MUZZLE-LOADING PUNT-GUNS 197 



a mistake to think that the quick loading of a punt-gun is a 

 matter of importance. Really it is one of small moment. 

 To load a large fowling-gun easily and quickly by opening the 

 breech may be more pleasant than loading from the muzzle ; 

 but we think that is all which can be said of this improvement. 

 In actual fowling afloat, there is usually plenty of time to load. 

 Three shots a day (unless random shots are unwisely taken), 

 or four at the most, are about as many as one need ever expect 

 to fire out of a punt-gun, fowling on British waters as things 

 are now. Of course exceptions may occur, and oh, how 

 anxiously we all seem to cling to these exceptions rather than 

 stick to the general rule ! Exceptions in wildfowling occur 

 but once in a decade. Work on general lines, and things will 

 answer much better. 



As modern punt-guns are now all breech-loaders, and many 

 really good old weapons of the muzzle-loading type fall into the 

 hands of amateurs who wish, as far as possible, to be up to date 

 in their gear, yet have to consider the outlay, we give a few 

 hints on the conversion of punt-guns, and describe a design 

 from a gun which has acted well. We do not advise men who 

 seek to earn a living at times by wildfowl shooting to have 

 their muzzle-loading swivel-guns converted, as the job is 

 rather costly, even when done as cheaply as possible, and the 

 alteration does not usually improve the shooting of the gun 

 unless a great deal of work is done ; and, lastly, the charge 

 has generally to be reduced for the sake of safety, because the 

 gun has to be chambered to take its proper cartridge. 

 Practical wildfowlers were much against the first breech- 

 loading punt-guns put on the market. The objection to the 

 weapons arose out of the fact that they were very heavy, in 

 proportion to the charge they would fire — an important 

 item afloat. Muzzle-loading guns at that time fired much 

 larger charges of powder and shot than a breech-loader could 

 of the same weight, and, what was of greatest account, they 



