GUNS AND AMMUNITION 



353 



and for that reason I have written so. Samuel 

 Colt's first gun was a masterpiece and has never 

 been changed, except to add a strap over the 

 top, making a solid frame, adding a notch to the 

 hand that turns the cylinder, and the putting of 

 a bushing in the cylinder. Has it not stood the 

 test well? Will the automatics and double action 

 ones do as well? I think not. I am speaking from 

 experience, and not through my hat, as some 

 people who have never lived in the West, where 

 the art of gunnery comes as near to perfection as 

 it is in this world, might think. 



Walter Kenly. 

 Cripple Creek, Colo. 



Comparative Penetration of .22s 



Editor Recreation: 



Having read the answer, in January number, 

 to letter of J. Frank Jones, Bethany, W. Va., in 

 regard to relative penetrations of the .22 Win- 

 chester and .22 Automatic, I wish to tell you of a 

 test conducted last week of this very thing, con- 

 cerning which I have long been curious. 



Mr. Robeson, of Springfield, Mass., and I, 

 together with Mr. W. H. Duncan, of Barnwell, 

 S. C, with whom we were staying, placed two hard 

 yellow pine boards against the fence of the latter's 

 dooryard, one over the other, about f or § of an 

 inch thick, so that they practically made one if 

 inch board. Mr. Robeson shot a Marlin rifle with 

 .22 long rifle cartridge. I shot a Winchester Auto- 

 matic. The Marlin drove its bullets through the 

 first board and dented into the second, so that 

 when we lifted the first board off, most of them fell 

 to the ground. The Automatic drove its bullets 

 through the first board and so far through the 

 second that all but one stuck nearly their full 

 length through the second, so that Mr. Duncan 

 picked up the boards with one hand, and, wiping 

 his other along their back, gathered the bullets in 

 his hand. One bullet penetrated through and 

 beyond. We stood at about fifteen feet. In order 

 to prove the penetration of this rifle to Mr. Duncan, 

 who is an adept both at rifle shooting and judging 

 timber, I had previously shot the same weapon at 

 a hard spot (not a knot) which he marked on a 

 lightwood post, and which he did not believe any 

 .22 bullet would penetrate, warning me to stand 

 well back lest the bullet hurt me in its rebound. 

 From the distance his knife-blade went into the 

 bullet hole, I believe the nose of the bullet must 

 have penetrated over an inch. 



When I first got this rifle I shot it at the narrow 

 edge of a 2 by 3 joist, to test its sights for accuracy, 

 and on going to look at my target was surprised to 

 find that the bullets had gone clean through. Pos- 

 sibly the sharp point and hardness of the bullet 

 had something to do with this, as it was a soft pine 

 joist, or some similar wood; but the cartridge 

 certainly must be an extraordinarily powerful .22 

 for its recoil to operate the action of the rifle. The 

 fact that the comparatively short cartridge of the 

 new .32 automatic soft nose has the same penetra- 

 tion as the soft nose .30-30, which looks much 

 more powerful, in spite of its larger calibre, con- 

 vinces me that the Winchester people must be very 

 generous with their powder when loading the 



cartridges wIioho recoil operates the a< tion of tin g< 



modern weapons. 



I wonder if the brethren who are having so huh Ii 

 trouble to find a handy, accurate, powerful belt 

 revolver that "comes up" well have seen the new 

 handle that Smith & Wesson are furnishing on 

 their .38 Military 1902 model revolver? It is 

 shaped like a Colt Military handle, and is nicely 

 checked. I use one that handles the .32 Win- 

 chester rifle cartridge, and it is as accurate as I 

 could wish a gun to be. The fact that it is a double 

 action gun does not in the least interfere with its 

 use as a single action, for the trigger pull is perfect, 

 while it fits in the hand so nicely that, like the 

 Frontier model Colt, it seems to point itself, while 

 with smokeless powder and a soft nose express 

 bullet it should have a "smashing" effect suffi- 

 cient to satisfy the most bloodthirsty. 



It bears out the claim of the makers that it will 

 do good work up to 200 yards. Before this handle 

 came out I was so pleased with the power, penetra- 

 tion, balance and lack of recoil of this gun that I 

 used to wrap the old-style handle with tire tape or 

 adhesive plaster to suit. It shoots close to the 

 mark when too dark to see the sights, or even the 

 end of the barrel, which should be a good test of 

 the balance and "come-up" of a revolver. Be- 

 sides, you have the advantage of double action 

 when speed is more to be desired than extreme 

 accuracy. H. M. Clapp. 



The editorial note in the January number 

 was correct, as it referred to the .22-7-45 and the 

 .22 Winchester automatic. — Editor. 



Pleased with His " Baker " 



Editor Recreation: 



In the January number of Recreation I notice 

 a request from some person who signs his name 

 as "Black Duck." He wishes advice from some 

 of your readers as to the best kind of gun for duck- 

 shooting, with details as to gauge, length of 

 barrels, weight and loads. I have had consider- 

 able experience with different makes of , guns and 

 guns of different calibre. I always have a few 

 days' duck-shooting every season, and I usually 

 get a liberal share of game. Nothing larger than 

 a good heavy 12 -gauge is necessary. I consider 

 an 8-pound 12 -gauge with 30-inch full choke bore 

 barrels, using 2 f -inch cases, with the equivalent 

 of 3^ drams of any good smokeless powder and 

 i\ ounces of No. 5 chilled shot, as good a com- 

 bination as a man can get. I always load my own 

 shells. 



Last season I had the Baker Gun and Forging 

 Company, of Batavia, N. Y., make me a double- 

 barrel hammerless gun. The price of the gun is 

 $75.00, without the automatic ejector, and with 

 double trigger. It is 12-gauge, weighs 8 pounds 

 1 ounce, 30-inch Krupp Fluid steel barrels, and 

 full choke. I had the Baker Company pattern it 

 with No. 5 shot, and I have yet to see the gun that 

 I would like to trade it for. It certainly is a fine 

 gun. There are many good American-made guns, 

 but I consider that the Baker gun is the only 

 American-made gun that I have seen that is 

 absolutely safe from accidental discharge. 



The Baker gun cannot be discharged unless the 



