DETONATING SYSTEM. 59 



up to the present time, has only served more strongly 

 to confirm that opinion. 



Were I inclined, however, to make any further 

 observation, it would be to say, that on further and 

 more general trial, I find, so far from not having 

 done justice to the percussion principle, I have, like 

 all other modern shooters, been rather cwe/'-rating its 

 merits than otherwise : for the more shots I fire, the 

 more I am persuaded that the Jlint-g\m shoots the 

 strongest into the bird, and by far the easiest against 

 the shoulder. 



It seems a paradox that a percussion gun should 

 fire quicker, and yet not stronger than a flint-gun ; 

 but, most assuredly, this is the case. It may perhaps, 

 in some measure, be accounted for thus : the gas flies 

 instantaneously through the whole charge of powder, 

 and puts it in motion with such rapidity, that one 

 half of the powder is not ignited till the other half 

 and the shot have made some progress up the barrel, 

 and, consequently, there takes place (owing, perhaps 

 to the vacuum which is thus occasioned) a violent 

 concussion or reaction, which, so far from giving 

 strength to the shot, is rather inimical to projectile 

 force, though it causes a severe strain on the barrel, 

 and therefore snakes every other part of the gun. 

 For this reason I find, that instead of almost equal 

 measure of powder and shot (the sure proportion 

 for strong and good shooting), a detonater, in one's 

 own defence, had better be loaded with three quarters 

 in measure of powder, to four quarters of shot; and 



