THE BREECH-LOADER. 463 



the hammers made rebounding, and snap-fastenings substituted for 

 the fore-end bolts, and the gun thus improved was made the most 

 perfect weapon ever offered to the sporting public, and for years 

 fully satisfied all demands. One defect, however, still existed, viz., 

 that of external hammers or strikers, which had to be drawn back 

 before firing, and also were a source of danger through liability to 

 catch in twigs or in the sportsman's clothing. This led to the 

 invention of the so-called hammerless gun, from the fact that the 

 strikers are situated upon the inner surface of the lock-plates, and 

 the blow upon the firing-pin is delivered internally rather than ex- 

 ternally. The hammerless system, regarded in a purely mechanical 

 light, is a great improvement upon all past systems, because it 

 permits of a lock consisting of less pieces, of more simple construc- 

 tion, and of consequent less liability to get out of order, and in 

 addition to this it also permits the locks to be cocked automatically 

 by the simple action of opening the gun to receive the shells. 



As all new inventions meet with opposition until their value is 

 proved beyond question, the hammerless guns were declared dan- 

 gerous, because, as the strikers are concealed, the sportsman cannot 

 tell at a glance whether his gun is cocked or not, and so may get a 

 discharge unexpectedly. To offset this, we have the fact that the 

 gun is known to be cocked every time it is opened, and remains 

 cocked until fired, or the hammers are let down. Under either of 

 these conditions it is as safe as any other gun can be, and when 

 cocked, safety is specially provided for by automatic trigger and 

 tumbler-bolts, brought into action simultaneously with the cocking 

 of the gun, and remaining in action till released by pushing aside 

 the safety-catch. The position of this catch upon the upper surface 

 of the gripe plainly indicates whether the locks are bolted or not, 

 and by its action they can be bolted and released at any time, and 

 as often as circumstances require. In addition to this, many gun- 

 builders have placed special indicators upon their guns, by which 

 the position of the strikers is shown as plainly as by the old ex- 

 ternal hammers. In its present form, the hammerless gun possesses 

 the great advantages over all guns of the past of being more safe, 



