NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 407 



of guns, and in heavy bores even half an inch extra will be 

 found an advantage in shooting, to say nothing of saving 

 the shooter's face from being punished by the recoil. Also 

 remember that as you increase the weight of your rifle you 

 must decrease the length of your stock. 



When loops are attached to rifles for the purpose of 

 enabling you to use slings, it is desirable to have flat ones, 

 thus 



Fig. 19 



and not rings or swivels, which always rattle, and may disturb 

 game. The above form has the further advantage of being 

 stronger than the others. Always refuse to allow the gun- 

 maker to fit stops to the hammers of any weapons intended for 

 use against dangerous game. You may at a critical moment 

 forget that the locks are bolted, or the bolts may have got 

 loose and may have slipped into the hammers without your 

 knowledge. 



For rough shooting, especially in damp climates, have your 

 rifles constructed for solid brass cases, or those covered with 

 a thin coating of brass. These are less, likely to stick in the 

 chambers, and are not so easily damaged as the paper ones. 

 Have your cartridges done up in small tins, hermetically sealed, 

 packing a few of each kind you are likely to use in a separate 

 tin, say fifty in each package. In this way you will be able 

 to keep the bulk of your ammunition weather-proof. The 

 contents of each tin should be stamped on the outside. 



