345 



SHARPE'S AMERICAN RIFLE. 



About Jive years ago some thousands of these rifles were 

 ordered for the use of our cavalry, having been examined in- 

 doors by the authorities of the day, and considered to be ex- 

 tremely likely to be useful. But in real service it was found 

 that the recoil was so enormous, and that the self-priming 

 principle was so little to be relied on that they are now 

 entirely given up. The principle consists in the adaptation 

 between the open breech and the false breech of a strong 

 plug of iron, which is lowered by a powerful lever. This, 

 after introducing the cartridge, is raised by the same means, 

 and not only closes the breech but cuts off the end of the 

 thin cartridge paper. The priming is effected by a very in- 

 genious action, which throws a little disk of copper between the 

 nipple and hammer during the descent of the latter and after 

 pulling the trigger. This plan acts very well when free from 

 the action of the wind, but if it is at all submitted to this agent, 

 the disk is blown away and the consequence is a miss-fire. 

 Independently of this defect, however, the amount of recoil, 

 and the noise in the ears caused by the escape are so great as 

 to ensure its rejection by the sportsman. 



REVOLVING RIFLES AND PISTOLS. 



A very old invention, specimens of which have been stored 

 in several collections of implements of war, was, some years 

 ago, revived and remodelled by Colonel Colt in America, and 

 has now become universal in the form of " the revolver." The 

 patent granted to Colonel Colt covers only the exact mechanism 

 by which the principle is applied by him, and numerous 

 rivals have since appeared in this country, among whom may 

 be mentioned Tranter, Adams, Harding, Daw, and some 

 others of lesser note. There is very little difference among 

 these, all using a single barrel, with a block of iron revolving 

 behind this, bored with five or six chambers, each of which 

 is successively brought in a continuous line with it. There 

 is also only one lock, but there is a nipple corresponding with 

 each chamber; and thus, as the chambers revolve, they are 

 inserted between the hammer behind and the open barrel in 



