WILD-FOWL GUNS 29 



it is as well to remark that the employment of brass 

 cases with their full loads in paper-case guns is not 

 always advisable; as, of course,. common-sense tells us, 

 to fire ic-bore charges and wadding out of a 12-bore 

 gun does but invite unpleasant consequences in the way 

 of excessive recoil, or even of danger in the case of 

 inferior, ill-constructed guns. Whilst on the subject of 

 risks, it will be as well also to say that the firing of 21- 

 inch cases in a paper-case gun chambered for 2|-inch 

 cases is to be strongly deprecated. It may, in the worst 

 event, cause accident, and in any case, by retarding 

 the movement of the shot, it gives the powder more 

 time to develop its latent energy, and so, by increasing 

 the pressure in the cartridge-chamber, must strain and 

 tend to loosen the action of the gun. 



Ordinary 12-bores, that is guns used for game-shoot- 

 ing, are not sufficiently powerful for the killing of hardy 

 wild-fowl, for in addition to the general toughness of such 

 quarry, there is the consideration that wild-ducks, geese, 

 and the like are frequently killed at longish ranges. 

 For this reason several gun-makers have given attention 

 to the production of long-chambered 12-bores for shoot- 

 ing wild-game and wild-fowl. Certain of these I have 

 put to a practical test on many occasions, therefore, 

 basing my remarks on a thorough acquaintance with 

 their shooting properties, I will take three different 

 types of gun to illustrate these remarks. These are as 

 follow : 



(1) A gun for long paper cases. 



(2) A gun for thin brass cases. 



(3) A gun to take long or short, paper or brass cases. 

 Number I on this list was made by Mr. Charles 



Lancaster, 151 New Bond St., London, W. There was 



