COCKS AND HAMMERS. 43 



or endangered by the unrelenting hands and tools of an awkward 

 country blacksmith. Hammers, like crockery-ware, are none the 

 rvor se for age, though liable to be broken. 



There are two ways of putting a hammer in motion ; one with a 

 wheel in the feather-spring, and the other with a bridge there, over 

 which a wheel in the hammer is made to run. We may give to both 

 of these trivial concerns their separate merits ; the former, that of 

 being the neatest, and the latter, the least likely to react, and leave 

 the choice of them to the gunmaker. 



Mr. D. Egg and Mr. Manton usually made the first mentioned; 

 and Mr. Joseph Manton the other. With this he was enabled to have 

 a long neck, which, immediately on being put in motion, raises the 

 hammer so high, that it cannot prevent any of the sparks from falling 

 into the pan. No locks, however, could go pleasanter than those 

 made by Mr. John Manton and Mr. D. Egg, which proves, that 

 the difference between the two modes of construction is very imma- 

 terial. 



It may be as well to make a few observations on another point ; 

 viz. the improvement of passing a current of air through the priming 

 without suffering the powder to escape; by which it is kept dry, 

 and not liable to cake and stick to the bottom of the hammer. 

 This has been completely effected, both by Messrs. Manton and Mr. 

 D. Egg; but, as credit for the original invention is due to Mr. 

 Joseph Manton, I shall chiefly confine my description to the hammer 

 for which he got the patent. The object attained by this is, that 

 when you ram down the wadding, the air passes through the small 

 perforation at the lip of the hammer, and goes out through a groove 

 in the bottom of the pan : yet this hole in the lip is so small as not 

 to admit the powder. This, although apparently a trifling altera- 

 tion from what had been before adopted, is a very great advantage, 

 and thejirst attempt that ever had the desired effect. That some 

 air, in all locks, must pass, it stands to reason ; but, if the powder 

 also passes, it must be recollected, that, in coming from the chamber 

 of breechings on Mr. Joseph Mantou's construction, it leaves a 

 vacuum; whereas, with this improvement, the chamber is always 

 kept so full of dry powder, that not a grain can be lost, or even out 

 of its place, and thus there is produced a sudden and instantaneous 

 Jire. The forcible passing of this current of air also effectually 

 dries the powder in the touchhole 



N.I*. Whatever new hammers may have since been brought out, 



