22 DAMASCUS BARRELS. 



ing ;" and, in short, completing them for the field, all 

 but the browning and engraving. 



There are very few gunmakers who are well versed 

 in putting their barrels together. For instance, barrels 

 of 2 feet 10, require to be somewhat differently set from 

 those of 2 feet 8, and also require more elevation. The 

 recoil of all double guns makes each barrel swerve out- 

 wards in firing ; and, in order to counteract this, each 

 barrel must be set rather inwards, insomuch that, if the 

 gun was fixed in a vice, the left barrel ought to shoot a 

 little too much to the right, and vice versa. Then take 

 the gun out of the vice, and fire each barrel from the 

 shoulder, and the swerve or kick would just bring the 

 centre of the shot into the bull's eye. There is not one 

 maker in fifty who knows much about this ; but the 

 masters get out of many difficulties by deputing Tom 

 Fullerd, or some other clever fellow, to do all the essen- 

 tials for them ; otherwise, what would their guns be 

 worth ? 



DAMASCUS BARRELS. 



Most sportsmen are aware, that a twisted barrel is 

 formed by horse nails, or other tough iron, being beat 

 out to a long bar, and then twisted round a kind of 

 anvil, much in the same manner as leather is put round 

 the handle of a whip-crop. The Damascus is a mixture 

 of iron and steel, and has its grain directly crossways 

 when beat out; so that the bar of Damascus, when 

 twisted, forms a continuation of small grains running 

 longitudinally, which must be more liable to open, if 

 not to burst, than a continued round of solid well-beat 

 iron. It may be compared to a piece of wood cut across, 



