398 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



This weight in the gun also makes it, in 

 single-handed shooting, very heavy to move and 

 manage. 



A well-known and first-class gunmaker sends me, 

 as I write, a sketch of his new breech-loading punt- 

 gun, with an ordinary drop-down action and stock 

 some four feet long. It weighs a hundred pounds, 

 and its full working charge is twelve ounces of shot, 

 with a swivel and recoil spring attached to the bar- 

 rel about 3ft. 6in. from the breech. The gun uses 

 steel central fire cases. The maker writes, " How 

 can I use a muzzle-loader when such a gun as this 

 is to be had ? " I fear I " burst " his gun (figura- 

 tively), as I replied 



" i st. The only class of punt such a gun is in- 

 tended for, or indeed could be used in, would be a 

 light narrow over each side-paddling punt. In this 

 sort of craft alone does the shooter (and Heaven 

 only knows why even then) take this long awkward 

 stock under his arm to, as he vainly imagines, ease 

 the recoil, or to dip it for elevating to the shot. In 

 a double punt a long stock is so much useless bulk 

 and weight, and would push the shooter very much 

 too far aft, and is never seen in such for these 

 reasons. In a single oar sculled punt (not a paddled 

 one) the shooter lies on his left side for working to 

 fowl. The huge stock would then be fearfully in 

 his way, as he could not take it under his arm. In 

 a double punt, such as are common where birds are 

 numerous, firing only twelve ounces of shot would 

 be a foolishly small charge. Now, in the very light 

 punt that such a weapon should be used in, a hun- 

 dred pound gun would, from its great weight, be 



