54 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 
mere rubbish of the Birmingham, German, and Belgian 
wholesale manufactories, will readily decide on the value 
of a gun in all respects, including the quality of the 
metal, and the unseen workmanship of the barrels. In | 
the latter respect, however, his opinion will be induced 
mainly by analogous reasoning, and not by indirect scien- 
tific judgment ; though, of course, he will, even in this re- 
spect, fully appreciate the difference between fine, common, 
and very inferior work. 
As to what is the best quality of modern barrels, the 
difference of opinion is so great, that it may almost be 
said that no two sportsmen are of the same mind. Every 
species of barrel, cast-steel, laminated steel, damascus- 
twist, stub-twist, has its admirers and defamers; all of 
whom are charged by their adversaries with deciding, and 
many of whom probably do decide in many.cases, as much 
from prejudice, as from sound judgment. Many believe ex- 
clusively in laminated steel barrels; others hold them to 
be utterly valueless and dangerous. Some adhere to the 
stub-and-twist ; while others, again, admitting that these 
were of old the best of all, assert that, the stub-nail iron, 
having lost its original high quality, the new substitutes 
have outstripped them. In the same manner some persons 
prefer fine wire-twist, some damascus-twist, and so on. 
I do not pretend to say that I have not my own 
opinions, though I do not wish to set up for infallibility, 
or to assert that I have no possible bias, although as- 
suredly I am not aware of any; and, for such opinions as 
I have, I can in some sort assign a reason. 
My own preference is, I confess, for the stub-twist 
