BOOK IV. 



THE VARIETIES OF SHOT-GUNS AND THE 

 ACCESSORIES USED WITH THEM. 



CHAPTER I. 

 THE PARTS COMMON TO ALL SHOT-GUNS. 



GENERAL REMARKS THE BARREL THE BREECH PROVING THE LOCK 



THE STOCK THE TRIGGER AND GUARD PERCUSSIONING CASE- 

 HARDENING BROWNING THE CLEANING-ROD AND RAMROD. 



IT has already been mentioned that all shot-guns consist of 

 a barrel or barrels, in the form of a cylindrical tube more or 

 less converted into a cone at one or both ends, one of which 

 is closed with a breech. In addition to this there is a lock 

 for firing the charge ; a stock for holding it conveniently 

 to take aim, and a trigger for discharging the lock. These 

 parts are put together and finished by special workmen, and 

 the barrels are generally " browned" to prevent the action of 

 damp upon the polished metal, and also to show the kind of 

 iron of which the barrels are made. 



THE CLEANING-ROD AND RAMROD. 



For muzzle-loading guns a ramrod is almost always ap- 

 pended, though sometimes where, as in covert shooting, a 

 second gun is carried, the person in charge also has a load- 

 ing rod, and then the guns are made without the usual 

 appendage. Breech-loaders, of course, do not require it, but 

 for them also a cleaning-rod is required, which has adapted 

 to it proper heads for fixing tow to wipe out the barrels, 

 or for removing lead by means of a scratch brush. The 

 ramrod will be described with the ordinary percussion gun. 



