CHAPTER VII 



CONVERSION OF MUZZLE-LOADING PUNT- 

 GUNS TO BREECH-LOADING 



Breech-loading guns are, without doubt, the order of the 

 day in every class of shooting. Although they have not such 

 great advantages over muzzle-loading punt-guns as many 

 people would imagine, yet they are, nevertheless, the weapons 

 used nowadays by a large percentage of amateur wildfowlers. 



Converted M.L. Punt-Gun to B.L. 



The special features in a breech-loading punt-gun are, greater 

 convenience in loading and cleaning, and the power of readily 

 changing a cartridge on sight of fowl for one which the size of 

 shot will best suit the intended immediate purpose. And we 

 think these aids to the comfortable working of punt-guns, if we 

 may be permitted to term them as such, must surely be enough 

 to place the breech-loader first in this respect. But we find 

 many skilled fowlers who are prepared to argue to the con- 

 trary, so we must leave the question an open one. It is 



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