THE FOWLING-PIECE. 333 



circle of a charge of large shot, it is ten to one that 

 it is brought down, for it must not be lost sight of, 

 that when large shot is used, a single pellet will 

 mostly be sufficient to bring a bird down. There 

 is a stunning effect produced by large shot, which 

 throws the bird off its balance at once. Small shot 

 has not the same immediate effect. Hares, rabbits, 

 grouse, pheasants, and full-grown partridges, will 

 carry it off, though they fall within a hundred 

 yards. It is very seldom, indeed, that a bird 

 towers after being fired at with large shot. 



The term friction implies a gradual contraction 

 of the barrel towards the muzzle, which retards the 

 progress of the shot, that more time may be allowed 

 to ihe powder to burn. Relief accelerates the pro- 

 gress of shot through the barrels. What is the 

 proper degree of relief or friction for different de- 

 scriptions of barrels, is a subject fruitful of contro- 

 versy ; as is also the form of the breech. The best 

 breech is that which will cause the greatest quan- 

 tity of powder to consume in the barrel, and give 

 the least recoil. The percussion system of firing 

 has simplified the boring of guns. We think that 

 short barrels intended to be fired by percussion, 

 should be bored perfect cylinders, and the breech 

 should be conical or nearly so, and capable of hold- 

 ing a little more than half a charge of powder. 

 Long barrels should be bored true cylinders through- 

 out the greater part of their length, a little relief 

 being allowed near the muzzle. 



O 



A barrel, which recoils from being light, or from 

 not being held firmly when fired, throws shot very 



