BARRELS. 13 



A COMMON FOURTEEN GAUGE DOUBLE GUN. 



(Weight altogether 8|lbs. : barrels by Lancaster.) 



Feet. Inches. 

 Cylinder . .19 



Relief . 5 



TIGHT behind 6 



Total . 2 8 



Q. Why is the common sporting gun tight be- 

 hind, when the other guns are opened behind ? 



A. Because a sporting gun requires to be fired so 

 many times in a day, that we must adopt an inferior 

 mode of getting friction, in order to prevent the 

 barrel from becoming leaded ; and therefore to make 

 it shoot through the whole day, nearly as well as 

 when clean, and without recoil to the shoulder. Again, 

 a sporting gun must, of necessity, be short, for the 

 convenience of covert, and snap-shooting ; and there- 

 fore the length that would properly suit that relief 

 which must follow an opening behind (in order to 

 prevent recoil, and preserve close shooting) would be 

 generally objected to as an inconvenience. 



Q. Suppose, then, you were to have your fourteen 

 gauge barrels two feet ten inches, how would you 

 dispose of the extra length ? 



A. I would have seven inches of relief instead 

 of five, by which my shot would be thrown equally 

 strong, and decidedly closer. 



[On this proportion I ordered a guri for a friend, 

 who writes to inform me that he has hitherto beat 



