GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



295 



WHY STOCKS ARE EXPENSIVE, 



Utica, N. Y. 

 G. 0. Shields, 



Editor Recreation,, 

 New York. 



Sir: In reading July Recreation, I no- 

 tice that Mr. Henry Merlin, of Philadel- 

 phia, asks why gun companies charge as 

 much as $10 extra for a stock made differ- 

 ently from the ordinary. I take this op- 

 portunity to give 'the information, as we 

 ourselves charge $10 for an extra stock, 

 and there are some good reasons why we 

 do so, as follows : 



Not many years ago it was customary to 

 pay $60 to $80 for a single shot rifle, which 

 necessarily was of cheaper construction 

 than a repeater. Today a first class high 

 power repeating rifle can be bought 

 for $15 to $20. This is only made 

 possible by a big outlay in special 

 machinery and tools for making the parts 

 interchangeable. Every operation in the 

 metal or wood portion of a rifle has a cor- 

 responding fixture to hold the part while 

 ■the operation is made. Once a machine is 

 set up, thousands of the same operations 

 are done before this fixture is taken down 

 again and set up for another operation. 

 By this method it is made possible to sell 

 arms at the present low prices. When 

 anything is ordered different from the reg- 

 ular, if it be metal, the piece has to be 

 made by a tool maker. The regular charge 

 for tool maker's work is 60 to 80 cents an 

 hour. The first finger lever made for the 

 Savage rifle was made in a tool room with 

 the other parts of a model, in one of the 

 finest gun establishments in the United 

 States. It took a skilled workman 6 weeks 

 at 70 cents an hour, 10 hours a day, to 

 make one finger lever, which we now sell 

 for $1.75 list. When a special stock is or- 

 dered, different in length or drop from the 

 standard, a highly skilled workman has to 

 take a block of wood and make every in- 

 letting cut and the fitting of every part by 

 hand tools. There is often less profit in 

 making a $10 list extra stock by this 

 method than the regular profit on the or- 

 dinary standard stock. 



We have in our possession one model 

 rifle which was made by a reputable, first 

 class gun establishment in the United 

 States, which cost $5,000, and which is in- 

 ferior in finish and general workmanship 

 to one of our $20 rifles. If shooters will 

 consider these points carefully, they will 

 not imagine we are trying to rob them 

 when we ask $10 for an extra stock. 



Arthur Savage, 

 Gen'l Mgr. Savage Arms Company. 



Recreation the best investment I ever 

 made. 



The contest between the big and small 

 bore cranks is exceedingly interesting. I 

 am a small bore crank and prepare my 

 own ammunition for both rifle and shot 

 gun. 



I have had considerable experience with 

 the 30-30, which I consider much more 

 deadly than the 45-70. It requires less ad- 

 justment of sights, and with 30 grains Du 

 Pont 30 caliber smokeless and a 170 grain, 

 soft nose bullet, is powerful enough for 

 any game in America. For medium power 

 about equal to a 32-40 I use a full change of 

 Du Pont No. 1 rifle smokeless, or enough 

 so the bullet can be seated snugly without 

 pressure on the powder. The bullet is the 

 Ideal, 150 grain. No. 3086, 1 to 10, lubri- 

 cated with beef tallow, and sized to 308. 

 This bullet can be used split, as illustrated 

 in Ideal hand book, and is effective on 

 deer. 



For short range I use 10 grains Du- 

 Pont No. 2 rifle smokeless loose in the 

 shell, and the same bullet cut off at the 

 top of the broad groove. This makes a 

 100 grain bullet, well balanced, with a long 

 grip. They can be cut off neatly with a 

 pair of cutting pliers and smoothed with a 

 knife. This load is good for target work 

 and for woodchucks up to 200 yards. 



I use an Ideal No. 3 tool, no crimp. I 

 have never seen any traces of leading, and 

 there is no fouling when using Du Pont 

 powder. I use Winchester shells; U. M. 

 C. yy 2 primer for medium and short range 

 loads, and Winchester No. 5 for the high 

 pressure powder. Have never had trouble 

 with ruptured shells. 



The inside of a rifle barrel should never 

 be neglected^- Before putting the gun 

 away it should be thoroughly cleaned and 

 well oiled, for when once allowed to rust 

 it is practically useless. 



In reply to S. N. Watson's inquiry in re- 

 gard to round bullets: I regard round 

 balls as dangerous to a breech loading 

 rifle, on account of leading. Choose a 

 short, pointed, grooved bullet and you will 

 have a better chance for lubrication. 



O. E. Raynor, Meadville, Pa. 



S@ME LOADS for THE 30-30. 

 I consider the % I paid for a year's 



SIDLE SIGHTS. 



In January Recreation I notice an in- 

 quiry from F. A. Olds in regard to tele- 

 scopic sights. 



I am the proud owner of a 30-30 and a 

 25-25 rifle. The former is fitted with a 

 Sidle No. 5 combination hunting telescope 

 sight, 6 and 12 diameters. For off hand 

 work I use the 6 power glass, while for 

 shooting with a rest the 12 power glass is 

 hard to beat. I can hold with certainty 

 on a bullet hole at 100 yards, and have 

 placed shot after shot in a 7^2 inch drele 

 at that distance. That could not be done 



