APPENDIX.—D. 
Ballard’s Breech-Loading Rifle. 
Since the Author’s opinions on Sharp and Perry’s breech-loading 
arms, so generally entertained when this work was prepared in 1856, 
many important improvements have been introduced. The BaLLARD 
RIFLE is admitted to be the most perfect breech-loading weapon for 
sporting or military purposes now before the public. Its superiority 
consists in the simplicity of its mechanism, superior workmanship, 
the barrels of the finest steel, and rifled in the most approved man- 
ner, rapidity of loading and firing, accuracy and great penctratiou 
in shooting; it can be loaded any length of time without injury, 
and draws the empty shell of cartridge after discharge. 
Mauy of our best rifle shooters have heretofore claimed that no 
breech-loader could be made to shootas accurately as the old-fashion- 
ed muzzle-loaders, the power and rapidity of the former has long been 
admitted by the most inveterate of its enemies; they contended it 
could not be made to shovt so accurately as the latter, but the 
copper cartridge has removed the last objection. The progress made 
in the science of fire-arms during the last few years, has dispelled 
many old notions that were once held with the utmost tenacity 
which are now admitted to be errors, and none are more fully proved 
to be so than those held in relation to breech-loading arms. Indeed, 
it is generally conceded that the Ballard breech-loader combines ali 
the qualities and advantages of both the muzzle-loading and breech- 
