APPENDIX. 183 



this "will not be tlie case after a few shots have been fired, unless 

 the bullet be smaller than it should be. Any how the ramrod ought 

 alwaysto be flung do^vn once or twice, in conclusion— as the parti- 

 cular ring or jar, so produced, furnishes the only true criterion of 

 the bullet being really " home." 



The ramrod being of the proper weight, and the end applied to 

 the bullet being nearly equal to its calibre, and well countersunlv, 

 the bullet will he moved by it with a few easy percussions ; and 

 should the barrel be ever so foul towards the breech, one or two 

 flings with such a ramrod, will send the bullet "home" 'with the 

 assured ring. Neither a wooden nor a light metal ramrod will pro- 

 duce this effect after a few shots. 



The ramrods I have had constructed for my ovm use are of solid 

 brass, of about half an mch diameter, except the end appUed to the 

 bullet, which, for a couple of inches, is so large as just to fit easily 

 into the barrel. This large end is bored conically out, so as to con- 

 tain between two and three drachms of powder, which, in leisure 

 shooting, serves to introduce the charge with the rifle reversed. 

 The ball-drawer, when required, screws into the other end of the 

 rod. 



The Government rifle ramrods might, for economy's sake, be 

 made of iron; but they should be much heavier than they are. It 

 is absolutely necessary to good and quick rifle-shooting, that the 

 bullet should be driven into the mouth of the piece by a stroke of 

 some sort or other, previously to the use of the ramrod. Should 

 the httle wooden pestle mentioned above be deemed inconvenient 

 in military practice— which I opine it is not— a similar effect might 

 be produced by a tap mth the round button-like end of the present 

 rifle ramrods • though, for the sake of the barrel, I would recom- 

 mend that this button should be of soft copper. Were it made 

 more convex it would drive the bullet further in. 



