238 ON THE WING. 



labor, is always costly ; and talent must be paid for 

 in all parts of the world. The attainment of high 

 class barrels at a low 'figure, as a rule, is an impossi- 

 bility; and the maker who would pretend, promise, 

 or undertake to make a laminated steel barrelled gun 

 under ,15 to 20 is an arrant deceiver : he could 

 never profitably carry out such an intention, even if 

 he possessed the ability to produce the article. For 

 judgment, skill, and ability, as well as labor, are 

 required to produce laminated steel barrels. Steel 

 alone is not laminated ; and that is another difficulty : 

 fortunately there are not many persons capable of 

 effecting it. My method of laminating steel is kept 

 as much out of sight as possible, as a means of self- 

 protection." 



On the subjects of gun-locks and the percussioning 

 of a gun, I do not deem it necessary to speak par- 

 ticularly. Good barrels are usually not at fault in 

 these particulars ; and if the remarks I have so liber- 

 ally quoted from Mr. Greener, with reference to the 

 composition and manufacture of gun-barrels, shall be 

 the means of warning any of my readers against 

 many of the cheap and unsafe guns that are only too 

 plentiful in our market, I shall feel that I have sur- 

 rendered my pages to good purpose. 



STEEL BARRELS FOR SHOT GUNS. 



I have recently heard of a new process for making 

 gun-barrels, which, if successful in producing barrels 

 satisfactory in every respect, is certainly an improve- 



