334 , THE SPORTING RIFLE. 



nutely describing the details and various parts of which it is 

 formed. 



"The cartridge is made of strong brown paper, and is 

 secured to the end of the ball by some adhesive substance; 

 it has glued to the back of it a wad well saturated with tallow 

 for preventing the gun from fouling after repeated use, the 

 action of which will be hereafter explained. By referring to 

 the lower illustration it will be seen that the cartridge is 

 placed directly under the channel or bore which leads from 

 the nipple, in such a position that when the cap is discharged 

 by the fall of the hammer, the explosion of the powder takes 

 place from the centre of the cartridge, and not from the end, 

 as is usually the case. The object of this arrangement is for 

 the purpose of detaining the tallowed wad in the barrel at 

 the time the ball is ejected from it by the force of the ex- 

 ploded powder; it there remains ready to be forced forward 

 by the next ball and cartridge inserted, and leaves the barrel 

 when the discharge again takes place. It will therefore be 

 understood that there is always a wad left behind every dis- 

 charge, ready to be pushed forward by the following charge. 

 "VVe shall now explain the various parts of the rifle, the way 

 in which they are fitted together, and their action when in use: 

 a is the cartridge, b the ball, c the wad; d is a sliding 

 conical piston or plug, operated on by a rod (e), and fitting 

 into a seating in which it has been truly ground. Directly 

 at the back of the charge-chamber f is a cam, or more pro- 

 perly speaking, an oval collar, formed on the rod e, which fits 

 into a corresponding oval recess formed in the breech ; and 

 when thus positioned, by turning it one quarter round, 

 the eccentric or oval parts jam themselves into two chambers 

 made to receive them, and form the point of resistance for 

 the back of the charge-chamber; g is a hinged joint which, 

 turning round, forms not only a door for the opening A, 

 through which the cartridge is placed, but also a lever for 

 more readily turning the cam f, and removing the conical 

 piston d, when it is required to insert a fresh charge. 



" In loading, the operation is extremely easy, and can be 

 performed in a very short space of time the hinged door 

 g, which is kept tight in its place by a spring on the back, 

 is first thrown round at right angles to the position it occu- 



