RECOIL GEARING FOR PUNT-GUNS 



189 



this spring gear for a double punt-gun, yet it could be adapted 

 for such a weapon by placing the spring under the barrels, 

 similar to the method employed in the Colonel Hawker spring. 

 The design herewith is one of entire' originality on our part. 

 We specially recommend it for firing a big gun from the bows 

 of a light sailing boat. By the aid of this spring a large gun 

 can be safely fired without any inconvenience whatever. This 

 gear is found by our experiments to be so strong, if made 



SCALE 

 one !)■£« 



/- 



Recoil Gear for Swivel-Gun mounted in the bow of rowing boat 

 (Plan) 



exactly to our specification, that no breeching-rope need be 

 employed as an addition to safety, provided the fastenings of 

 the bed-plate to the boat are perfectly secure. For punting, 

 our choice is the stout breeching-rope by itself. The reasons 

 of our choice we state in another part. Our gear, like most 

 other spring recoils, has no elevator, and on this account, be- 

 sides others, we do not advise its use, or any other steel spring, 

 aboard a punt. Of course, elevating gear could be arranged 

 in its working, but not without extensive additions. All spring 

 gears of this kind require close attention to all their working 

 parts, to keep them free from sand and rust. This matter alone 

 is one which goes a long way towards putting them out of 



