54 MANUAL FOK YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



mere rubbish of the Birmingham, German, and Belgian 

 wholesale manufactories, will readily decide on the value 

 of a gun in all respects, including the quality of the 

 metal, and the unseen workmanship of the barrels. In 

 the latter respect, however, his opinion will be induced 

 mainly by analogous reasoning, and not by indirect scien- 

 tific judgment ; though, of course, he will, even in this re- 

 spect, fully appreciate the difference between fine, common, 

 and very inferior work. 



As to what is the best quality of modern barrels, the 

 difference of opinion is so great, that it may almost be 

 said that no two sportsmen are of the same mind. Every 

 species of barrel, cast-steel, laminated steel, damascus- 

 twist, stub-twist, has its admirers and defamers; all of 

 whom are charged by their adversaries with deciding, and 

 many of whom probably do decide in many cases, as much 

 from prejudice, as from sound judgment. Many believe ex- 

 clusively in laminated steel barrels ; others hold them to 

 be utterly valueless and dangerous. Some adhere to the 

 stub-and-twist ; while others, again, admitting that these 

 were of old the best of all, assert that, the stub- nail iron, 

 having lost its original high quality, the new substitutes 

 have outstripped them. In the same manner some persons 

 prefer fine wire-twist, some damascus-twist, and so on. 



I do not pretend to say that I have not my own 

 opinions, though I do not wish to set up for infallibility, 

 or to assert that I have no possible bias, although as- 

 suredly I am not aware of any ; and, for such opinions as 

 I have, I can in some sort assign a reason. 



My own preference i^, 1 confess, for the. stub-twist 



