366 lewis's AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



will answer the same purpose, and perhaps be more easily obtained. 

 There is a species of metallic wads sold by the gunsmiths for the 

 purpose of cleansing the gun when clogged during an excursion ; 

 they are made large for the bore of the barrel for which they are 

 intended to be employed, and, as they fit very tight, are rammed 

 home with some degree of force. As they are pushed down the 

 barrel, they necessarily scrape from the inside all the dirt and 

 leading before them, which, being thus collected together in a mass 

 on the top of the powder, is expelled at the next discharge of the 

 piece. These wads will be found very useful under some circum- 

 stances, and will prevent, in some degree, the barrels from be- 

 coming uncomfortably clogged or leaded, although they cannot 

 relieve the chambers at all, which, by-the-by, is the most important 

 point to be cleansed. Nothing, however, will eflFectually do this 

 save the free use of water. 



There are various other kinds of wadding to be obtained at the 

 gunsmith's, all of which, however, we consider inferior, — at all 

 events, no better than the common patent paper wads in general 

 use, which are cheap, convenient, and safe. 



The wadding over the powder should be forced down with con- 

 siderably more violence than the one placed over the shot, so as to 

 drive the powder into the chambers and nipple-hole and mould it 

 into a compact form. If the wadding over the shot be forced down 

 too hard, there will be a considerable recoil when the piece is dis- 

 charged; this of itself will soon teach the novice better. When 

 loading one barrel, never put the ramrod into the other ; for if a 

 shot or two by chance should slip down on the side of the rod, it 

 will be very apt to become wedged in when we attempt to withdraw 

 it. We have known this accident to happen more than once ; and 

 we can assure our friends that if it should occur with them they 

 will be bothered not a little, more particularly if they do not know 

 the proper plan to pursue in the dilemma. As soon as we dis- 

 cover that a ramrod is thus wedged in the barrel, we must arrest 

 our eiforts to draw it out by main force, as tnis is impossible ; we 

 should turn the muzzle downwards, and press the rod on the 



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