Bu^ECU-LOADEHS.] BY TIKLD, WOOD, AND WATKIt. [the neeulk-oun. 



to the various matters which are fully stated 

 to the spDrtsiuaa iu moat works Bpocially do- 

 voted to the guu. 



THE LOCK. 



The manufiioturo of this part of tho fowling- 

 piece has boL'ii carried to great perfection iu 

 England, especially wiUiin tho last thirty 

 years; notwithstanding that tho first spring- 

 locks were made at Nuremburg, in Germany, 

 about the middle of the sixteenth century. 

 The inventor, and general manufacturer of 

 them, is said to have realised an independent 

 fortune from tho success with which his inven- 

 tion was received. By degrees, he succeeded 

 in making many alterations and improvements 

 on his first model; and his son, who carried on 

 the business for nearly half a century after 

 his death, introduced still more decided im- 

 provements in its construction. 



The Flint-lock must now be spoken of as 

 an instrument of the past, as, except in the 

 most primitive districts of countries, it is 

 scarcely to be found. The invention of the 

 Fercussion-lock has completely supplanted its 

 use. It is, perhaps, a somewhat curious fact 

 in the history of a sporting and a military 

 weapon, that this one was the invention of a 

 reverend gentleman, of the name of Forsyth. 

 His patent expired in 1821, since which it has 

 been very much improved. 



BREECH-LOADERS. 



Until recently most guns were loaded 

 from the muzzle, whereas now they are loaded 

 at the breech. Of the different applications 

 of scientific skill to the manufacture of this 

 weapon, the following may be viewed as the 

 principal. 



1. Those in which a cartridge, with the 

 powder and ball enclosed in some thin envelope, 

 is pushed into the chamber of the barrel from 

 behind, which is then closed, and the powder 

 is exploded by a stream of gas from a cap per- 

 forating the walls of its case. 2. Those in 

 which a thicker case of paper and metal, or 

 metal alone, containing within it some sub- 

 stance explosive on percussion or friction, is 

 filled with powder and ball, and pushed into 

 ihe chamber from behind. This is then closed, 

 and the explosion eff'ected by a needle or pin 

 being driven into the case, which is then 

 3 a 



withdrawn, leaving tho chamber clear of ull 

 wads and other reuiuants of tho discharge, 

 except tho fouling of the barrel caused by the 

 residuum from tho explosion of tho powder. 

 3. Those in which tin; b.-irrcl is divided in 

 front of tho charge, which is placed in the 

 hindmost portion of it, in tho saino order as if 

 tho loading was from tho muzzle; after which 

 tho chamber is replaced. Here, if powder and 

 ball arc carefully inserted, good shtjoting cau 

 bo effected ; but then the loading is quite as 

 slow as in the muzzle-loader ; while, if a car- 

 tridge is used, some parts of the envelope aro 

 left behind, and miss-fires, accidental explo- 

 sions in loading, and bad shooting, are the 

 frequent result. 



Perfect, however, as these instruments may 

 bo considered in a scientific point of view, 

 recent events in the war between Austria on 

 the one side, and Prussia and Italy on the 

 other, have effectually proved that, on the con- 

 tinent at least, there is another, possessed of 

 certain properties, which, when used with 

 skill, may be said to have already overturned 

 all previous theories respecting the arbitra- 

 ment of arms in the battle-field. "\Ve allude 

 to the Prussian Needle-gun. The effect of 

 this weapon, in deciding the late conflict 

 between those powers, might, when judged by 

 statistics, be considered as almost miraculous. 

 In the summer of 18G6, Prussia, long in a 

 state of high military preparation, waged war 

 with Austria, and, in a very brief period of 

 time, succeeded in establishing her supremacy 

 in Germany. In tho conflict Austria is esti- 

 mated to have lost 120,0U0 men in prisoners, 

 wounded, and killed— 90,000 against Prussia, 

 and 30,000 against Italy. The Prussian loss, 

 during the war of 1S6G, was officially reported 

 at 19,875 men, exclusive of those who died of 

 their wounds and from disease ; tlie number 

 killed iu battle being under 4,000. Tho mili- 

 tary and newspaper correspondents who 

 visited the fatal field of Sadowa, were unani- 

 mous in declaring the vast excess of killed 

 and wounded on the side of Austria. At the 

 final exchange of prisoners, in August, there 

 were released, by Prussia, 523 Austrian ofilcers, 

 and 35,03U rank and file, exclusive of about 

 13,000 Austrian prisoners in the hospitals, 

 and not fit for removal. Austria gave up to 

 Prussia seven Prussian ofiicers, and 450 non- 

 497 



