(TUNS AND AMMUNITION 



553 



bullet being 165 grains. The trajeetory for 200 

 yards has a height at 100 yards of 5.474 inches. 

 About the same figures are given for the .32 

 Special (Winchester and Marlin), the difference 

 in the figures favoring the .32-40 high power. 

 Unfortunately, I have not the U. M. C. figures 

 for the .30-30 or the .303 Savage, so a compari- 

 son with these two cartridges and calibres will 

 have to be made by the use of the figures given 

 in the Savage catalogue. According to these 

 figures, the cartridge of the .30-30 gives a muzzle 

 velocity of 1,892 feet per second with a muzzle 

 energy of 1,244 foot-pounds, the weight of the 

 bullet being 160 grains. The cartridge of the 

 .303 Savage gives a muzzle velocity of 2,000 

 feet per second, a muzzle energy of 1,514 foot- 

 pounds, with a bullet weighing 190 grains. It 

 can be thus seen that, when using a cartridge 

 of the U. M. C. make, the rifleman with the 

 .32-40 high power possesses an arm second in 

 efficiency to no one of the above. So much may 

 be said for the .32-40 as a high-power gun. 



This arm was originally manufactured with a 

 plain steel barrel for the use of the black powder 

 cartridge and for the low pressure smokeless 

 powder ammunition; and in order to get the 

 results indicated by the foregoing figures, it 

 must be remembered that a nickel-steel barrel is 

 absolutely necessary, so that a cartridge loaded 

 with high-power smokeless powder can be used, 

 as it would be dangerous to attempt to use this 

 kind of cartridge in a plain steel barrel. How- 

 ever, with the nickel-steel barrel, black powder 

 and low-pressure smokeless powder ammunition 

 can readily be used by simply raising the rear 

 sight to the proper elevation, and after a little 

 experience with these low-power cartridges, the 

 adjustment can be made almost instantly. 

 Thus, a rifle of .32-40 calibre, having a nickel- 

 steel barrel, can be quickly changed from a high- 

 power arm to one of low power and vice versa. 

 Both the high-power nickel-steel barrel and the 

 plain steel barrel have the same rifling, the twist 

 giving one turn in 16 inches. The .32 Special, 

 above mentioned, has also the same length of 

 twist, and may be used wjth a cartridge loaded 

 with black powder, but this cartridge, being of 

 the bottle-neck type, is much harder to reload 

 than the straight taper shell of the .32-40 and 

 for some reason is less accurate. 



Many persons object to the use of black 

 powder, but I have no objection to it when used 

 for the proper purposes. It is now largely used 

 by members of rifle clubs for target shooting, 

 and when used in the .32-40 gives an excellent 

 load for all the larger kinds of small game and is 



generally strong enough for deer and black 

 bear, though the cartridge loaded with the high- 

 power smokeless powder is preferable when 

 hunting these animals. The black powder shell 

 of the .32-40 can be cheaply and easily reloaded, 

 so that, eliminating the cost of the shell, which 

 can be used many times, the expense of this 

 reloaded ammunition does not exceed one cent 

 for two shots, some claiming as many as four 

 shots for that amount. Besides the inexpensive- 

 ness of this reloaded cartridge, there is no more 

 accurate shooting cartridge on the market and 

 in use than the black powder .32-40; and, as it 

 has a lubricated bullet, it does not wear the 

 rifling of the barrel. The wearing out of the 

 rifling of the barrel is one of the worst features 

 of the metal-patched bullets. 



In conclusion, to sum up the advantages of 

 the .32-40 with the nickel barrel, which is 

 sighted, as stated above, for high-power ammu- 

 nition, we have first, an accurate and strong 

 shooting high-power arm. In the second place, 

 by changing the elevation of the rear sight one 

 may possess a high-grade low-power rifle of 

 unsurpassed accuracy. And third, the .32-40 

 shell, being a straight taper, can be easily 

 reloaded, so that the expense of ammunition, 

 for one willing to reload his own cartridges, does 

 not exceed that for the ammunition used in the 

 .22 calibre rim-fire rifle. From the foregoing 

 facts it will be seen that a better "all-around 

 rifle" and one in all respects more satisfactory 

 than the .32-40 high-power has yet to be pro- 

 duced. F. J. De la Fleur. 



Utica, N. Y. 



Trap-Shooting Loads 



In this part of the country game is getting 

 to be so scarce that it is hardly worth going 

 after. Several of us are now turning our at- 

 tention to trap shooting, and we should like to 

 hear from some of the experts. While trap 

 shooting is not such good sport as field shooting, 

 it is fun, nevertheless, and there are bound to 

 be more and more trap shooters and less game 

 shooters as the country becomes more populated. 



Will some one who knows tell us the best 

 loads for clay pigeons ? Is a 2| shell to be pre- 

 ferred to a 2 § -inch shell, when one uses 3 

 drams of powder and i\ ounces of shot? 

 What size shot is best? Would a man be likely 

 to make good scores using a cylinder and No. 

 8 shot at the 16-yard mark? 



All advice will be thankfully received. 



Syracuse, N. Y. F. R. Allen. 



