202 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
process of manufacture of the additional parts in the con- 
version, this, of course, being away from the point. Readers 
who are versed in drawings may readily glean our ideas from 
our rough sketches, and in this we console ourselves that we 
have done enough. 
We give details of the cartridge for the gun in question. 
Reference to the sketch of cartridge cases will, no doubt, dis- 
close the working. The brass piece carrying the dovetail is 
screwed with a left-hand thread and sweated into a block 
inside the case. ‘‘Sweated’’ means to solder by heat, running 
solder into the part requiring it, after tinning the surface with 
Spirits of salts or soldering paste to make the solder ‘‘ take.” 
The block and the base of the cartridge case turn, leaving 
the shell base stationary. By this means the screw extracts 
the cartridge. Cases may be all drawn brass, or half paper. 
The latter are screwed with a fine thread on to the brass, 
and hooped with a steel ring. For 14in. bore the brass case 
answers well, but for over this size we recommend half paper. 
A .380 blank cartridge for a 14 in. bore gun answers well the 
purpose of an ignition tube, but, remember, its charge must 
be correct. The outside of the brass cases after each shot 
must be reduced somewhat in size before reloading. 
Mr. Charles Whittle, of Church Street, Lancaster, wrote 
me some time ago saying he keeps in stock (or can obtain as 
per order) all sizes of paper tubes suitable for punt-gun cart- 
ridge cases. Although one can easily make these things, it is 
cheaper and time-saving to buy them ready made. He also 
states that he would undertake the converting of punt-guns 
from M.L. to B.L.; but we believe he only does this on 
a design of his own, the breech of which he was kind enough 
to send to us for inspection. We cannot, however, give any 
details of it here. In passing, we might add that Mr. Whittle 
is a keen wildfowler, and one who has experimented a good 
deal with big guns, punts, and motor craft, and, therefore, 
