14 BAHRELS. 



mode of getting friction, in order to prevent the barrel 

 from becoming leaded; and therefore to make it shoot, 

 through the whole day, nearly as well as when clean, 

 and without recoil to the shoulder. Again, a sporting- 

 gun must, of necessity, be short, for the convenience of 

 covert, and snap-shooting ; and therefore the length that 

 would properly suit that relief which must follow an 

 opening behind (in order to prevent recoil, and preserve 

 close shooting) would be generally objected to as an 

 inconvenience. 



[Here I allude only to flint-guns ; as a detonater 

 must, in a great degree, be debarred from this ad- 

 vantage; because, if too tight behind, without any 

 subsequent check, the powder would be blown away so 

 quick as not to be half kindled. This is the new dis- 

 covery in boring for detonaters, which I before alluded 

 to, and which has probably saved them from being 

 wholly abandoned.] 



Q. Suppose, then, you were to have your fourteen 

 gauge barrels two feet ten inches, how would you dis- 

 pose of the extra length ? 



A. I would have seven inches of relief instead of 

 five, by which my shot would be thrown equally strong, 

 and decidedly closer. 



[On this proportion I ordered a gun for a friend, 

 who writes to inform me that he has hitherto beat every 

 gun he shot against. It is but justice to say that the 

 maker was Mr. Westley Richards, who is considered, 

 by many of our best sportsmen, as " Joe Manton the 

 second;' 9 and I should say deservedly so, from what I 

 have lately seen of him and his work. Mr. Richards 

 is really a scientific man ; instead of having more tongue 

 than brains, like many of our gunmaking charlatans. 



