THE FOWUN 7 G-PIECE. IS/ 



the length of the butt (which depends in some 

 measure upon the circumstance just mentioned, but 

 in a greater degree upon the length of the arms) can 

 be determined with great accuracy by the gun-smith, 

 from observing the manner in which the shooter pre- 

 sents his piece and takes aim. However, generally 

 speaking, thus much may be observed, that for a 

 long-armed man, the stock should be longer, than for 

 one who has short arms ; also, a tolerably straight 

 stock is proper for a person who has high shoulders, 

 or a short neck ; for if it be much bent, it would be 

 difficult for him, especially in the quick motion re- 

 quired in shooting at a flying or running object, to 

 place the butt-end of the gun-stock firmly to the 

 shoulder; the upper part alone would in general be 

 fixed, which would not only raise the muzzle, and 

 consequently shoot high, but make the recoil more 

 severely felt than if the whole end of the stock were 

 firmly placed to the shoulder. Besides, supposing 

 the shooter to bring the butt home to his shoulder, 

 he would scarcely be able to level his piece at the 

 object. On the contrary, a man with low shoulders 

 and a long neck, requires a stock much bent ; for if 

 it is straight, he will, in the act of lowering his head 

 to that part of the stock at which his cheek should 

 rest in taking aim, feel a constraint, which he never 

 experiences, when, by the effect of a proper degree 

 of curvature, the stock lends him some assistance, 

 and, as it were, meets him half way. Independent, 

 however, of these principles, the application of which 



