THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



they are good and dry, then they won't disappoint. 

 Place them when out shooting in a small thick 

 flannel bag, or tiny glass bottle that will go into 

 the waistcoat-pocket, half filled with sawdust, or 

 better still, bone dust. With a friend's gun I had 

 two miss-fires on the same day ; the first shot was 

 scarce worth the charge, and I was almost glad the 

 gun did fail ; the next was, without exception, the 

 best chance I ever had in my life, and the shot would 

 have realized at least a hundred Teal. 



To see large thick-barrelled M. L. punt-guns, with 

 a patent breech and single horizontal pillar nipple, 

 is to witness a marvel of chance in the explosion. 

 Every time the gun is cleaned dirt and scale are 

 apt to be shoved into the small chamber by the 

 action of the ramrod. Besides this, the slight 

 flame from the one cap has to penetrate perhaps 

 two inches ere it reaches the charge, seldom less. 

 To explode a large charge, the flash from the igni- 

 tion should pierce its centre at the base. In a plain 

 breech this is perfectly done by the continuation 

 of a groove across its inside face and in line with 

 the vent. Along this the flash will run. But either 

 tube or double nipple are equally certain, if the 

 detonation be good, to ignite the charge ; in fact, the 

 double-nipple plan would almost start a charge of 

 shot, but then it is slower to load with, whereas the 



yet failed to explode my largest guns. In the double-cap plan, a 

 little plug of soft wood lightly tapped into the vent-hole answers as 

 well as the perforated screw, but is more trouble and not so sightly. 

 Were there no escape for the flame, it would surely blow out any 

 impediment. Before the surplus ignition blows out the plug of wood 

 or escapes through the screw end, it has met enough resistance to 

 drive the flame with great force to the main charge. 



