183 MUZZLE-LOADERS AND BREECH-LOADERS. 



pense; in force and pattern it was equalled; in 

 safety and handiness it was far surpassed by its 

 competitor. 



These trials were continued afterwards, but none 

 were or could be more conclusive than the first, 

 which I have given, and there is no need of 

 troubling the reader with them. Indeed, it would 

 almost seem unnecessary to give time and space to 

 the consideration of the superiorities of breech- 

 loaders over muzzle-loaders at this day, so univer- 

 sally are the former accepted in the better informed 

 localities, but in so extensive a country as ours, 

 there are parts which are late to learn and hard 

 to be convinced. To-day, while the muzzle-loader 

 has nearly disappeared from the Northern and Eas- 

 tern States, it still holds its own in the South and 

 far West, and there are at present as many of them 

 in service throughout the length and breadth of 

 our land, as there are of breech-loaders. 



One change that was early made in the cartridges 

 was to do away with the pin and substitute a central 

 fire, and so much was this change admired, that 

 pin-fire guns have almost gone out of use. Never- 

 theless, I have never been convinced that this was 

 any improvement, and believe, that if the pin-fire 

 gun had come into general use before it was intro- 

 duced, it would not have been accepted. However, 

 admitted facts cannot be ignored, and to-day the 

 pin-fire system has been almost as fully and far less 

 intelligently relegated to the past, as the muzzle- 

 loader itself. I am also no admirer of the snap- 



