194 THE SHOOTER^ GUIDE. 



not to use too much oil; in fact, to rub them with 

 oily tow is quite sufficient. When much oil is used, 

 it will become so clammy, as to prevent the springs 

 from acting with the necessary freedom. 



Tlie best Fowling-piece. 



The fowling-piece which I should recommend is one 

 with a stub-twisted barrel, patent breech, platina or 

 gold touch-hole (an elevated breech to a person who 

 is in the habit of shooting below the mark). The 

 length of the barrel from twenty-six to twenty-eight 

 inches: a barrel twenty-two inches long, 1 have been 

 informed, will carry as far as one twenty-six (supposing 

 the calibre the same); however, there is this objec- 

 tion to the former, viz. it is neither so pleasant nor 

 safe in the act of loading. There is also one very 

 strong objection against a very long gun, which is 

 that of being point-heavy; to say nothing of the in- 

 convenience attending it when shooting in a wood 

 or thicket. A gun is said to be point-heavy, when 

 in the act of taking aim, it feels heavy at the muzzle, 

 and has consequently a tendency to throw the shot 

 below the object. 



Forsyte's lock I should strongly recommend, could 

 1 divest myself of the idea, that there is danger at- 

 tending it. But as I have already stated my ideas at 

 tolerable length upon it, I shall forbear enlarging OR 

 the subject tare. 



