336 



RECREATION 



I used a .30-30 Winchester, and Daniels a 

 303 Savage. 



Will close for this time, hoping to send you 

 something of more value to your readers 

 when we return from the North woods a few 

 months later. 



James D. Davie, Deposit, N. Y. 



AGREES WITH HAINES. 



Editor Recreation : 



Many of your readers are no doubt aware 

 of the fact that there is a movement being 

 made to induce the Colt's or S. & W. people 

 to build and place on the market a new type 

 of revolver. Mr. Ashley A. Haines, with his 

 article "The Ideal Belt Revolver," has for- 

 mally introduced this subject in Recreation's 

 columns, the idea being to get the views and 

 support of its many readers, which is neces- 

 sary in order to assure the manufacturers 

 that a sufficient demand exists for this pro- 

 posed gun to warrant the outlay for tools and 

 machinery to build it. 



Mr. Haines is a zealous worker for the 

 cause, and his article briefly outlines the plan 

 to be pursued by which results may be ob- 

 tained, and it is hoped that every revolver 

 shooter in the country will contribute his in 

 fluence. The cut submitted was assembled 

 after much deliberation and represents as 

 nearly as possible the striking features of the 

 new gun. It will be noticed that in this 

 weapon there is embodied most all of the 

 strong points of the old single action frontier 

 which has a world-wide reputation, and, at 

 the same time, while preserving the general 

 outline of that gun, it is supplied with a 

 swing-out cylinder and other features which 

 represent the highest development in revolver 

 construction. 



The main reason existing to form an in- 

 disputable argument for this weapon is to 

 dodge the excessive weight which every man 

 is required to carry who adopts and uses a 

 single action belt revolver. All single action 

 belt revolvers as now made are made on the 

 .45 frame, and the .45 frame and .45 calibre is 

 really the lightest weight single action procur- 

 able. The manufacturers have made no at- 

 tempt to cater to the wishes of those who 

 would prefer a single action in medium cali- 

 bre other than to offer them the .45 frame 

 chambered and bored for medium size cart- 

 ridges which is, of course, a much heavier 

 weapon on account of the. superfluous metal 

 in frame, cylinder and barrel. This additional 

 weight is not only absolutely useless but 

 makes the weapon positively painful to carry 

 on a belt. Considerable correspondence with 

 practical shooters from all over the country 

 and with the two firms to whom the shooters 

 must look for these improvements finally re- 

 sulted in obtaining the following letter from 

 the Colt's people, which we must regard as 

 favorable.. 



Mr. A. W. Lowdermilk, 

 Chicago, 111. 



Dear Sir— -We beg to acknowledge your favor of 

 June 23d, with suggestions as to our manufacturing 

 a single-action revolver with swing-out cylinder. We 

 are putting on the market a number of new model 

 revolvers and automatic pistols which are demanded 

 by the market, and canvassed the ground thoroughly 

 on the subject you mention, but received little or 

 no encouragement from the jobbing-houses, through 

 whom we market all our productions, in favor of the 

 type of arm you advocate. However, we are in 

 business to furnish whatever o".r patrons demand, 

 and certainly shall make a single-action, swing-out 

 cylinder revolver if we find the demand will war- 

 rant the outlay for models and plant; but at the 

 present time, on account of the different ideas of 

 those who have applied to us to make up such an 

 arm, we are unable to arrive at any model that 

 would meet all their requirements, and from the 

 present outlook we should be required to make 

 three models and three separate plants to cover the 

 demands of from 12 to 15 requests which we have 

 here. 



The question of calibre should be settled, as 

 some require .32, others .38, and others .45 calibre. 

 As soon as we can arrive at a calibre that will 

 satisfy the greatest number, and the demand should 

 continue for such an arm, we can arrange to put 

 one on the market. We trust you will appreciate 

 the conditions under which we are placed, and re- 

 main, 



Yours truly, 

 Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg. Co. 

 Hartford, Conn. 



SOMETHING NEW. 



By this letter the shooters will see that the 

 Colt's people recognize the advantages such a 

 type of arm has to recommend it. It now 

 rests with the shooters themselves who will 

 buy and use these guns to make their demand 

 known and thus assure the makers that suc!i 

 a weapon would be marketable. It seems 

 from among the requests they have had up to 

 date from interested shooters that a great 

 difference of opinion exists as to the calibre, 

 and, in order to facilitate matters, it is deem- 

 ed advisable to carry this explanation further 

 along lines relating to its calibre rather than 

 to dwell upon the strong points of the gun 

 itself, which are obvious. 



The Colt's people say that the question of 

 calibre should be settled, which indicates- that 

 only one gun will be built, therefore, if we 

 are to have but one gun it should be cham- 

 bered for a cartridge of superior accuracy and 

 power. From among the medium calibre re- 

 volver cartridges, the .38 S. & W. special is in 

 a class by itself. It represents the highest 

 standard of accuracy, and for penetration 

 compares very favorably with the .38 Colt 

 automatic and the .45 Colt cartridges, the 

 penetration of all three being almost equal. 



