GUNS AND AMMUNITION 



337 



Desirous of getting still higher velocity to 

 the bullet in the .38 special calibre, some have 

 advocated loading it with smokeless, and 

 strengthening the barrel and cylinder of the 

 gun by making it of nickel steel. However, 

 the makers are best fitted to know whether or 

 not such a combination would bring good re- 

 sults, and these points had best be left for 

 them to decide. I laving the new gun cham- 

 bered for this cartridge gives one a little va- 

 riety of .38 calibre ammunition of varying 

 power and suitable for all purposes that a re- 

 volver would likely be called upon to fulfill. 

 Having the front sight pinned on through 

 lugs would permit its being readily changed 

 to suit the charge used or the owner's pecu- 

 liarities. In any case, having a revolver so 

 built as to permit of any standard front sight 

 being used would be a decided improvement. 

 It is expected that those who write to the 

 Colt people relative to this gun will bear in 

 mind the motives that actuate the shooters to 

 ask for it, and also bear in mind the superior 

 advantages offered in the .38 S. & W. Special, 

 etc., as a cartridge adapted to either hunting 

 or target purposes. 



A. VV. Lowdermilk, Chicago. 



THE BELT REVOLVER. 



Editor Recreation : 



Since the metallic cartridge revolvers were 

 placed on the market I have owned or used 

 nearly all kinds, whether centre-fire, rim or 

 pin-fire, and I wish to say that I have never 

 had one yet that for reliability as a belt "gun'' 

 that equaled the Single Action Colt's 

 "Frontier" or "Peacemaker," 45 Colt's and 44- 

 40 calibre revolvers. As Mr. Ashley A. 

 Haines, B. C, in August number said on that 

 subject, its shape, nower and accuracy made 

 it the favorite weapon where revolvers were 

 used several years ago, but to-day it needs 

 improvement in the cylinder and unloading ac- 

 tion to keep it with modern weapons. My no- 

 tion as to the way this improvement can be 

 made is this, and it is not much different 

 from Mr. A. A. Haines, B. C. : Let the re- 

 volver have a swing-out cvlinder, with the 

 fore end lock, as on the S. & W. .38-calibre 

 military revolver. This fore end lock should 

 be .on it by all means, as that keeps the cylin- 

 der always perfectly aligned with the barrel 

 no matter how hard the usage. Have the 

 front sight remuvable, but by all means keen 

 it as close to the barrel as possible, as a high 

 sight on a revolver is a nuisance. Then "cut 

 out" one or two of those "clicks" the hammer 

 makes in cocking, which Mr. Haines rightly 

 calls "reliable," "never-fail," etc., as there 

 would no longer be anv use of a "reloading 

 notch" (i. e., the second one), as the reload- 

 ing would be from the side when the cylinder 

 was swung out. Then keep the hammers from 

 cocking so far back. It cocks one-half inch 

 farther than necessary, as it strikes the 



nrimers harder than it needs to and is slower 

 in cocking than a shorter action. I had a 

 .44-40 "Frontier" that would strike the 

 primers so hard that the brass would be 

 forced into the firing pin-hole so hard that it 

 sometimes required the use of both hands to 

 free the cylinder. '1 hat is too long a sweep to 

 any hammer when it does that. Then, lastly, 

 I say have the cylinder frame and barrel 

 made of "smokeless" or nickel steel, as many 

 persons desire to use smokeless powder and 

 are afraid to in the revolvers now in use. It 

 would put a person more on the safe side 

 when experimenting and would allow the use 

 of nickel-pocket bullets in the .45 and .44-40 

 calibres, as they are now in use. I say .45 and 

 .44-40 because the Colt's Co. never do any- 

 thing by halves, and if they change the re- 

 volver to this they will put a full choice of 

 calibres on the market, as there are many 

 that would not want the .38 S. & W. Special 

 calibres, as Mr. Flaines suggests. The large 

 calibres should weierh as much as the old 

 models, and the .38 and .32 calibres be made 

 lighter, as Mr. Haines says. If there was 

 such a "gun" as this on the market I would 

 want one of them, as it would be a perfect 

 belt revolver. 



Earl E. Hoel, Dayton, O. 



YET ANOTHER. 



Editor Recreation: 



In regard to the Ideal Belt Revolver, I 

 would like to see a revolver put on the mar- 

 ket as described in the August number of 

 Recreation. Let the Colt Company put on 

 a swing-out cylinder, which would reduce the 

 weight. Make the hammer rebounding so as 

 to do away with so many clicks, and make the 

 gun in not only the one cal., but all of the 

 revolver cals. to suit the purchaser. And 

 one thing as important as all, put smokeless 

 steel in the barrel and cylinder, so as to in- 

 sure the use of black or low or high-pressure 

 smokeless powders and the nickel jacketed 

 bullets. 



I think that would make a belt gun supe- 

 rior to any now on the market. 



For instance, a person using a rifle of a 

 .44-40, .38-40, or .32-20 cal. with smokeless 

 cartridges, could shoot the same with perfect 

 safety, in a revolver built with smokeless 

 steel. 



(Ned) E. R. Smead. 

 Dayton, Ohio. 



WILL BUY A BRACE. 



Editor Recreation : 



The belt revolver described by Ashley S. 

 Haines. B. C, in your August issue of Rec- 

 reation is, to my mind, ideal, and if such a 

 weapon is placed on the market I will gladly 

 buy a brace of them. 



W. R. Martin, M.D., 

 724 Greene Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



