26 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



after the first shot with what was to him an entirely new 

 powder, for instead of finding, as usual, a thick coating 

 of slimy, greasy fouling on the tow of the cleaning-rod, 

 there appeared but a slight discoloration and very little 

 dirt. 



In recent years sportsmen have evinced a marked 

 desire to obtain swivel-guns that would combine, to the 

 greatest possible extent, the maximum of power with 

 the minimum of weight and cumbrousness. This desire 

 has been well met in many instances to my own know- 

 ledge. As an example, I may perhaps mention that 

 some few winters ago I shot with a remarkably handy 

 double 4-bore of some 27 Ib. weight, made by Messrs. 

 Jas. Lang and Sons. This gun is fired with a rope 

 attachment for taking up the recoil, and, thus fixed, 4 oz. 

 or more of shot may be fired from each barrel with 

 absolute comfort. It is an excellent type of light gun 

 for boat work in many situations ; and in mild weather, 

 when birds do not congregate very thickly, the J Ib. or 

 10 oz. of shot, thus divided, may be used to greater 

 advantage than it would be as a single charge. More- 

 over, as boats usually show more or less movement on 

 the water, an opportunity may often occur for amending 

 any faulty aim in delivering the first half of the charge. 

 Another remarkably handy punt-gun of small size that 

 very much took my fancy a while ago was one made by 

 Mr. F. T. Baker of Glasshouse St., Regent St., W., from 

 designs drawn up by a West-End physician who is 

 especially fond of wild-fowl shooting. This is a small 

 single-barrelled swivel-gun of under 30 Ib. weight, and 

 possibly of greater range than the double gun just 

 mentioned, but which, however, does not carry quite 

 so heavy a charge as the combined loads of the latter ; 



