GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 
These people would treat the parts with 
the same process as they use in treating 
the inside of gun barrels, and which gives 
them a handsome brown tint and renders 
them absolutely rust proof.—EDITOoR. 

I have lately received from Charles A. 
Hayden, Oxford, O., a gun that is be- 
lieved to be one of the first breech-load- 
ing shot guns made in this’country. It 
was made by Joseph Hayden, of Oxford, 
in the early 50’s. Joseph Hayden, Jr., 
writing of this gun, says: 
It was patterned after an old Eng- 
lish gun §-which General_° Yorke, . of 
Cincinnati, brought over. Father decid- 
ed to.make one like it and at once sent 
to England for the barrels, which in the 
rough cost him $65. He made the other 
parts by hand from the raw material. 
This gun was originally a pin-fire, and 
when the centre fires came out father 
changed it to that type, adding a new 
stock. As far as we know it was the 
first breech-loading gun made in this 
country. It has trailed from Maine to 
California, and from Canada to Florida. 
I used it in Florida; my cousin used it in 
Kansas and James Smith used it on a 
hunting trip in Oregon. 

Jno. J. Harrisasks in March RECREATION 
how the Baker will do as a trap and match 
gun. In reply I would say: For long 
range, close, hard hitting qualities no gun 
is superior to a Baker. Get a Io gauge, 32 
inch barrel, 10% pound Baker of any 
_grade, choke bored to target about 85 per 
cent in a 24 inch circle at 35 yards, and 
you will beat the whole shooting match. 
Baker guns always shoot closer than the 
factory tag indicates. I have a 12 gauge, 
32 inch, 9 pound Baker, right barrel 80%, 
left barrel 83 per cent, that can not be beat- 
en for closeness of pattern or depth of 
penetration. I often shoot it against 10 
gauge guns targeted to make a go per cent 
pattern. If it were a Io gauge and weigh- 
ed a pound or 2 more I would back it 
against a Gatling gun and a bushel of 
grape. 
r W. Walker, Jr., Mt. Pleasant, W. Va. 

Will some rifleman of experience kind- 
ly throw a little light on the following 
proposition? 
I have a Winchester express rifle, .50- 
95-300, model ’76. 
Pe lodesire-to uses a lehter charge, in | it 
than the regular one, and have devised a 
bullet weighing about 205 grains with a 
good bearing surface. Will it be safe to 
put 40 to 60 grains of black powder loose 
in the shell behind it, instead of the reg- 
ular full 95 grain charge? 
299 
If safe, can I expect accurate shooting 
from shells so loaded? 
Ye OM A, 
This has frequently been done with dif- 
ferent rifles and excellent results secured. 
You may have to experiment a little to 
find the powder that will give you the 
best results. 

Re pump gun; a prominent sportsman 
writes me as follows: “I agree with you, 
the pump gun is the pot-hunters’ tool, the 
exterminator of to-day, and 9 out of 10 
men who shoot a pump gun would de- 
light in getting a covey of quail in a ditch 
and potting them on the ground. I can 
not realize how a man who is a sports- 
man and a lover of nature, one who shoots 
for recreation, can use one of the vile 
things.. I would as soon catch trout with 
a net as to shoot quail or grcuse with a 
pump gun.” 
And then he refers to our proposed na- 
tional park. “That part of your letter re- 
lating to the Cass county preserve I have 
taken up enthusiastically. Have had 
12 copies of it made and am sending them 
to friends in different parts of the coun- 
Sagem 
Charles Cristadoro, St. Paul, Minn. 

In April REcREATION Mr. Borem gives 
Grizzly Pete a slap to add to the many he 
has received through your columns. There 
are now hanging on my gun rack a -45-70 
Winchester and a .30-40. While there is 
little likelihood of my hunting again with 
the .45, I must say that when loaded with 
75 grains of powder and a 350 grain bullet 
it is as effective as any other black pow- 
der rifle. So I think Mr. Borem shows as 
much prejudice in abusing the .45 as Pete 
did in denouncing the .30. E. H. L. speaks 
gospel when he says too many condemn 
hastily and without sufficient experience. 
A lot of fellows rush into print with their 
little ideas, not realizing how ridiculous 
they appear. The less venom one shows in 
his attacks on the views of a fellow sports- 
man the more likely he is to make con- 
BAY Brooklyn, N27. 
_ verts. 
Your “Gun and Ammunition” depart- 
ment affords me many happy hours. One 
man says this, and another that; for in- 
stance, everybody knows that a 16 gauge 
gun shoots harder than a io or 12. Then 
again, there is only one bore in the world 
fit to use and that is a 28. So Mr. , of 
Rossland, B. C.. says, and that settles it. 
Well, one thing I know, that Mr. 
never stood in front of a 17 pound, 8 
gauge. I do not say I want to carry that 
17 pound gun around all day, but I do say 


