FOREST AND STREAM 
873 
Ohio — Cincinnati, Nov, 18th .—Cincinnati Shooting and 
Fishing Club ; second competition for the Baker medal; 
distance, 200 yards ; position, off-hand ; 15 shots at Mass., 
Creedmoor targets;— 
jitass, Or. 
3. JTensen. 7 9 11 11 10 10 It 9 It 11 U 9 10 1110-151 87 
J. Fender. 1) 8 0 10 8 11 10 S 10 12 11 1112 10 13-151 00 
r. Western. fl 7 1110 10 Si 10 1113 13 13 10 11 10 8-149 (JO 
iV. Caldwell-... 8 7 11 7 0 9 8 10 10 10 12 10 11 10 9-141-03 
P. J. Baum.... 7 10 0 0 9 0 8 10 10 12 11 7 11 0 10—133 (12 
1. Toni'.H 6 11 8 11 10 11 7 7 9 7 11 9 11 9-138 60 
4. Koeblrr. 12 5 10 7 11 10 8 11 9 9 U 10 1/ 11 (1-137 03 
M. Uiruhslln.... 10 9 12 9.5 7 0 10 10 7 9 12 10 9 9-131 00 
IV. Hall.11 7 11 7 8 T10 10 7 8 9 7 9 10 7—128 02 
Tie ; 8 shots ; 3d tie:— 
3*. Hensen.11 9 7-27 9 
h. Fender. 11 9 7-27 7 
«' Missouri— Sechi.Ha, Nov. 14 th ,—Sedalia has a neiv mil¬ 
itary company, the " Sedalia Rides,” just organized, and 
being equiped. You may expect someth i n g soon from this 
source. OCCIDENT. 
?fdu\£ nt[d (§>ut{. 
GAME IN SEASON FOR DECEMBER. 
Moose, Alee Americana. 
Caribou, Itangifer caribou. 
Eli or wapiti, Cemis canadensis. \ 
lied or Va. deer. C. virginiamis. 
Squirrels, red, lilaclc and gray. 
Hares, brown and gray. 
Wild turkey,itfislMipns oallopavo. 
Pinnated grouao or prairie 
chickens,'Clupidwdtt CMpido. 
RuB'ed grouse or pheasant, Uo- 
nasa umbcUus. 
Quail or partridge, Grtyx Virginia 
anvs. 
Woodcock, Phllohela minor. 
Swans, Brant, Wild Duoks/.Geese, itc. 
£57""ThiB table does not apply to all the States. Itisnieantto 
represent the game which Is generally In season at this time. State 
regulations may prohibit the killing of some species of game here 
mentioned. _ 
Where the Pigeons are Now. —We learn from an 
exchange that the celebrated pigeon roost In Scott 
County, Indiana, is now, as it has been for seventy-five 
years, the roost of millions of pigeons. They fly away in 
the morning to their feeding grounds, many of them 
going to such a distance that they do not return until 
midnight ., ,The timber on thousands of acres covered by 
this roost is broken down badly, large limbs being 
snapped Dff like reeds, by the accumulated weight of the 
birds. Thousands are killed nightly, hut the slaughter 
seems to make no dimunition in the vast flocks that con¬ 
gregate there. 
Snipe.—W hile a scarcity of snipe has been reported by 
our correspondents all over the United States, they seem 
to have been more abundant than ever in the Province of 
New Brunswick the past season. We will thank our 
Southern correspondents”to report their whereabouts 
wherever they make their appearance. 
Gen Accidents Again. —Dr. O. E. Rider, of Rochester 
N. Y., enclosing a newspaper item about a young man 
who has just lost his arm (cause, drawing gun out of a 
wagon muzzle foremost), suggests that a collection of 
gun accidents be made and classified, with, the view of 
determining the most frequent causes, and so adopting 
protective measures. It is hardly necessary to make 
such a study of the subject. They all come under the 
general head of carelessness. There is no adequate excuse 
for nine hundred and ninety-nine out of one thousand of 
them. No device can ever be perfected to effectually 
withstand the foolishness of the careless handler of fire¬ 
arms. So long as gunpowder possesses its explosive prop¬ 
erties, and so long as lead will bore holes inhuman bodies, 
ws* may expect to see and read of men shooting them¬ 
selves and other people. 
The Forest City Club. —The Forest City Shooting 
Club, of Ithaca, N. Y. , which was organized last year, 
now numbers fifty members and has a fine club house 
on the shore of Cayuga Lake. The officers are : Presi¬ 
dent, Levi Kenney; Vice-President, W i ll i a m H. Wilson; 
Secretary and Treasurer, William H. Denham, The club 
had a most pleasant reception at the Ithaca Hotel the 
other night, when wit and wisdom held high carnival, 
an d all went merry as a married belle. 
