18 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



for a snap* shot, while the lighter Gun was carried before 

 him constantly, with his left hand under the barrel, and 

 his right on the checquer of the stock, so that he was pre- 

 pared to take advantage of every bird, or other object which 

 rose unexpectedly before him. The barrels should always 

 be made of the finest twisted nails, taken from the feet or 

 old shoes of horses, which are wrought in bars; they are 

 collected by the apprentice boys of blacksmiths, through- 

 out England, and carefully treasured up until the Birming- 

 ham trader makes his periodical visit, not for the sole 

 purpose of buying these nails, but for obtaining orders; 

 and having settled his business with the master, he applies 

 to the boys, and inquires how many pks they have to dis- 

 pose of. These pies are bunches of nails inclosed in a small 

 ring of iron, of about three or four inches in diameter, and 

 for which the trader generally pays at the rate of from ten 

 to twelve cents per pound, and is the apprentices' perqui- 

 site. This article, properly prepared, constitutes the strong- 

 est and best material known in the trade for Gun barrels, 

 excepting the Damascus iron, prepared from old Damascus 

 sword blades. 



The real twisted stub barrels, as they are called, are 

 generally confined to the London market, and sell very 

 high. Those Guns, which find their way into this country, 

 are only imitations of the London article, but being pre- 

 pared from well wrought iron, they so closely resemble 

 the former article, as to defy detection except by the most 

 skilful connoisseurs; and indeed the imitation has some- 

 what the advantage in its general appearance, over the real 

 article, as it respects its beauty, for being welded with thin 

 alternate bars of very soft iron, the browning acid acts with 

 greater rapidity, and throws out a more distinct figure of 

 the twist. But in making choice of a Gun, the barrel 

 should be carefully examined, and if any rotten weldings, 

 called greys by the workmen, should appear on them, or 

 in the neighbourhood of the breech, such barrels should be 

 rejected; for although they may have withstood the proof 

 charge insisted on by an act of parliament, which is truly 

 severe, they will not long resist the repeated insinuations 

 of the saltpetre occasioned by numerous discharges, and is 

 continually acting within the blemish, until sooner or later 

 it will burst the Gun. These greys exist more or less in 

 all twisted barrels, but least in the Damascus, on which 

 account the latter are preferred, by many persons, to all 

 others. The next in reputation are those which are term- 

 ed the wire twist, and are known by their regular and 

 formal lines, and are said to stand a very high proof 

 charge. But it is of little importance to the sportsman, 

 whether the barrels are made of twisted nails, Damascus 



* A snap shot is that, when a Gun is brought to bear immediately on tlie ob- 

 ject at the moment it rests against the shoulder, and fired at the same instant. 



blades, or wire, unless indeed they are sound and perfect 

 of their kind. The next quality requisite in the barrel, is 

 a smooth cylindrical calibre, free from what is called ring- 

 bore; and the breech (the patent breech) should be, at its 

 entrance, a continuation of the calibre, without a shoulder 

 or set-off, which is very seldom the case with the factors, 

 or what is called the export guns. As an article of trade, 

 the London Guns are too high for the American market, 

 ranging in price from two hundred, to three hundred and 

 fifty dollars. Sales of this article are chiefly effected in 

 England, France, and the East Indies. 



The common mode of tapping the barrels to receive the 

 patent breech, is to cut the thread of the screw at once, in 

 the best London mode; it is a rule to cut out about one- 

 fourth or one-third of the thickness of the barrels, before 

 entering the tap, so as to admit the breech being cupped 

 the full size of the calibre; such Guns shoot much stronger, 

 and place their shot more regular, whilst those Guns which 

 are less perfect in this particular, throw their shot in clus- 

 ters, and in some instances in such masses as to resemble 

 bullets, which are serious defects, existing more or less in 

 all Guns in proportion to the shoulder or set-off of the 

 breech, and may be explained in the following manner: 

 The first pressure or effect of the powder, is on the centre 

 of the shot, which is started some distance before it can 

 act on the whole charge; consequently, the shot on the 

 sides of the barrels becomes jammed, and from the great 

 pressure of the centre shot, is united in masses of lead; 

 and another consequent evil is, that the Gun becomes so 

 foul, as to endanger the safety of the shooter, and is one of 

 the principal causes why so many accidents occur, espe- 

 cially among the French and German Guns of the cheaper 

 kind, with which the American market is glutted, and 

 which the wise sportsman will scrupulously avoid. These 

 remarks, however, are not intended to apply to the French 

 or German Guns of the better kind, and of which we shall 

 treat in some future remarks. 



In choosing a Gun, attention should be paid to the lock, 

 the cock of which should rise from its resting place, the 

 nipple perfectly free, and rather light, with a regular and 

 even purchase until it comes to the full bent, or cock; the 

 sear or dog telling in the tumbler two sharp and distinct 

 strokes, clear, and with a sort of ringing sound, which is 

 the best criterion for persons not skilled in mechanics, 

 although these qualities are sometimes found in very bad 

 and unsafe locks. When the cock is drawn back to its 

 greatest extent, the main spring should be perfectly 

 straight, and when let down again, possessing a gentle 

 curve; the spring should not be too strong, but very live- 

 ly, and free from friction. The other materials should be 

 made of steel in place of case-hardened iron, and consider- 



