CHAPTER II 
GUNS 
In this chapter only the question of shoulder guns is dealt with. 
The large section of the book referring to punt-gunning con- 
tains the fullest and most thorough information upon punt 
guns that has probably ever appeared. My collaborator, 
Mr. Stanley Duncan, who is responsible for those chapters, 
is well known to be one of the greatest living authorities on 
this type of gun. 
In writing about shoulder guns, both for the beginner and 
the experienced wildfowler, there are many things to be con- 
sidered, one of the most important of which is the purse of 
the individual sportsman. Many fowlers are well-to-do, many 
others are not, but J trust what is said below will prove useful 
to both classes. 
Before going into the actual question of the guns themselves 
some hints on gun-buying seem necessary. I have found over 
and over again that many practical sportsmen are strangely 
ignorant of, or careless about, the right way in which to pur- 
chase a gun, either new or second-hand. This is a fact which 
I have never been able to account for satisfactorily, but both 
sportsmen and leading gunmakers of the best class will endorse 
what I say. 
In no department of gun-buying is this more patent than 
in the case of second-hand weapons. 
In the case of a wildfowler wishing to buy a gun which has 
been used before, I must strongly recommend him to go nowhere 
for it save to firms of established reputation and who are above 
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