DUCK GUNS. 273 



go to the fountain head at once, and order Mr. Fullerd 

 to send him a barrel ready-bored for shooting., and then 

 get it fitted up to his own fancy by any tolerable me- 

 chanic*. 



My reason for preferring this plan is, because I know 

 by experience that if Fullerd is left alone, he can bore 

 a barrel to shoot well ; but when interfered with, he 

 becomes a mere journeyman who dares not open his 

 mouth, insomuch that if he was ordered to bore a barrel 

 like a blunderbuss ; a bugle ; or a gas-pipe ; no matter 

 which he must do it. 



It has been a grand object with some gunmakers to 

 suppress the reputation of Fullerd, and also of Lan- 

 caster, when he served the trade, by punching their 

 names out of the barrels, and putting on their own. 

 This may be all fair when barrelmakers are only em- 

 ployed for the rough work ; but this is frequently done 

 even when they have finished the boring, and completed 

 almost every part of the barrels, and breechings, except 

 the mere polish with sand-paper. It therefore often 

 happens that, for this second baptism, and a few dandy 

 ornaments, which are quite out of character for duck 

 guns, the customer is made to pay an enormous per 

 centage above the fair trade profit. Several of these 

 gunmakers declare to me that they get nothing by what 



* I know but one man capable of fitting up a very large duck gun 

 without specific directions from the shooter Mr. Burnett of South- 

 ampton, who has, for these last five years, been working for gentle- 

 men-gunners under the directions of Buckle, Singer, and other pro- 

 fessors of those secrets afloat which it would take a dandy-gunmaker 

 more time than he can spare to learn. Mr. Burnett is not only a 

 clear-headed ingenious workman, and most reasonable in his charges, 

 but also a g6od practical shot. 



T 



