GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



379 



The bullets, however, were not changed, 

 and with the reduced velocity of a lighter 

 powder charge many of them keyholed. 

 Because of the keyholing the bullet was 

 changed and the weight of powder still 

 further reduced. My last .25 caliber 

 smokeless shells from the U. M. C. Co. 

 contain only 17 grains of L. & K. 30 cali- 

 ber powder; and the 30-30, about 21 

 grains. Of course the makers claim to 

 be maintaining the original standard of 

 velocity and penetration, but it will re- 

 quire no argument to convince a man who 

 loads a 30-30 shell with 30 or 32 grains of 

 L. & R. 30 caliber and compares it with 

 'the late makes of factory ammunition that 

 they are not. Much of this imperfect am- 

 munition, made while these guns were be- 

 ing improved, is now on the market. 

 Dealers and makers are trying to sell it, 

 to the detriment, I think, of their reputa- 

 tions. I should much rather read opinions 

 on these points than the mere statement 

 that somebody has a 30-30 that is a 

 smasher. What accuracy do you get? 

 What per cent, of your bullets keyhole at 

 a given range? How do you load, and 

 what can you do with lead bullets? are 

 some of the questions I should like to see 

 answered. Mention every fault you see 

 and suggest a remedy for it if you can. 



Lead bullets in these guns have given 

 me a world of trouble. The jacketed bul- 

 lets have long points and the tool makers 

 have, in order to simplify the matter of 

 reloading, produced lead bullets of the 

 same shape and have classified them as 

 the standard bullets for the given caliber. 

 Such a lead bullet is not well balanced, 

 and in most cases can not be given ve- 

 locity enough to keep it point on without 

 leading the barrel. I notice G. W. Harris 

 tells, in December Recreation, of his 

 fine record with the 110 grain bullet in 

 the 25-36. If he refers to the bullet adver- 

 tised by the Ideal Co. as regular for that 

 arm I should like to know how he loads. 

 I am certain it can not be so loaded as to 

 carry point out from a 25-36 for any num- 

 ber of consecutive shots. I note also what 

 Q. E. D. says about shooting this bullet. 

 I have tried his load and every shot key- 

 holed, though fired from various rifles of 

 this caliber. If you want to use lead bul- 

 lets in the 25, the 25-20 96-grain bullet will 

 suit you. For the 30 caliber use Mr. 

 Beardsley's bullet. No. 3086, in the Ideal 

 system, but avoid the long point style 

 unless you use only the light bullet for 

 miniature loads. 



A word about the price of low pressure 

 smokeless powder. I do not believe users 

 of black powder rifles will pay $2 a pound 

 for powder when they can buy that which 

 will give as good results for 16 cents. 

 The manufacturers seem to think that by 

 putting it up in Yz pound cans and adver- 



tising them as bulk pounds, shooters will 

 not realize they are paying $2 a pound. 

 The makers will find in time that the sale 

 of low pressure smokeless will never yield 

 much profit until they put up a can con- 

 taining 16 ounces by weight and sell it for 

 $1 a can. 



I would suggest to writers when men- 

 tioning nitro powder charges always to 

 state whether measured or weighed. The 

 information might save someone from 

 blowing off his hea'd. 



A. W. Smith, M.D., 

 Rural Grove, N. Y. 



GOOD QUALITIES OF THE MAYNARD. 



Chicago, 111. 

 Editor Recreation : 



The failure of the Massachusetts Arms 

 Company was due, not to the manufacture 

 of an inferior rifle, but to their failure to 

 advertise their product. The Maynard was 

 one of the best rifles ever made in this or 

 any other country. The older models of 

 that arm, made and chambered for ammu- 

 nition of ancient pattern, were worthless 

 for sporting purposes ; but their model 1882 

 rifle, adapted to the standard modern black 

 powder cartridges, has never been excelled 

 by any other single shot rifle. The May- 

 nard was a true take down rifle. That is, 

 its take down features were a part of its 

 regular action; and no separate device, 

 complicated and short lived, was required 

 for the purpose of separating the barrel 

 from the stock. 



When several barrels were used on one 

 action, there was no need for changed ex- 

 tractors and other portions of the action, 

 as is the case with the Stevens and other 

 so called take down rifles. Each barrel 

 contained its own extractor, and a barrel 

 could be replaced on the action, by another 

 barrel, in 10 seconds without the use of 

 any tools except the hands and fingers. 

 The Maynard is the only tip-up action 

 made, to my knowledge, which does not 

 become shaky and loose with wear. The 

 springlike quality of the link and lever 

 serve to keep the barrel always down close 

 to the receiver. 



Many of the finest scores recently made, 

 the perfect one by Mr. Bert Wentworth, for 

 example, were made with old Maynard 

 rifles. I cite this only to show that the old 

 prejudice against tip-up rifles for target 

 shooting is not well founded. For conve- 

 nience of manipulation and general handi- 

 ness, the tip-up barrel action is superior to 

 all other single shot actions. Few people 

 know that the Maynard action was one of 

 the strongest ever made. The lug which 

 forms a part of the barrel was fitted up 

 against the shoulder of the slot in the 

 frame and practically none of the stress 

 caused by the recoil was felt by the Jock- 



