266 VARIETIES OF SHOT-GUNS, ETC. 



its extremity, which keeps it in its place when ready for use. 

 On referring to the small cut of this gun (fig. 36), this spring 

 will be seen within the hook by which the lever is laid 

 hold of; and it is so arranged that the finger, before it can 

 depress the hook, must release the spring-catch. 



Such is the construction of this gun, and doubtless in 

 theory it is very beautiful ; and in practice the mechanism acts 

 particularly neatly, unless the cartridge sticks, when the dead 

 pull of the lever, in conjunction with the hold on the pin 

 being at its extreme point, very frequently tears away the 

 capsule from the case, which is left behind. This occurred 

 seven times out of a dozen shots which I fired from this gun ; 

 and I believe would generally happen, because the action is 

 radically faulty. In order to remove a sticking cartridge 

 without injury two things are necessary; firstly, the pin must 

 be laid hold of close to the barrel, and pulled in the direct 

 line of the axis of the latter ; and secondly, this must be done 

 with a smart blow or quick jerk, and not with a steady 

 powerful pull, as is done with the lever of the Bastin gun. 

 It is possible, however, that the contrivance may be improved, 

 and that this objection will be overcome; but I should also be 

 afraid that the slide would be liable to become rusty from 

 damp, and then the lever would be unable to move forward 

 the barrels. This last, however, is only a theoretical ob- 

 jection, while the other is founded upon what has actually 

 occurred in practice. 



The cartridge case employed is of the ordinary Lefaucheaux 

 kind; and indeed in all other respects but the mechanism 

 adopted in opening it, this new invention is similar to the 

 French crutch gun. 



In addition to the objections which I have alluded to, con- 

 sisting in the inefficient delivery of the cartridge cases, and 

 the tendency of the slide to stick from rust, the following 

 may be urged as of some considerable importance : firstly, 

 the opening for the admission of the cartridges is only made 

 of exactly the same length as they are themselves, and hence 

 there is some little difficulty in introducing them ; and 

 secondly, there is no means of readily taking the barrels from 

 the stock, so that a full length gun-case is necessitated. 



