THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



of scoring a second and a flying shot. The screw breech 

 pieces are exactly similar to that we figure in connection with 

 the conversion of an M.L. punt-gun to B.L., except that the 

 stock is not attached. The strikers are fitted in the screw 

 breech pieces. A small spiral spring keeps the striker from 

 pressing on the cap of the cartridge. The extracting device is 

 on the same principle as that shown for the converted punt- 

 gun and the cartridge cases also. The screw breech pieces 

 are turned in or out by means of a "star" spanner, which we 

 figure. This method is recommended as being strong and 

 simple. The stock of the gun is hinged above the barrels at 

 the breech, and secured by a latch lever below, when in the 

 closed position. To load, the stock is swung up and laid on 

 the breech end of the barrels, where it is then conveniently 

 out of the way. Drop-down stocks in practice are found to 

 foul the ammunition-box and other things in the punt. To 

 withdraw fired shells and load both barrels ready for firing 

 occupies from two to three minutes, which is quite fast enough 

 for wildfowling. The locks should be arranged to fire as we 

 have described above. The most important item in connec- 

 tion with firing a double discharge from a double punt-gun is 

 that both barrels do not fire exactly together, but one quickly 

 after the other — about a tenth of a second. To obtain this 

 result in his famous double-barrelled muzzle-loading punt-gun, 

 that well-known old-time wildfowler. Colonel Hawker, had his 

 gun made to fire one barrel by a detonator and the other by 

 flint and steel. Pulling both triggers at once, the flint and 

 steel ignition was more tardy than the detonator ; consequently, 

 one discharge followed the other a fraction of a second later. 

 This plan of firing the gun seems to have answered well in the 

 Colonel's case. The theory and, no doubt, practice of firing 

 a double punt-gun in the above manner is that one barrel 

 takes the fowl as they sit, and the other the instant they extend 

 their wings to rise. 



