354 



RECREATION 



trigger is pulled, and when the trigger safety is 

 on you cannot u pull the trigger. The Baker gun is 

 equipped with special safety blocks, which are 

 operated by fingers on the triggers, and if the 

 hammer should fall on account of the notch be- 

 ing worn, or the sear-spring becoming weak or 

 broken, through years of use or neglect, they 

 cannot discharge the gun, for they cannot get by 

 the safety blocks unless the trigger is pulled. 



After the shooting season was over, I took the 

 locks of my gun off to clean and oil them, if found 

 necessary, before laying the gun away. I put an 

 empty shell with good primers in each barrel and 

 put the trigger safety on so that the triggers could 

 not be pulled. I took the right lock off first, and 

 to test the safety block I took a small screw-driver 

 and lifted the end of the left sear so as to let the 

 hammer go. The hammer went down with full 

 force until it was arrested by the safety block, and 

 there it had to stop, for it could not get by and 

 strike the firing pin and discharge the primer in 

 the shell. I tried both locks three times, and I 

 must say that the Baker people deserve great 

 credit for equipping their guns with safeties that 

 are absolutely safe from accidental discharge. 

 The hammers are rebounding, and the safety 

 blocks always come into position in front of ham- 

 mers regardless of whether they are up or down, 

 so there can be no danger from firing pins pressing 

 on loaded shells when hammers are down. I 

 hope the time will soon come when all hammer- 

 less guns will be equipped with safeties similar 

 to those on the Baker gun. I have seen both 

 hammer and hammerless guns that, when both 

 hammers were cocked, and one barrel was dis- 

 charged, the shock discharged the other, and 

 some of them were not cheap guns, either. 



I have nothing against any particular make of 

 guns, for I am sure there are many fine guns 

 made and just as good shooting guns as the Baker 

 gun, but for safety any that I have seen are 

 simply not in it with the Baker gun. The Baker 

 people do not put their special block safety on 

 their cheapest make of gun. I am very much 

 surprised that they do not use it on all grades. 

 I suppose they cannot afford to put it on their 

 cheapest gun for the price they ask for it. 



Donald McLaren. 



Fort William, Ont. 



From an Old Gunner 



Editor Recreation: 



To "Black Duck" — "Information wanted as 

 to duck gun": Granted that he wishes a double 

 gun, we ask, where will he use it? On long 

 tramps or short ones; or from a boot or blind? 



Again what is Black Duck's physical condition, 

 strength, ambition, etc. ? 



Will he use but one gun ? 



Will he use it for sport only ? 



The weight, length and drop of stock have a 

 great deal to do with quickness and accuracy of 

 aim, and in bringing down the ducks. 



As for the gun, content yourself with a $50 to 

 $75 grade of one of the well-known American 

 makes, and of whatever size you may select to 

 suit your wants and not those of your neighbor's, 



and in all cases choose a full choke in both barrels. 

 The guns built for that purpose and insuring 

 about the limit of range and penetration are the 

 12-gauge of 8^-pound weight and 32-inch barrels; 

 10-gauge of 10 pounds and 32-inch barrels. You 

 use in the 12-gauge a charge of 3! to 4 drams 

 black powder and 1^ to \\ -ounces No. 4 or 6 

 shot. For the 10-gauge you should use 4$ to 5 

 drams black powder and i\ to i\ ounces No. 4 

 or 6 shot. 



But now, for myself and a tramp over the 

 marsh, as I have done many a time, and brought 

 down six to ten ducks in less than two hours, I 

 find I can do this with a 7f-pound Parker, 12- 

 gauge and 30-inch barrels, full choke and using 

 3 \ drams Lafiin & Rand No. 3 orange ducking, 

 and 1 -ounce No. 4 shot, with 2 pink-edge wads 

 on powder and heavy pressure on wads, and 1, or 

 even a split, wad on shot. My judgment is — buy 

 the gun that best suits your work and do not 

 load yourself down for single-bird shooting with 

 two or four extra pounds of iron. I have used 

 from a 7^ to a 11-pound gun and you get just as 

 much sport in a middle-weight gun as any, and 

 a little caution on your part gives you almost the 

 same number of ducks. 



But on the Western grain fields I should use a 

 10-gauge and target my gun to learn its best or 

 proper load; that means, 80 per cent, of the shot 

 in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards, with the greatest 

 penetration, and which can be reduced to 70 per 

 cent, for better penetration by increasing powder. 



Hunter. 



Much in "Grip" 



Editor Recreation: 



I have been much interested lately in some of the 

 articles published in your valuable paper on the 

 subject of "the best design for a belt revolver." 



I notice a great deal has been said about the 

 calibre, style of cartridge, length of barrel, single 

 action, weight of arm, and so on. But the stock 

 of the weapon has not been discussed to any extent, 

 except that it should be the regular Colt grip. 



Now all the different models in general use have 

 the grip quite a distance below the centre line of 

 the barrel, and as a result of this the front sight 

 has to be made much higher than the rear to allow 

 for the " flip-up" of the muzzle. If the pressure of 

 the shooter's hand on the grip of the revolver is 

 always the same the flip-up will be the same, and 

 the bullets will strike about the same height each 

 shot. But if the pressure is not uniform the bullets 

 will be apt to go low when the grip is held tight, 

 and high when it is held loose. 



Now it seems to me that a revolver designed 

 with the grip nearer the centre of the barrel would 

 diminish the tendency of the muzzle to flip up, and 

 the recoil would be nearer a straight line rearward. 



I have always been able to do better shooting 

 with a revolver or pistol, especially one with a long 

 barrel, when the grip or drop of the stock was such 

 that in aiming the top of my hand was almost on a 

 line with my forearm. This, of course, would 

 mean a stock with much less drop than the Stan- 

 dard Colt. The old model Smith & Wesson octa- 

 gon barrel, using .32 calibre rim-fire cartridge, 



