294 



VARIETIES OF SHOT-GUNS, ETC. 



loading guns of smaller size; but punt-guns require a spoon 

 to carry the powder and shot horizontally along the barrel. 

 For punt-guns the following are the sizes of shot recom- 

 mended by Colonel Hawker : 



^ , , , ( No. 1 for fair shots. 



For shoulder punt-guns . j A for i ong shots . 



^ , ( No. 3 for starlight. 



For stancheon punt-guns . j No j for fair sl f ots> 



Packed in cartridges . . . S.S.G., or L.G. 



For geese A., or A.A. 



Ditto, if very tame. . . . S.S.G. 



BREECH-LOADING PUNT-GUN. 



Mr. Needham has sold several punt-guns on the same 

 principle as his ordinary shot-gun, all the parts being made 

 stronger and of larger size. These, I an; told, answer re- 

 markably well ; and as the loading is very quick, and can 

 be effected without raising the hand above the deck of the 

 punt, the advantages are so manifest as to require no further 

 allusion. Mr. Needham uses breech-ropes, which allow of 

 the gun being kept lower on the punt than a spring swivel. 

 Fig. G4 shows a sketch of the central part of one of these 



NEEDHAM'S BREECH-LOADING PUNT GUN. 



guns, in which d represents the breech plug and lock, a the 

 eye for the breech-ropes, and c the trigger, which is of course 

 pulled by means of a small cord. The principle is so similar 

 in all respects to that of his game-bird guns, that I must 

 refer my readers to p. 267, where they are fully described. 



