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&f)e Remission (Sun. 



Some years ago, Forsyth procured a patent for the applica- 

 tion of what is called percussion powder to fire arms. Sports- 

 men regarded with astonishment the pompous advertisements, 

 which announced the discharge of the fowling-piece, " without 

 flint, flash, or smoke" The percussion powder was used merely 

 as the priming. The invention, fyowever, did not at first meet 

 with great encouragement, for two reasons, namely, the price 

 appeared exorbitant; and an idea of danger naturally enough 

 attached itself to the use of the percussion powder, which, at 

 first sight, appears so calculated to produce accidental mischief. 



Forsyth's invention for containing the priming, consists of 

 what he calls a magazine, which is attached to the outside of the 

 lock, and contains a chamber large enough to hold powder for 

 a number of primings. By a slight movement of the magazine, 

 a sufficient quantity for one priming is thrown into a cavity, 

 where it receives the stroke of the hammer, becomes ignited, 

 and thus discharges the gun. Forsyth has the merit of being 

 the first to apply percussion priming to fire arms ; but, it was 

 evident, that his magazine was susceptible of great improvement. 

 The priming powder, too, concerning which he assumed an air 

 of mysterious secresy, deposited so great a quantity of feculent 

 matter, and was so excessively corrosive, that much more fre- 

 quent cleaning than usual became indispensable : under these 

 circumstances, therefore, I was content to pursue the old method 

 of priming with gunpowder. 



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