THE GUN. 5 



knowledge not only of the materials of which his instrument is 

 made, but of the artistic and mechanical skill by which it is con- 

 structed, and kept in good and safe order. There is no part of a 

 gun which a sportsman should not be well acquainted with ; for 

 here an ignorance of what may be deemed a very trifling matter, 

 may lead to disastrous and fatal consequences. Here knowledge 

 imcloubtedly confers both power and safety. 

 _ The barrel oi a gun is of vital consideration, both in its construc- 

 tion and in its being kept in order. Iron is its chief ingredient • 

 but then the Icirtd of iron is of the highest moment. The best kind 

 of this metal is that which jDossesses the highest degree of tenacity 

 and ductility. Swedish iron is allowed to possess these qualifications 

 or properties to a greater extent than the iron of any other country, 

 and is, therefore, almost universally employed in the production of 

 gun-barrels pf any considerable value. But it must be remarked 

 that this article, like many others, is often got up for sale and not for 

 safety ; and that spuiious and cheap articles are made from_ kinds 

 of iron that render them dangerous and worthless. When iron is 

 mixed \vith certain mineral substances, it becomes unfit for safe 

 gun-barrel making ; but as every sportsman cannot command the 

 knowledge of an expert chemist, nor pretend to be a clever gun- 

 maker, people are necessarily left in a great measure to chance for 

 thekind!^ of instrument so necessary for their sport, as well as for 

 theii' personal safety. The most prudent plan is to deal with gun- 

 smiths of acknowledged skill and reputation, and who make a 

 religious pohit of issuing out of their shops only such articlesas 

 will prove both safe and efl'ective. We beheve the very high price 

 which is occasionally put upon articles from fashionable emporiums 

 of this kind, have inspired a sort of dread among sportsmen of 

 moderate fortunes, and they often seem driven to cheaper stores : 

 but we think the evil is now considerably abated, and that a good 

 and safe gun may now be had at a reasonable sum. ^ 



But without aimmg at a scientific knowledge of iron or of gun- 

 making, a sportsman should, nevertheless, be acquauited mth a few 

 plain principles respecting the nature and goodiiess of the instru- 

 ment of his amusement, and of its fitness for the end designed. 

 Spanish gun-barrels have for long been highly prized, and generally 

 very justly too. We have seen some solitary specimens of sucli 

 guns as we never expect to see again. These Spanish articles are 

 made of a species of iron that is remarkably well hammered, and 

 which goes under the technical name of scraps, being chiefly com- 

 posed of the old nails in the shoes of the horses, mules, and asses, 

 used as beasts of burden in Spain. The Damascus barrels were' 

 once more highly esteemed than they now are. They were made of 

 liighly-tempered iron and steel, and hammered with extraordinary 

 labour and poHsh. There are several kinds of iron which are now 

 generally used for fowling-pieces; such as wire-twist iron, Wis- 

 icoidd's \ron, stub-twist iron, charcoal iron, threepenny and twopenny 

 skelp iron, and sham-dam skelp, Among all these varieties, the 



