GUNS AND AMMUNITION 



499 



Yet they are of the same caliber and have the 

 same turn of rifling, and the bullet does not 

 strip the rifling in the .44-60. If a person has 

 a rifle of .40 caliber, and having one turn in 

 18 in. intended for the use of a bullet of I 

 to 20 tin, and shot a pure lead bullet, what 

 would be the effect in so doing; would it strip 

 the rifling? And if it does not, what is the 

 use of the tin in rifle or pistol bullets? 



"Rifle," Dayton, Ohio. 



A pure lead bullet, unless it is used with a 

 light charge of powder, and a slow twist will 

 generally lead a barrel badly. The effect, 

 however, depends much upon the 'form and 

 depth of the rifling, and the length of the 

 bullet, as compared with its diameter. 



In military rifles the addition of a little tin 

 to the bullet, gives it an increased power of 

 penetration, a quality that is eagerly sought 

 for in military projectiles. 



You cannot figure out the whys and the 

 wherefores of these different charges from 

 catalogue data. Seventy grains of one pow- 

 der may be much more powerful than 

 seventy-seven grains of another powder, and, 

 as has been said, the shape and depth of the 

 rifling are important factors. 



Your final question cannot be answered 

 without you, give the length and weight of 

 the bullet. A short, light bullet might not 

 strip, if fired with a small charge, even 

 though made of pure lead, whereas a long, 

 heavy bullet propelled by a big charge would 

 undoubtedly do so. — Editor. 



DEEP PRIMER POCKETS. 



Editor Recreation : 



The letter of E. H. A., Coudersport, Pa., 

 in the April number of Recreation reminds 

 me that other readers of your magazine are 

 interested in getting a satisfactory powder 

 for use in the 32-44 S. & W. Some time 

 since I received through your office a letter 

 from H. A. Church, of Holmesville, Ohio, 

 who uses a .38-44 of the same make. I en- 

 close his letter herewith and as I have used 

 some of Laflin & Rand's Bullseye powder I 

 can heartily endorse all that Mr. Church says 

 it its favor. 



The use of smokeless powder has caused 

 me some trouble in the matter of shells. I 

 find that the pockets of some shells are not 

 strong enough to withstand the pressure put 

 on them by the primers that it is necessary 

 to use with smokeless powder. A few shots 

 will suffice to sink the pockets so far into the 

 shell that the hammer cannot hit them hard 

 enough to explode them. It is not a difficult 

 matter to use a little extra force when de- 

 capping, and push the pockets back to their 

 place, but I see no reason why shells could 

 not be made with pockets strong enough to 

 keep their places under any reasonable 

 strain. 



I have tried E. IT. A.'s method of lubri- 



cating round bullets, but get best results with 

 conical bullets that have been well and even- 

 ly smeared with Ideal Lubricant before seat- 

 ing. Glad to see that Winchester, Stevens 

 and the U. M. C. people have come back into 

 the fold. To me the Guns and Ammunition 

 Department, minus the abuse that appeared 

 there sometimes, is the best part of Recrea- 

 tion, and the restoration of the title in the 

 April issue is gratifying. 



W. H. Arnett, Pontiac, Ills. 

 Here is Mr. Church's letter. — Editor. 

 W. H. Arnett, Pontiac, Ills. 



I see in Recreation that you wish to know 

 the best powder to use in a 32-44. I have a 

 S. & W., 38-44, and I have tried several 

 powders, but have found Laflin & Rand's 

 Bullseye the best, and away ahead. I use 

 three grains by weight, and just seat the 

 bullet so that it will not interfere with re- 

 volving the cylinder, leaving the powder 

 loose in the shell. 



The correct amount to use in your revolver 

 would be two grains by weight, or one-eighth 

 drachms by measure. 



This powder costs $1.25 per pound, but a 

 can will load as many shells as three or 

 four pounds of black powder. You can 

 shoot one or one dozen shots with it, and 

 there will be no smoke, and no powder cake 

 in the barrel. 



You should not use pure lead bullets, but 

 put a small amount of tin to make them a 

 little harder. The powder must not be com- 

 pressed in the shell, as it is very dangerous 

 that way. If your bullets are a little small, 

 and so drop down on the powder when you 

 are reloading, take them out and strike the 

 base on a piece of iron, to enlarge them and 

 make them fit tighter. 



I use Three in One oil, and it is the best 

 I ever used. Try this, and if you don't get 

 better results than any other way, I will give 

 it up. Let me hear how you get along. 



H. A. Church, Holmesville, O. 



NEEDS INFORMATION. 



Editor Recreation : 



Let me introduce myself as an honorary 

 member of the Miles Standish Rifle Club, 

 and permit me to ask you what pistol you 

 recommend for shooting at distances from 

 twenty to fifty yards? (a) Smith & Wesson 

 target revolver, Russian model, single action, 

 44 caliber, with 6% inch or 8 inch barrels, 

 (b) New issue office model, Colt revolver, 

 6 inch barrel, 38 caliber, adjustable front 

 and rear sights, (c) Smith & Wesson, new 

 military model, 6^2 inch barrel. 38 caliber, 

 target sights, (d) Smith & Wesson, single 

 shot, target pistol, (e) Stevens pistol, Lord 

 model, 32 caliber or 38 caliber, center fire, 

 (f) Remington, new model, 10 inch barrel, 



