THE LOCK. 337 



the makers of the flint and steel-locks to bestow 

 double diligence and labour on their work, conscious 

 that a rival was in the field with whom it required 

 no ordinary pains to compete. Flint-locks, whether 

 as applied to the fowling-piece or the musket, will 

 soon be forgotten, or remembered only to give a 

 romantic interest to some tale of other times, as 

 the arbalest and long bow serve only to remind us 

 of our Norman and Saxon ancestors ! It requires 

 some mechanical knowledge, and some experience, 

 to decide on the merit of a lock. The vulgar me- 

 thod of trying one is this : The operator draws 

 back the hammer with his thumb, not touching the 

 trigger with his finger, and if the works in the in- 

 terior catch and snap smartly at the half-way, and 

 when the hammer is drawn back, he may rely on 

 the main-spring being sufficiently strong and free 

 to fire the caps : then, with his thumb still on the 

 hammer, he draws the trigger and lets the hammer 

 glide slowly down upon the pivot. With a little 

 practice he will be able, in some degree, to discri- 

 minate between a good lock and a bad one. To 

 prove the difference in quality, he should take up 

 a well-finished lock ; that is, one of hard material, 

 well filed, and having springs of a suitable and cor- 

 responding strength, and compare it with an infe- 

 rior lock ; by a nice touch he will perceive the 

 difference : the hammer of the former slides back- 

 wards and forwards with a smooth even force ; 

 whilst that of the latter runs rough and gritty, as 

 if clogged with sand. If this somewhat uncertain 

 mode of trial serve no other purpose, it will enable 



