THE ENTIRE PERCUSSION GUN. 243 



suffice for the surface pattern; but for penetration several 

 thicknesses will be required. According to my experience, 

 a good muzzle-loading gun of twelve-bore, with a charge of 

 2f drachms of powder and 1 ounces of shot, No. 6, will 

 distribute evenly about 150 to 160 shots on a thirty-inch 

 target at forty yards, and 55 to 65 at sixty yards. The 

 same gun and charge, at forty yards, will drive three or four 

 of its shot through from thirty-five to forty thicknesses of a 

 twelve-inch square of 90 Ib. bag cap brown paper, and through 

 from twenty to twenty-five thicknesses of the same at sixty 

 yards. Occasionally a single shot may exceed these amounts, 

 but they may be considered the average of what may be ex- 

 pected from a first-class gun. This, however, will be more 

 clearly seen by a reference to the table of the performances of 

 the guns at the Field gun trial in 1859, hereafter given. 



(b) The weight of a muzzle-loader is the point which 

 regulates the bore; for if the sportsman requires a light 

 gun he must be contented with a small bore ; while, on the 

 contrary, should he be regardless of weight, a No. 12, or even 

 a still larger gauge, would generally be chosen, as being 

 capable of carrying a large charge better than any smaller 

 size. The following may be considered as the lowest safe 

 weights of the several bores likely to be used : 



No. 12 . . . . 7ilbs. 

 No. 13 .... 7ilbs. 

 No. 14. 7 Ibs. 



No. 15. ... 6flbs. 

 No. 16. . . . 6ilbs. 

 No. 18. . . . 6 libs. 



(c) The absence of unpleasant recoil with a fair charge of 

 powder and shot depends chiefly upon the boring of the 

 barrel, and to avoid it certain principles are sacrificed, which 

 but for this essential, would be carried out. Thus it will be 

 found that, within certain bounds, the more the shot is 

 confined within the barrel, until the whole of the powder is 

 exploded, the stronger will be the shooting. To effect this, 

 however, in the fullest degree, the recoil will be so great as to 

 forbid its use; and here also there must be a sacrifice of one 

 to the other, just as in the case of weight and calibre. With 

 a well-made gun shooting as described under (a) the recoil 

 is not higher than sixty-five pounds, as tested by the machine 



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