MUZZLE-LOADERS AND BREECH-LOADERS. 47 



The guns were classified according to their weight. 

 The breech-loaders, which used one quarter of a 

 drachm more powder, showed about an equal re- 

 coil ; the recoil differed surprisingly, ranging from 

 44 to 76 Ibs., and was no indication of the power 

 with which the shot was driven a greater number 

 of sheets being pierced where the recoil was under 

 the average. The patterns produced by the muzzle- 

 loaders varied from those of the breech-loaders less 

 than they did from one another, and far less than 

 that of one barrel differed from that of the other ; in 

 fact, the right-hand barrel seems to have shot much 

 the best, and some of the guns that excelled at 40 

 yards fell far behindhand at 60 yards. 



In penetration, which is a more valuable quality 

 in a gun than even pattern, the breech-loaders took 

 the lead ; one pierced through 40 sheets and another 

 through 39 sheets, so that the vaunted superiority 

 of the old gun in this particular was found not to 

 exist. It was further noted that a great improve- 

 ment in this particular had taken place in the breech- 

 loaders since the trial of the year previous, which 

 improvement has been going on steadily since. The 

 trial also proved that, although the breech-loaders 

 required an extra amount of powder to give them 

 force, it caused in them no additional recoil, and 

 was objectionable in so far only as it entailed extra 

 expense and weight of ammunition. The muzzle- 

 loader was left, to offset its numerous inferiorities, 

 nothing more than a claim to diminished weight of 

 gun and ammunition, and a trifling saving in ex- 



