J- 



RECREA TION. 



durable and close, hard shooters. A neigh- 

 bor has a Smith which I would like to tell 

 about; but since the makers decline to ad- 

 vertise in Recreation I likewise decline to 

 discuss its merits. American sportsmen's 

 magazines, American gun makers and 

 American sportsmen should all co-operate. 



Not only will the average American gun 

 outshoot and outwear the Belgian gun, but 

 it far excels the high-priced English product 

 in everything essential to the highest pro- 

 ficiency in a firearm. Only last week my 

 $35 Baker beat a $150 foreign made gun at 

 40 yards, both in pattern and penetration. A 

 wealthy banker here has a $250 English 10 

 gauge; but concedes that my 12 gauge 

 Baker is far the superior weapon. I have 

 shot or have seen shot all sorts of guns — 

 American, English and Belgian — under all 

 sorts of conditions, circumstances and situa- 

 tions, but have never seen a foreign gun, no 

 matter what the cost or how finely finished, 

 that could equal the American gun of moder- 

 ate price for shooting qualities or durability 

 of mechanism. 



My advice to any one about to pay $10 or 

 $15. for a Belgian gun, is to raise a V more 

 and get an American hammer gun of 

 cheap grade, or put all his money in the 

 savings bank and cut a club for hunting 

 purposes. It will save money, worry, vexa- 

 tion of spirit, and unrealized expectations. 

 It will be nearly as effective at long range, 

 save him constant attendance at the repair 

 shop and keep his early religious training 

 inviolate. American guns are the most sim- 

 ple in construction, the most durable in ac- 

 tion, the most ingenious in mechanism, the 

 closest, strongest, shooters in the world and 

 the Baker is the hardest hitter and the safest 

 of all the Americans. J. W. Walker, Jr. 



IT'S SO, AND THAT SETTLES IT. 



Rossland, B. C. 



Editor Recreation: The world is ut- 

 terly wrong in using the silly 8, 10, 12, aye, 

 even 16 gauge, but the gunmakers refuse to 

 allow an innovation because they have these 

 bores in stock. There is only one bore in 

 the world fit to use, and that is the 28. 



In the London " Field," 8 or 9 years ago, 

 I fought the battle of the 28 against 12 or 

 any other bore. And at last I won, although 

 every sportsman in England began by call- 

 ing me " fool." But what I don't know 

 .bout sport isn't worth the trouble of know- 

 ing. With my 4^ pound, > specially made, 

 28 bore I have shot in Africa, and over all 

 the United States and Europe. But with 

 the 28 you must be able to shoot straight. 



The late Lord de Clifford was my brother 

 in law and used to shoot with me. He was 

 the champion pigeon shot of the world. He 

 won the Monte Carlo pigeon handicap with 

 the 28; and over and over again I "wiped 

 his eye " over pheasants, partridges, hares, 

 rabbits, etc.. when he was using a 16 or a 12. 

 In Scotland I shot hundreds of driven 



grouse, blackgame, etc., and the last time I 

 was shooting I lent one of my 28's to the- 

 head keeper. He went mad over it. Buf- 

 falo Bill and Annie Oakley broke glass balls 

 with it at Kensington, London, and said 

 they had never imagined such a gun. 



With black powder it is a toy. You must 

 use Schultze, nitro, or doubtless any of your 

 new U. S. powders, the names of which I 

 don't even know. The charge I use is 13-16- 

 ounce of shot and 29 grains Schultze. 



A 12 bore is to my mind an ancient 

 blunderbuss; in '98 we use the tiny Lee 

 Metford. I have my 28 here and would lend 

 it you for trial if I knew how to send it. It 

 will entirely revolutionize the gun trade; 

 there is nothing like it. I have killed 20- 

 jacksnipe with it without a miss, also 20 

 rocketting pheasants, ditto wolves, etc. 

 Where you are all wrong is you study guns, 

 while you should study loads. 



MARLIN OR WINCHESTER? 



Albany, Ore. 



Editor Recreation: Having noticed the 

 discussion, in Recreation, of the relative 

 merits of Winchester and Marlin rifles, I 

 would like to give the result of my own ob- 

 servation. I have used both guns and 

 studied their work. It is also my habit when 

 I find a man who uses a rifle, to ask his 

 opinion of it. 



In October '93 I bought a '91 model, .22- 

 calibre, Marlin. I never saw a nicer, more- 

 accurate, or better balanced gun. I used it 

 a year and took good care of it; yet at the 

 end of that time it would not throw out the 

 shells. Next I got a .32-20, single shot Win- 

 chester. It did good work and seemed to- 

 have an almost indestructible action. Next 

 I tried a '73 Winchester, of the same cal- 

 ibre. I used it 2 years, dragged it through 

 the mud, stalking geese, and had it out in all 

 sorts of weather. When I disposed of the 

 gun it was good as new. I now have a .38- 

 55 Marlin, but being a new gun I don't 

 know how it will wear. 



A Marlin barrel on a Winchester frame 

 would make an ideal magazine rifle. I have 

 never heard the accuracy of the Marlin nor 

 the durability of the Winchester questioned. 

 I have used, seen and heard of Marlins with 

 defective actions; and I have known of 

 Winchesters that " shot out " quickly. I 

 also know of both Marlins and Winchesters 

 that have been used for years and are in per- 

 fect condition; and this is the rule, where 

 they are well cared for. The difference is 

 slight, but it is there, nevertheless. The side 

 ejection of the Marlin is no advantage; the 

 mortised cover to the '73 Winchester is 

 much better. If you want a nice gun get a 

 Marlin; if you want a good gun get a Win- 

 chester. Melville T. Wire. 



Don't forget that $2 will buy a copy of 

 that beautiful book, " Bird Neighbors"" 

 and a yearly subscription to Recreation. 



