164 PERCUSSION POWDER. 



sity of cleaning the lock immediately after using, in order to 

 prevent the destruction of the percussion apparatus, as one night 

 only would produce a degree of rust scarcely credible by those 

 unacquainted with the nature of oxymuriate of potash. What- 

 ever advantages were to be derived from the use of percussion 

 priming they were certainly much lessened by the trouble of 

 cleaning, as the feculent matter deposited was much greater in 

 quantity, and adhered with more obstinate tenacity, than that 

 which is produced by the discharge of gunpowder ; I was, there- 

 fore, pleased to find that the following remedied the evil : 



Oxymuriate of potash, one ounce 

 antimony, one ounce 



well pulverized, and made into a paste with spirit of wine in which 

 a little rosin or gum mastic has been dissolved : it may be gra- 

 nulated by forcing it through a hair sieve when it is nearly dry, 

 and will be fit for use without further trouble. If spirit of wine 

 be not at hand, I believe vinegar, without either rosin or gum 

 mastic, will answer the purpose. 



In making percussion powder, 1 would wish to impress upon 

 the mind of the sportsman the strong necessity of caution in the 

 preparation, The oxymuriate of potash should be pulverized 

 separately upon a smooth stone (or a smooth hard board will 

 answer the purpose) but with a wooden mullar, as it would be 

 apt to explode if rubbed with a heavy stone inullar, particularly 

 if great velocity were used. It is of no consequence how the 

 antimony is reduced to powder ; it may indeed be purchased at 

 the druggists in powder, but seldom sufficiently fine for the pur- 

 pose. However, when the oxymuriate of potash and the anti- 

 mony are ground so as to be impalpable, they may be mixed with 

 a pallet-knife (adding the spirit of wine or vinegar) and forced 

 through the sieve as before mentioned. I have generally used 

 spirit of wine in which a little rosin has been dissolved in prefer- 

 ence to vinegar, because I am of opinion, that powder thus made 