VARIOUS GUNS AND GUN MAKERS. 
Cap Rouge, P. Q., Nov. 13 th. 
Editor Forest andStream :— 
There are so many makers of guns at home and abroad 
that any person wanting a good weapon must be hard to 
please if lie cannot find one to suit him without much 
trouble. The only thing is in the* choice of the maker, 
and in this matter most people have their favorites. Of 
the various makers of guns, it cannot by any means be 
said that they are all first-class, even in the best guns 
they make; and of this no person has any means of 
judging, unless he has had considerable experience 
in the use of the different grades of the various makers. 
In this article I propose to give some of my experience 
with guns I have had myself, or that I have used long 
enough to decide on their merits. I have owned myself, 
or had in my time, no less than thirty breeoh-loaders. 
and of these, with three exceptions, I never had dupli¬ 
cates of the same maker. All the best known American 
guns, exepting Clark & Sneider’s, of Baltimore, and the 
new Colt gun, I have tried, one after the other. I have 
also had guns of most of the best known Euglisli makers, 
one of Irish and one of Scotch make. I will notice them 
in the order in which I have named them. 
The first objection found in the American guns—and 
this applies to all makers—is that they manufacture guns 
with their own particular mode of action only, for open¬ 
ing and closing the breech. TUey win not take an order 
for a gun with any action the purchaser may wish to 
Lave, as each one, no doubt, considers his or their action 
better than any of the others. Now, in 'England if an 
order is given for a gun, this is left entirely to the taste 
of the person ordering, and the gun is made with this 
most important particular strictly according to Ws 
wishes. I think American makers lose many orders they 
might otherwise have. 
Give me a Parker or Baker gun, hut with a top snap, 
double bolt action, and they are equal to the best guns 
iu the world for Bhooting powers, stability and solidity 
of make. The first American, gun I owned was a Parker, 
costing $100, and to do the gun justice, I must say a 
better gun never left maker’s hand. It was a 13-bore, 
and I presume was choked, as it was impossible for a 
cylinder to compare with it in pattern or penetration. 
The gun was well finished and put together, and showed 
that it had been carefully made. 11. was, iu my opinion, 
however, unnecessarily heavy for the Bize of the bore, as 
it weighednearly niueandaquarler pounds. I afterwards 
had another; guii by these makers, and I found the same 
objection to it. This one was a 13-bcue, 30-inch, plain 
steel barrels, and it weighed nine pounds two ounces. 
There was not the least attempt at any tiring like finish to 
this gun, although it cost $70 in Canada, without any¬ 
thing in the shape of tools, case, etc. However, like the 
other, it shot remarkably well, and, for a cheap gun, was 
well built and put together, 
I have another objection to these guns, and that is the 
price. As compared with English manufacture of the 
same grade, these guns cost nearly, if not quite, half as 
much again, and, at the same time, they have no quali¬ 
ties superior to the English guns to cause such a differ¬ 
ence. However, they are not alone in this fault, which 
is not a bad one, except for the purchaser. 
The next in order is the Baker. These guns are de¬ 
cidedly the best made in the States, when ail tilings are 
taken into consideration. They turn out as good work 
for leas money than any otherniakers; and in the gun I 
used myself, and several that my friends have had, I 
have yet to see any flaw or show of poor workmanship. 
