GILBERT SMITH'S AMERICAN RIFLE. 343 



importance in breech-loaders so long as the ball is made of 

 the same size as the barrel at the bottom of the grooves. I 

 have never seen these rifles tried, so I cannot give any 

 opinion as to their merits; but, excepting in the perforated 

 wad or ring before the ball, there is little to alter their 

 shooting from that of any ordinary breech-loader. 



THE LEFAUCHEAUX RIFLE. 



Almost any form of rifling may be adapted to a pair of 

 barrels constructed with Lefaucheaux's breech, but those 

 which I have seen tried have been of the Enfield bore and 

 grooves, made by Reilly, and they have performed well at 

 100 and 200 yards. The cartridge is similar in principle, 

 but usually of smaller diameter, as there are few who would 

 now use a rifle with a 12 or 16 bore the former, on the 

 usual allowance of 2 \ diameters, carrying a 3 oz. ball, and 

 the latter one weighing 2^ ounces. The weight of these 

 rifles with Enfield barrels is about 9 Ibs. 



Cartridges to suit the Enfield bore, numbered 24, are made 

 by the French cartridge-makers, and may be obtained of 

 any gunmaker by special order. 



BASTIN'S RIFLE. 



As this rifle differs from Lefaucheaux's only in the mode 

 of closing the breech, as described at page 264, it is unneces- 

 sary to allude to it further here. Although there is no 

 hinge, and the barrels slide, I believe the joint is not so 

 strong when the breech is closed as that of the Lefaucheaux 

 pattern. 



GILBERT SMITH'S AMERICAN RIFLE. 



This new rifle has recently been brought over to this country 

 for trial before the Small Arms Committee, and is patented 

 both here and in France, as well as in America. It is so 

 constructed that the joint is broken in the middle of the 

 chamber for the cartridge, and it is hoped by the inventor 

 that this will prevent all escape ; while by simply perforating 

 the centre of the wad, which closes the base of the cartridge, 



