418 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



use of larger-sized shot, as no advantage whatever is gained by 

 increasing the charge of powder beyond the proper measure. 



BURSTING OF GUNS. COMMODORE STOCKTON'S EXPERIMENTS. 

 RECOIL, ETC. 



There are innumerable causes which tend to the bursting of gun- 

 barrels, even those of the most approved workmanship ; it is not 

 astonishing, therefore, that those manufactured of inferior metal 

 and put together by second-rate artists should frequently be torn 

 to pieces while under the management of reckless and ignorant 

 shooters. Although there are immense numbers of guns imported 

 into this country, both from England and Germany, that could not 

 stand the test of the proof-house, still, they are made of sufficiently 

 good metal to bear the explosion of powder to a certain extent, 

 and, if handled with caution, might perform many years of good 

 service without endangering the lives of their owners. We do not, 

 however, wish our readers to construe this concession of ours in 

 reference to these trashy guns into a favorable notice of them, as 

 we consider the use of weapons of a doubtful character, such as 

 these are, as rather too hazardous an experiment for any one of 

 our sporting friends to venture upon. 



We will now endeavor to point out some of the causes that are 

 calculated to produce bursting not only in barrels manufactured 

 of inferior metal, but even in those forged out of the most superior 

 iron and wrought with the greatest care. 



The first grand cause of bursting springs from the forge, as 

 before stated ; and every one knows full well that many manu- 

 facturers of guns use metal of very inferior description ; and when 



