NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 405 



pair of 8- or lo-bore rifles or ' Paradox ' guns, shooting 8 to 

 10 drs. of powder ; a pair of '500 bore, 5 drs. solid ball rifles, 

 one '577 and a i2-bore shot or 'Paradox' gun. Also a '400 

 or a '450 single-rifle sighted up to 500 yards would be found 

 very useful in many parts. 



Spare limbs should always be taken, viz. extra hammers, 

 mainsprings, tumbler pins, and foresights, and lessons should 

 be taken from an experienced gunmaker in taking weapons to 

 pieces and putting them together again properly. Turnscrews, 

 such as working gunmakers use, should be specially ordered, 

 and not the slight and nearly useless tools usually found in 

 rifle and gun cases. These are made by the gross, and are 

 generally well-nigh worthless. Do not fail to have a very power- 

 ful screw-driver to take out the breech-pin, which is always 

 very firmly screwed up. 



With large bores and all rifles that have very much recoil 

 insist upon having the front trigger thick and well rounded, to 

 prevent its cutting the forefinger when firing the left barrel. It 

 is a very good plan to have the front trigger hinged or hung 

 quite loose, so as to give way to the finger. Also see that the 

 left trigger pulls at least 6 Ibs., to prevent both barrels being 

 fired together. There is no objection to having both locks of 

 such weapons made with a fairly heavy pull off; the fact 

 being that when a rifle weighing 12 or 13 Ibs. is being handled 

 a 6 or 7 Ib. pull does not feel heavier than a 4 Ib. pull does in 

 an ordinary shot gun. See that all your rifle stocks are made of 

 tough strong wood, and that the grasp or handle is left sufficiently 

 thick to give a good hold to the right hand. It is also a very 

 good plan to have the hand of the stock strengthened by having 

 the strap of the action made so as to extend its full length 

 and come over the comb. This plan was first suggested by Sir 

 Samuel Baker, and there can be no doubt but that it very con- 

 siderably strengthens the stock in its weakest part. 



Try your cartridges in the chambers of your rifle or gun 

 before starting for the day's shooting, and carefully discard all 

 that will not go into the weapon freely and allow the action to 



