BItEECHING. 37 



No. 3. 



H. Nock's 



Original Patent Breeching. 



The solid breeching of the late Mr. Nock, No. 3, is 

 a discovery of great merit ; and, as we have to thank 

 him for this foundation to all our improvements, it 

 would be an injustice to his memory not to give him 

 every credit for the original invention. The objection, 

 however, to the solid breeching, as first made (when 

 compared with the improvements that have since been 

 adopted), is, that it shoots too weak, from the powder 

 in the chamber not being in a sufficiently narrow com- 

 pass to ignite suddenly and forcibly in the centre; and 

 too slow, in consequence of the great length, which 

 there is through the whole communication, from the 

 touchhole upwards; add to which the superfluous angles, 

 and the difficulty of probing the antechamber. Mr. 

 Grierson's patent came the nearest of any to the original. 

 His plan was to cut off the angle by shortening the 



