242 VARIETIES OF SHOT-GUNS, ETC. 



THE ENTIRE PERCUSSION GUN. 



When the various parts already described are well and 

 carefully made and put together by a first-class workman, 

 the result is a most efficient gun, which will do its work as 

 well as anything yet invented in all respects but two, or per- 

 haps three. These are to be found in the slowness of loading, 

 in the danger attending upon the process, inasmuch as the 

 hand must more or less cover the muzzle, and in the fouling 

 and leading of the barrels, the latter of which defects requires 

 the occasional use of the scratch-brush to remove the coat 

 of lead that not only injures the shooting qualities, but adds 

 greatly to the recoil. With these exceptions, I think it is 

 generally agreed that the percussion gun is faultless, and it 

 remains to be seen whether they can be got rid of without 

 interfering with the good qualities which are by general 

 consent attributed to it. 



As the percussion gun is allowed to be equal, if not superior, 

 to any other in shooting qualities, it will be well to consider 

 it as the standard in these respects, and then to compare 

 others with it. I have already said, that a fowling-piece 

 should combine in its performances, (a) a good pattern in 

 the target made by it, united with as much strength as 

 possible ; (b) a fair weight, so as to avoid tiring the sports- 

 man ; and (c) such an absence of recoil as will render its 

 use for hours and days together not unpleasant to the 

 shooter. 



(a) A good surface-pattern may be shown upon an iron 

 plate, or any other smooth surface, and upon these a practised 

 eye can also distinguish the amount of strength with which 

 the gun shoots, nearly enough to form a pretty correct opinion. 

 The spreading of each shot upon the plate is the test which 

 is adopted, because the more impetus is given to the shot the 

 more they are flattened against the iron. So also in a door, 

 the wood of which is known, according to the driving power 

 of the gun will be the penetration of the shot; but as doors 

 are constructed of various woods, and as, after some exposure, 

 each of these will become softer on the surface, this test is 

 a very bad one, and is not to be compared with brown paper. 

 When this last material is employed, a single sheet will 



