GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



Anybody can keep shooting all day, but it takes a gentleman to quit when he gets enough. 



THOUGHTS REGARDING MARLIN. 



I do not see how anyone who claims to 

 be a sportsman can get along without your 

 magazine. It - is worth more than the 

 price just to read about those Marlins. 

 Their idea of bringing suit against you 

 was as bad as the action of their rifles. 

 You can prove everything you have pub- 

 lished. I have had some experience with 

 Marlin rifles myself, and I would rather go 

 hunting with a club than with a Marlin. 

 I should have less trouble and more game. 

 I was at a shooting match the other day 

 where there were several Marlins. Almost 

 every time the men got ready to shoot they 

 had to bother with that same old com- 

 plaint, the action. I won all the turkeys. 



I do not understand why the Colt Arms 

 Co. does not advertise in Recreation. The 

 Winchester rifle is all right, but J count 

 the Marlin worthless. 



Arthur C. James, Anita, la. 



I saw in October Recreation some 

 complaints about the Marlin rifle and am 

 glad sportsmen are finding out the weak 

 points of that weapon. In '95 I was in 

 the Black Hills and was proud of my 

 38-55 Marlin until I tried to bag an ante- 

 lope. The first shell from the magazine 

 worked all right ; the second did not, and 

 I lost my game. I sold that gun and 

 bought a Winchester, which has proved re- 

 liable at all times. The Peters cartridges 

 are inferior to any other ammunition I 

 ever used. I bought 200 32-caliber revolver 

 cartridges and, as I can prove by 5 friends, 

 only 64 out of the lot would explode in the 

 revolver used, which was a standard 32-20 

 Colt. I snapped some of those cartridges 

 as many as 15 times. U. M. C. ammunition 

 is excellent and little fault can be found 

 with it. M. A. G., San Diego, Cal. 



I am an ardent admirer of Recreation 

 and of the way it handles the troubles 

 among guns, game and hogs. I note the 

 trouble over the Marlin. The 22 caliber 

 is defective beyond any doubt. I have a 

 gallery, and my manager, Mr. Cheatwood, 

 is an expert with guns, but he can 

 not keep the Marlin from clogging with 

 empty shells. If the gun is held in a ver- 

 tical position the 22 short will tip back 

 and the ball will catch against the cap and 

 will not load. I have worked with guns, 

 in making and repairing them, for 18 

 years, and I can not make the Marlin 

 work, though it is a good shooting gun 

 and attractive in shape. Am compelled to 

 take the Marlins out of the gallery. 



J. W. Puterbaugh, San Jose, Cal. 



One of my neighbors intended buying. 



a Marlin repeating shot gun and sent for 

 circulars. They came, also a little leaflet 

 containing unpleasant remarks regarding 

 yourself and Recreation. The boy had his 

 mind set on a Marlin, but on reading the 

 leaflet he said, "I don't want their gun, if 

 that is the sort of people they are," and im- 

 mediately sent his order to another house. 

 Now, if that will influence a lad of 14 years 

 how much more will it prejudice older 

 and more experienced persons. Good for 

 the kid ! Wish a few more would do the 

 same thing. When they jump on G. O. S. 

 ?nd his work they have tackled the wrong 

 proposition. 



Fred Whittle, Northfield, Minn. 



I notice the controversy between your- 

 self and Mr. Marlin, of the Marlin Fire 

 Arms Company. In my opinion Mr. Mar- 

 lin would better "go 'way back and sit 

 down," if he does not wish to have the 

 hearty hate of all true sportsmen. He has 

 chosen the wrong course to further the sale 

 of his guns. I had the misfortune to own 

 a Marlin rifle once, and they are not worth 

 the powder to blow them to a warmer cli- 

 mate. If Marlin wishes any verification 

 from this quarter as to the worthlessness 

 of his rifles I shall be pleased to pay post- 

 age both ways. 



Jno. R. Hamilton, Monango, N. D. 



About that Marlin gun : I saw George 

 last night. He said to tell you his first one 

 did fairly well, but not so good as my Win- 

 chester. His Marlin failed to extract all 

 shells. 



He raffled it off, and bought another of 

 the. same make that cost him $34. It was 

 an elegantly finished gun, but failed to ex- 

 tract shells ; in fact, it was a complete fail- 

 ure. 



I have never had a bit of trouble with my 

 Winchester. It is a perfect quail gun, be- 

 ing a cylinder bore. 



Clarence B. Muchmore, Charleston, 111. 



Your correspondents who pound the 

 Marlin rifle doubtless have good reason 

 for doing so. A neighbor named Puton 

 bought a Marlin repeater for $12. After 

 having it 3 days he sold it to me for $2.50. 

 I tried the gun, and finding it balked half 

 the time, sold it for $1.50. Don't know 

 what my customer will do with it. If he 

 sells it here it will be to the junk man. 

 H. J, Davison, Charlton Depot, Mass. 



AGREE WITH MR. RUTHERFORD. 



I agree with F. Q. Rutherford, in 



May Recreation, that the Savage should 



handle the standard army cartridge, and 



no other in the same gun, to give it stand- 



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