208 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
despite all that may be said of the grand-shooting M.L. swivel- 
guns built in days gone by. In saying ‘‘a heavy charge,” it 
must not be taken that we mean more than a gun can burn, or 
is designed to burn. This would be, as we may all know, 
superfluous, and of no use in obtaining good results. To 
make our meaning clear, we might say that a gun can burn 
only a certain quantity of black powder (this is the only kind 
in use for large swivel-guns), and no more. Evidence might 
be borne on this point by saying that if a fowler wishes to 
shoot a heavier charge than his gun can satisfactorily take, he 
must obtain a larger gun. No man can burn over a certain 
quantity of black gunpowder in. a gun, but it is only too true 
(and sorry we are to note the fact) that he can quite easily 
create a pressure in the breech of his gun great enough to burst 
it. We might as well here observe, for the benefit of all con- 
cerned, that to use nitro compounds in big guns not built for 
the use of such powders is pretty nearly a similar act to com- 
mitting suicide. The powders to be recommended for punt- 
guns are the large and hard-grained Colonel Hawker’s and 
Captain Latour’s, both equally good, and if damp, can be 
dried without deterioration. Dry gunpowder slowly, and do 
not overheat it. 
It is of the utmost importance that charges of powder 
burnt in punt-guns should be perfectly ignited in order to 
attain good shooting results. By this it must be understood 
that, besides making thoroughly certain that the charge will 
be fired, it is equally necessary that the ignition be correct. 
Later, the reader may better see what is meant. For the 
present we might say that for good and pleasant shooting it is 
as bad to over-ignite a charge of black powder as to do so 
insufficiently. The latter, all may know, is simply saying 
that, in the instance of shoulder guns, bad caps make bad 
cartridges, no matter how good the powder, wadding, shot, 
and general loading in them may be. Bear in mind that the 
