00 6 SHOOTING. 



sportsmen who long retained the flint in preference 

 to the copper-cap. Their partiality for the old 

 system arose from their inability to depart from 

 the manner of taking aim to which they had been 

 accustomed they fired too forward ! It was said, 

 too, that a barrel fired by a detonating lock, did 

 not throw shot so efficiently as the other. That 

 objection is now obviated by making barrels per- 

 fectly cylindrical throughout the whole length of 

 the tube. We prefer the copper-cap-lock for its 

 simplicity, to any other system of firing by per- 

 cussion. 



A bad lock, in these march-of-improvement days, 

 is rarely fixed to a gun. Since the use of detona- 

 tors has become general, the quality of the lock is 

 not of so much consequence to the sportsman as it 

 was previously. The quickness of firing with the 

 old flint and steel-locks depended so much on the 

 workmanship of the lock, that a properly-tempered 

 and well-filed one was invaluable. The introduc- 

 tion of detonators has by no means improved the 

 quality of the workmanship of the lock it has 

 rather deteriorated it. The fact is, the master 

 gunmakers, finding the lock not so much looked at 

 as formerly, are become indifferent to obtaining 

 the assistance, or unwilling to incur the expense of 

 first-rate workmen. The hardening and filing of a 

 lock in an artist-like manner, requires no common 

 skill. The best locks ever turned out were those 

 made on the flint and steel principle, at the time 

 when detonators first came into vogue ; the smart- 

 ness with which the percussion locks fired, obliged 