All that I have seen have proved themselves excellent 
shooters, and the locking action is solid and in good order, 
even in two cases that I know of where the gun had veiy 
hard usage. Their guns remaining tight and strong 
under repeated firing, proves, I think, that the single 
bolt is all that is necessary to keep the breech closed, and 
that it is equally as good as the many bolts or other 
locking devices oi' different makers. For myself, I prefer 
the double holt; but I would not pretend to say that a 
gun with it is any more safe than one with the single 
bolt only, 
The Baker gun I owned cost originally, I think, $100, 
and was well worth the money. The next was a gun be¬ 
longing to a friend of mine, manufactured by Nichols & 
Lefever, of Syracuse, and cost $150, It was well put to¬ 
gether, and shows good, careful workmanship I but after 
six months’ use I have several objections to this make. I 
do not like so much extension rib as there is in this gun, 
as this, with the action, causes so much cutting away of 
the solid breech that it impairs the solidity. The action 
itself is complicated, or I should say that there is too 
much of it, so that if one piece breaks, no amount of am¬ 
ateur gunsmithing will serve to make the necessary re¬ 
pairing. In. point of price these are the most expensive 
of the American guns, without any compensating quali- 
ities for the increased price ; in this respect resembling 
the Purdy gun, made in Englaud. One good point in the 
fitting is a hook under the barrels, which when the gun 
is unlocked catches upon a pin and prevents the barrels 
dropping with a jerk, like other guns ; and it is this drop¬ 
ping which is, I think, in many cases the cause of the gun 
getting loose at the breech so soon, as the weight of the 
falling barrels must necessarily strain the connection a 
good deal in a gun constantly used. After using this gun 
1 had qcoess to a fine Daly, and also to a gun made by 
W. R. Schaffer, of Boston. Both these belonged to 
friends of mine, and I had many opportunities of exam- 
ing their workmanship and testing their shooting pow ers, 
and I can say most certainly that they compared very 
favorably with any guns I ever saw or had in any and all 
respects. Of the new Colt gun, as I said before, I know 
nothing ; it has been but a comparatively short time out, 
and I have had no opportunities of using or examining 
one. If they correspond in any way to their other work 
in general, I have no doubt but that it is a reliable and 
good weapon. Of the other guns made in the States it is 
not necessary to say much. Of course I mean by this 
guns that are well known throughout the Union. There 
are many private gunmakers in the various cities and 
towns who oau and do turn out some first-class work. 
But my purpose is only to notice the makes of the large 
and best-known manufacturers. About the last in the 
list are the Stevens double-barrel and the Remington. 
Both of these guns are decidedly second-class, although I 
have some remarkably good shooting done with a Rem¬ 
ington, Still the material, workmanship and general ap¬ 
pearance of these guns are very much against them. 
Few sportsmen would care to pay the price asked even 
for the best qualities, when guns of better material and 
more reliable can he got for less money from any of the 
other makers. I am not in any way an advocate of cheap 
guns when they come under the heading of cheap and 
nasty, hut it is possible to make a good-gun—one that has 
good materials, workmanship, and is thoroughly reliable 
in every way—for a price that is within the bounds of rea¬ 
son, say from $75 to $175. Outside the latter price the 
jurchaser gains nothing for increased outlay, except per- 
laps some elegant engraving and finish, which adds iu no 
way to the goodness of the gun, and does add very con¬ 
siderably to the price. The following is a case in point: 
On one occasion I was shooting on the St. Clair fiats, 
when I met a gentleman who came there using a gun 
made by J. Purdy, of Oxford street, London. This gun, 
the owmer informed me, cost him, laid down in Canada, 
$500. At the same time I was using a Greener costing 
$335, and had as a spare gun an American-made gun that 
cost $175. All the guns were the same bore (10), and 
within three-quarters of a pound of the same weight. On 
a comparison of the guns it was found that the Greener 
was equally well finished as the Purdy in every respect, 
and was in every whit as huudsome a gun. It was also 
found that the fittings, stock and barrels of the American 
gun were as good as the Purdy, but it was not so well en¬ 
graved or highly finished. As far as appearance, balance, 
etc., went, it compared very creditably with its high- 
priced rival. After this comparison we tried the guns nt 
the target, and now mark the result. Although the 
Purdy was full-choked in one barrel and medium in the 
other, the American gun shot equally as well, made as 
good targets, and gave as good penetration as the other ; 
while the Greener, being a full-choke in both ban-els, 
heat the Purdy altogether both in target and penetration. 
This, I think, speaks very highlv for American workman¬ 
ship and the shooting power of her guns. After this trial 
I came to the conclusion that the gentleman in question 
bad paid about $350 for some extra engraving and the 
privilege of having a gun hearing Mr. J. Purdy’s name ; 
and I think, moreover, that he came to the same opinion 
himself, although he said nothing at the time; but I 
heard after that he sold the gun at a price far below what 
it cost him. In concluding my paper on the best Ameri¬ 
can guns, I would say, from my own experience, that they 
compare favorably in everyway with the best English 
guns, and were T purchasing a fine quality gun now, I 
would have no hesitation in giving my order to one of the 
best American makers in preference to sending to Eng¬ 
land. Of course, as every sportsman knows, some mag¬ 
nificent guns are sent out of England; but who will affirm 
that if the orders for them had been given to an Ameri¬ 
can factory, and the same price paid as for the English 
gun, that the weapon turned out would not have been as 
good in every respect. The Americans excel in every 
other branch of the iron and steel trade, and why can 
they not turn out as good work in thaguu line? 1 think 
their deficiency in t hi s line lies more in the imagination 
of sportsmen than in reality, and this they would soon 
find out if they would patronize home productions more. 
