LOADING AND MANAGEMENT OF RIFLES. 375 



at game. But when no more game is in sight there is 

 generally no reason for not cleaning except laziness. 

 The power of that I must myself admit. The more 

 unnecessary work invention removes, the more we shirk 

 what necessary work remains. 



Cleaning in the field is so easy a matter that it is 

 astonishing how we neglect it. A pocket wiper can 

 be made and carried by every one. Every rifle should 

 have a wiping-rod in the stock as does the Winchester. 



Wet dirt can nearly always be taken out with a dry 

 rag. Dry dirt will generally yield to it after the bar- 

 rel has been breathed into a few minutes. When in 

 haste you may pour water or any other convenient 

 substitute. 



Perfect cleaning may not be always convenient in 

 the field, but there is no excuse for neglect of it, or 

 for makeshifts of any kind when at home or in camp. 

 The rifle should always be cleaned and oiled at night 

 if it has been used during the day. Cleaning has 

 been so thoroughly tested at the target that it is quite 

 useless for any " practical man" to jump up and tell 

 us how much game, etc., he kills with a dirty rifle, 

 etc. We know all that. Of course it can be neglected 

 as well as a dozen other points may be. The only 

 question is, is such neglect profitable when all you 

 gain by it is such a trifling bit of personal comfort ? 



Some say, " never pour water in a fine gun." Water 

 hurts a gun just as it does a razor when it is left on 

 the metal. But a razor may be wet every day for a 

 hundred years without injury from rust. So may a 

 gun. There is absolutely nothing that takes hold of 

 powder-dirt like water. Half the substitutes for it, 

 such as kerosene, benzine, alcohol, etc., are heartless 

 hoaxes and make thrice the labor that water does. If 



