COCKS AND HAMMERS. 43 



piece, to be left at the mercy of a gunmaker's punc- 

 tuality, or endangered by the unrelenting hands and' 

 tools of an awkward country blacksmith. Hammers, 

 like crockery-ware, are none the icorsefor age, though 

 liable to be broken. 



There are two ways of putting a hammer in mo- 

 tion ; one with a wheel in the feather-spring, and 

 the other with a bridge there, over which a wheel in 

 the hammer is made to run. We may give to both 

 of these trivial concerns their separate merits ; the 

 former, that of being the neatest, and the latter, the 

 least likely to react, and leave the choice of them to 

 the gunm alter. 



Mr. D. Egg and Mr. Manton usually make the 

 first mentioned ; and Mr. Joseph Manton the other. 

 With this he is enabled to have a long neck, which, 

 immediately on being put in motion, raises the hammer 

 so high, that it cannot prevent any of the sparks 

 from falling into the pan. No locks, however, can 

 go pleasanter than those made by Mr. John Manton 

 and Mr. D. Egg, which proves, that the difference 

 between the two modes of construction is very im- 

 material. 



It may be as well to make a few observations on 

 another point ; tv'x. the improvement of passing a 

 current of air through the priming without suffering 

 the powder to escape ; by which it is kept dry, and 

 not liable to cake and stick to the bottom of the 

 hammer. This has been completely effected, both 

 by Messrs. Manton and Mr. D, Egg ; but, as credit 



