GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 



Anybody can shoot all day, but a gentleman will quit when he gets enough. 



A HORSE GUN AS IS. 



Some time ago a writer in the gun de- 

 partment of Recreation made himself 

 beautifully ridiculous by scoffing at the 

 possibility of a 3,000 f. s. velocity. While 

 I have long been a reader of Recreation, 

 I have not up to this time plunged into the 

 ink well, but I am minded now to give this 

 fatuously complacent critic another rag to 

 chew. 



It was my good fortune, while in Eng- 

 land, a year ago, to become acquainted with 

 the Hon. Seymour Kemp, a well known 

 officer in the South African colonial serv- 

 ice. 



Planning a 2 months' tiip Northwest 

 from Delagoa bay, in search of elephants, 

 he was having a rifle built that was to 

 mark the limit in hand weapons. Like 

 many writers to Recreation, Kemp 'was a 

 monomaniac on the subject of guns; and, 

 li u e them, too, more of an oral expert 

 than a hunter. But he had the money to 

 gratify his peculiar crankism. He bossed, 

 but he bossed with a roll of notes in his 

 hand. Whitworth made the rough barrel 

 and Purdy finished the contract. 



The gun came to hand while we were 

 staying with Lord Danvers on his magni- 

 ficent estates near Trowbridge, lower Avon. 

 The thing arrived one morning, handsome- 

 ly crated. Kemp feverishly ripped open 

 the covering, objecting that the servants 

 would injure the weapon. His lordship, 

 educated in the shooting of India, smiled 

 good humoredly at Kemp's enthusiasm. 



Finally the gun came to light, and a 

 sweet weapon it was. The black barrel was 

 nearly as thick as a baseball bat and the 

 stock was that of a 4 bore shot gun. Kemp, 

 who weighed 140 pounds, all told, tried to 

 look pleased and picked up the cannon with 

 an assumption of ease. He handed it to 

 Lord Danvers. 



"Eighteen pounds," said his lordship, 

 shouldering it with some deliberation. He 

 was right 



"I'll lay you 2 pounds that the recoil 

 floors you," said he to Kemp. 



"Done," returned Kemp, irritably. 



A further investigation brought out a 

 heavy parcel of cartridge's, which, made on 

 a special order, had cost the civil service 

 man a shilling apiece, and a Woolwich 

 test card. 



This card, after a statement that the bul- 

 let weighed 500 grains and was patched 

 with 31-100 inch hard copper, and the load 

 250 grains of cordite, gave the following 

 interesting data. I have the card to-day : 

 "Ten shots in 2 minutes; Wattfield 



screen ; temperature before firing, 72 de- 

 grees F. ; velocity obtained, maximum, 

 4,032 f. s. ; minimum, 3,918 f. s. ; rise, 80 de- 

 grees, F. ; penetration in oak, 76-80 in. 

 var." This is an exact copy. 



That afternoon we put up a target on : i 

 oak 6 feet in diameter, and, backing off 

 150 yards, Kemp fired his first and nearly 

 last shot with the 45 smokeless. There 

 was a detonation like the ripping of a 

 steam pipe. Kemp went to the earth with 

 a flapping of arms and legs. The bark 

 flew from the oak; and 500 yards beyond 

 and 300 to the right the chimney of a ten- 

 ant's house silently exploded and threw its 

 bricks in all directions. A woman emerged 

 from the house and came across the mead- 

 ow at a snail's pace. We were still chaf- 

 fing Kemp when she came up. Lord Dan- 

 vers reassured her and the tests ended for 

 the day. Kemp could not be prevailed 

 on to fire the rifle again and his lordship 

 and I were also chary. > 



When we went out next day a man, 

 leading a horse, was awaiting us near the 

 great oak. I don't remember what ailed 

 the brute, but he appeared very ill. 



"i.Tow, then, turn him loose, John," said 

 Lord Danvers gaily.. The man did so, 

 and the cannon was brought to bear on the 

 head of the animal, which was wearily 

 clipping the grass. The horse fell as if he 

 had trodden on a live wire and we rushed 

 forward to investigate. 



The remains could hardly be construed 

 into a horse. The skull, in flinders, was 

 distributed over half an acre of ground. 

 Half of the spinal column had been re- 

 moved, laying the breast open like a dressed 

 fish. After smashing half of the pelvis 

 the bullet made its. exit near the root of 

 the tail. While were were searching for 

 pieces of bone Kemp suddenly uttered a 

 cry of exultation ; he had found the bullet. 

 It was fused and battered almost beyond 

 recognition. But Kemp gloated over it. 

 I believe he has had it made into a watch 

 charm. 



Although he tried bravely to withstand 

 the terrific recoil, Kemp was never able to 

 do so and before I left England I secured 

 it for a song. Kemp bought a 10 bore 

 Paradox, and I have since heard he slew 

 an elephant, though I do not believe that. 



Home again, I had a machine rest and 

 carriage built en my summer place and 

 tested the experimental freak thoroughly. 

 It was necessary. With a reduced load 

 and a velocity of 2,000 f. s. it can be shot 

 offhand with comfort, but with a velocity 

 of 4,000 f. s. and a kick of heaven known 



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