316 Ari-E.MDix. — c. 



maker's oil, just toucli botli the exterior and tlie interior of your 

 barrels ; w itli an okl too'li brush rub iby, and slightly anoint the 

 inside of your hammers and the cones ; stop the muzzles with a 

 plug of greased linen, and lay a single fold of the same over 

 your cones, before you let your hammers down. 



A gun \Nill keep thus fir a long time without rusting; if, 

 howt'ver, you wish to lay a valuable gun away for months or 

 years, the better way is to warm the barrels as hot as tlie hand 

 can bear them, and tlien fill them brimful of melted tallow; let 

 this grow cold within them, and if well greased without with 

 neat's-foot oil, they will remain impregnable to rust, or wea- 

 ther, or decay, for years. When wanted for use, the tallow can 

 be melted out gradually by exposure to a slow fire. 



The more seldom locks are taken off the better, if the gun is 

 water-tight ; and even when they are taken off, the less often 

 they are taken to pieces, the better again. 



If, however, taken to pieces they must be, here is the moilm 

 ojtcramVi : — 



Put the lock to full cock. Cramp the main spring. Let 

 down the cock, and the main-spring will fall off. Unscrew and 

 take out the scear. Undo the two screws, and take off the 

 bridle. Unscrew and take out the scear-spring. Unscrew 

 and take off the cock. Take out the tumbler. 



To put it together again : — 



Put in your tumbler, and sci-ew on the cock. Screw on the 

 scear-spring. Set on the bridle, with the two upper screws. 

 Put in the scear. Let down the cock, cramp the main-spring, 

 hook the end of it to the swivel, move it up till it catches on the 

 plate ; uncramp it, and your lock is together. 



I would, however, advise no tyro to attempt this, as it is very 

 rarely necessary to be done, and can, under all ordinary cir- 

 cumstances, be postponed until a gunsmith can be found to do 

 it. Natheless, like Columbus' egg, it is not difficult to be 

 done, when ont'e you know how to do it. 



I disapprove the use of wire, brush, sand, or anything of the 

 sort in barrels, which I believe, except in extraordinarily rapid 