In guns, as in rifles, they will soon beat the world, and 
now they equal any in skill in using their weapons to ad¬ 
vantage. Of single-barreled guns I have purposely said 
nothing. The ones made by Nichols, of Syracuse, and 
Hyde & Sbattuok, are the only passably decent weapons 
of the kind in the Union, The others are all trash, with 
decarbonized steel or poor quality iron barrels, and cast 
locks and breeches, which are best left severely alone. It 
was only a short time ago that one of these precious tools 
burst in a man’s hands in a village not far from here, and 
the consequence to him was almost instant death. The 
less said of them the Letter. 
And now let us turn to the English side of the ques¬ 
tion. It is unnecessary to particularize each maker, as they 
are, in all cases, very s im i l ar, and so very numerous that 
it would take a whole paper of itself to give each one 
more than a passing attention. Like the American makers, 
each one has his favorite mode of action, but unlike them, 
they will make to order any action desired. Most of 
the weapons turned out have all the latest improvements, 
a few lacking only in some minor points. One objection 
to the English makers is that the very men who turn out 
the finest of work will also, from their factories, turn out 
some of the greatest trash in the world—guns so bad that 
they are ashamed to put their own names on them,and the 
country is flooded with this stuff through petty dealers, 
who, in many cases, are men who would not know a 
good gun if they saw one. Many,sportsmen will not use 
guus made by these manufacturers, as I have more than 
once heard it exclaimed contemptuously, when speaking 
of certain gunmakers: 11 Oh,-he is only a trade gun 
maker!” 
Most of the English makers, I presume, call themselves 
firet-class, and undoubtedly many of them are ; but the 
work turned out by some lacks much in stability, etc. 
The guus turned out by Scott, Greener, Westlev Rich¬ 
ards and Webley are too well known to need any descrip¬ 
tion; but after considerable use of these and other 
makers’, and numberless opportunities of examining the 
various grades of their manufacture, I have corns to the. 
conclusion that for general purposes, price, quality of 
work, etc., the guns made by Greener and Scott are 
ahead of anything made in England. The Purdy guns 
are undeniably very fine guns, but, as I said before, the 
price even of his cheapest grades is, to say the least, ex¬ 
orbitant. No sportsman likes to be taxed for an article 
nearly double its just value, when as good work can be 
got for much less money, unless they are of the class who 
like to pay for a name, and to whom money is no object. 
The Lankester guns have a reputation for being fine guns 
in every way, and from two of them I have seen and 
frequently used, I think they merit their reputation. I 
have also used a very fine gun made by Pape, but this 
gun I consider as second class. The one I used was a 
high-priced weapon, and so might be expected to be a 
good one, but it was not solidly built, and I must say I 
do not admire the action; it is not nice to use, neither 
does it look well. This gun was also deficient in shooting 
powers, which is th® worst fault in a gun of any make. 
Moore is another second-class maker, who turns out 
trade guns, and some of the worst ones at that. They 
are cheap and nasty. Boneliill turns out some good 
second-class weapons which are good shooters, but they 
lack in material and finish. They are, however, well 
worth the prices asked for them by the makers. The 
guns made by Williams and Powell are thoroughly first- 
class in every respect, at least as far I can judge, I owned 
one, and a friend had two, by these makers, and they 
were all as good as could be made. The only objection I 
have to them is the extreme fineness of the action. 
In my gun all the partswerefitted so finely, that I have 
Bcveral times had the gun rendered useless by a ;few 
grains of sand blowing into the breech, while beach 
shooting on a windy day, which necessitated my taking 
the gun apart to clean. My friend also had the same ob¬ 
jection to his two. This was a very inconvenient fault, 
but shows the extreme care taken in fitting the parts of the 
action. These guns are solid in material and workman¬ 
ship, and are good shooters, fully worthy, I think,of their 
fair fame. The Irish gun I had was one made by Rigby 
of Dublin, and in every way was a first-class gun ; it was 
made to order. It was as fine a. piece of workmanship 
as a person would wish to see. The material was first-class, 
and | the way that gun shot would delight the heart of 
the most fastidious sportsman. It was made with the 
lever under the guard action, and I always found it quick 
enough for any shooting I ever had to do. The Scotch 
gun was made by Hill, of Edinburgh, and what I have 
said of the- Rigby will do iu most points for this gun, so 
it is unnecessary to describe it. So ends my record of 
English guns. I have had none but the best, and I have 
given them all a fair trial, andruy conclusion is unchanged 
from what I said in the early part of my letter, that with- 
