DIRECTIONS FOR CLEANING GUNS. 51 



DIRECTIONS FOR CLEANING GUNS, 



AND 



PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THEIR HANGING FIRE. 



Let your barrels be first washed perfectly clean with 

 cold, and then Jill each of them with hot water ; which, 

 by the time it has nearly run out at the touchholes, 

 will accelerate their being wiped dry, as much as though 

 boiling water had been used ; and, before they have 

 completely discharged the water, stop the muzzles and 

 touchholes ; and, after shaking it up and down in the 

 barrels, turn it out at the muzzles, by which means you 

 will effectually stir up and expel any extraneous matter, 

 that may have lodged in the bottom of the chambers. 

 To ascertain this, hold them with the touchholes to- 

 wards the window, and (with the breechmgs which I 

 have recommended) you will, by looking into each 

 muzzle, plainly perceive the light in the chamber, ap- 

 pearing like one dot surrounded by two (and sometimes 

 three) rings. 



I have recommended washing guns with cold water, 

 from having found that it always more readily removes 

 the foulness occasioned by the powder, which, from 

 sudden heat, is apt, at first, to dry and adhere more 

 closely to the caliber : whereas, with cold water, it re- 

 mains in a moist state, and immediately mixes. 



In cleaning barrels, a little fine sand or brickdust 

 will remove the lead. If hot water should be required 

 for this purpose, the gun may be scoured with it, after 

 having been washed with cold. 



Some have their guns, occasionally, only dry wiped, 

 which is not so well, as the introduction of the cleaning- 



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