THE GUN, AND HOW TO CHOOSE IT. 55 



barrels, now as of old, as the strongest, safest, and, above 

 all, the least easy in which to be deceived ; and if it be 

 admitted that the modern stub-iron is inferior in toughness 

 to the old horse-nail stuff which, however, I cannot hold 

 to be sufficiently proved I still consider it, when of the 

 best quality, to be of superior tenacity, and consequently 

 a safer metal, than even the best laminated steel. I am 

 aware that this opinion of mine is diametrically opposed to 

 that of the advocates of the steel barrels, and that tables 

 and scales of tenacity and endurance, as proved by experi- 

 ment, have been published, leading to a different conclu- 

 sion ; but it is well known that great changes take place 

 in the crystallization of metals and the arrangement of 

 their component particles, long after they have become 

 perfectly cool, and indeed long after they have been in 

 use, which, according to one theory, causes these changes. 

 These changes, it is admitted, when they occur, render the 

 metal vastly more brittle than it was in the first form, and 

 consequently dangerous. 



Now I am not satisfied that the trials, on which the 

 alleged comparative tenacity of laminated steel is assumed, 

 have been carried far enough, in relation to time ; and I 

 am all but entirely convinced, that dangerous cases of 

 bursting have been more frequent, and, when they have 

 occurred, more complete and terrible, in the laminated 

 steel barrels of the highest quality and price, than in any 

 other description of barrels of equal supposed and guar- 

 anteed quality. I am certain it is more difficult to judge 

 by their exterior appearance of what they are made, than 

 it is of any other work. 



