Sept. 26, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



185 



PATTERN AND PENETRATION. 



FOLSOM BROS.' CHEAP GUNS, 10 AND 12-GAUGE. 



HPH1S time in the narrative of our series of shotgun 

 X tests, we sing the song of the under dog in the fight. 

 It is not the high grade, thoroughly satisfactory, 

 eminently respectable Greener or Paiker or Scott costing 

 up in the hundreds of dollars, but the mean grade gun of 

 no name. "W. Richards," that nonentity in the gun 

 trade, was stamped on the plate, but they were really 

 only those cheap bits of ordnance which come through 

 our custom houses, pay a duty of 40 per cent., and yet 

 may be placed on the counters of the gun shop at $5 a 

 piece. The Forest and Stream has already in past 

 times expressed its opinion about these pestiferous 

 products of the penurious population clustered on Belgian 

 soil. Liege has much to answer for in that the products 

 of her shops have done to sweep game and every feathered 

 thing, game or not, from off our meadows, shores and 

 woods. Well, it was a pair of these weapons, taken at 

 random from the immense stock in the warehouse of H. 

 & D. Folsoni, of this city, which were put to test on Sept. 



FOLSOM GUN, 10-GAUGE, BIGHT BARREL, 40YDS., 176 PELLETS. 



19. They were double barrel, to be sure, and had the old 

 nnder snap for locking the breech. The finish was some- 

 thing to make a lover of fine guns weep, yet they were 

 just a pair out of hundreds going out weekly into every 

 nook and corner of the land, and particularly into the 

 southern part of the Union, The arms under examination 

 are sold as cylinder bore and are labeled as retailing at 

 $8 each. The charges were prepared by careful loaders, 

 and every opportunity was given the arms to do their 

 very best. 



How well they did a glance at the percentages of shot 

 accounted for will show. The 12-bore was the better 

 arm of the two. It got 40 per cent, of its charge on the 

 target at 40yds., taking the mean of a pair of very uneven 

 barrels. The patterns were fairly well distributed at 



FOLSON GUN, 10-GAUGE. LEFT BARREL, 40YDS., 195 PELLETS*. 



60yds. with the 12- bore, the right harrel was still far 

 ahead, and the average performance of the weapon 

 dropped to 15 per cent- With the 10-bore the barrels ran 

 very evenly, and at 40yds. located 35 per cent, of the 

 charge, and at 60yds. but 11 per cent. The guns kicked 

 in a fashion to shame an army mule, yet they were 

 strong enough to take the charges of black and white 

 powder used in a former test of the Scott gun, while the 

 12-gauge was tried a couple of shots at each range with 

 the cartridges used with the specially imported test gun 

 Greener. 



The day was a good one. The degree of humidity was 

 high, the wind was strong and gusty, but it came from 

 the 12 o'clock quarter, and its only effect was to retard 

 the flying charge a trifle and so lead to a falling from the 

 point'aimed at. It would seem from the record that the 

 12-bore was the better gun of the two, since with a 

 smaller charge it got a larger number of pellets, both 

 actually and by percentage, into the circle. No. 10 

 showed the usual "unaccountable" in the third shot with 

 the right barrel; so it would appear that these sudden 

 lapses from the average are not confined entirely to full- 

 choke, and more particularly, as some claim, to extra 

 choked arms. Taking each charge as fired, the record of 

 its pellets upon the fixed and selected circles, with the 

 distance between their center, stands as follows: 



Right, Barrel. 



10-BOUE- 



-40 yds. 



Left Barrel. 





Aimed 



Selected 



Dist. 



Aimed 



Selected 



Dist. 



Circle, 



Circle, 



bet. cen- 



Circle, 



Circle, 



bet . cen 



Pellets. 



Pellets. 



ter. In. 



Pellets. 



Pellets. 



ter. In. 



w$ 



176 





185 



195 



6 



163 



163 





138 



163 



7 



33 



44 



5 



151 



156 



5 



159 



159 



4 



148 



167 



6 



154 



172 



5 



150 



173 



4 



— 

 Av...V33 



— 

 143 



3 



154 



170 



5>£ 





10-Bore— 60yds. 







46 



42 



m 



42 



46 



4 



64 



69 





60 



62 





34 



40 



m 



29 



35 



3j| 



23 



29 



P 





25 



3 



46 



49 





38 



56 



6 



— 

 Av... 43 



— 

 46 





39 



45 



4 





12-BORE- 



-40yds 







150 



169 



~'P ' 



139 



139, 



6 



183 



180 





144 



161 





184 



190 



8!^ 



175 



164 



7 



166 



184 



6 



137 



163 



8 



165 



165 





145 



155 



5^ 



AV...169 



178 



7 



144 



156 



t% 





12-BORK- 



-60yds. 







65 



88 





83 



97 



4 



71 



76 





47 



54 



4 



74 



89 



m 



41 



52 



P 



07 

 15 



74 



6 



64 



66 





23 



6 



59 



59 



6 



Av... 58 



69 



6 



59 



66 



4 



The formal record of the test stands: 



ClAREMONT, N. J., Sept. 19, 1889. 

 TEST MADE AT FOREST AND STREAM GUN-TESTING SCREEN. 



Gun— Folsom Bros. (Liege) Breechloader. Cost, $8. No. of 

 gun, —. Weight, lOlbs. Length of barrels, 32in. Gauge, 

 10. Right barrel, cylinder. Left barrel, cylinder. 



Weather— Clear, Direction of wind, 12 o'clock. Force of 

 wind, 17 miles per hour. Thermometer, dry, 61 0 . Do., 

 wet, 54°. Humidity, 63° . Barometer, 29.7in. 



Charge, as given by holder of gun: 



FOLSOM GUN, 12-GAUQE, RIGHT BARREL, 40YDS., 190 PELLETS. 

 BOTH BARRELS. 



Shell— Club. 



Powder, Brand— FG Dead Shot. 

 Powder, Quantity— 3%drs. 



I Make— LeRoy's. 

 Shot - Quantity— 1 lioz. 



I Size— No. 8 Chilled. 



FOLSOM GUN, 12-GAUGE, LEFT BARREL, 40YDS., 175 PELLETS. 



CARTRIDGE ANALYSIS. 

 Three Cartridges Taken at TiaWdom. 



BOTH BARRELS. 

 Loading. Powder. Shot. 



Card over shot; card(l... 101 grs. 547 grs. 484 pellets, 



and four B. E. wads- 2. . . 100 grs. 548 grs. 485 pellets, 



over powder. (3... 102 grs. 564 grs. 501 pellets. 



Average 101 grs. 553 grs. 490 pellets. 



TEST AT 40 YARDS. 



Five Shots per Barrel from rest affixed 30-inch Circle. 



RIGHT BARREL. LEFT BARREL. 



Pattern. Penetration, 3 pellets. Pattern. Penetration, s pellets 



1. 159 pellets. 12 sheets. 1. 185 pellets. 



2. 102 pellets. 7 sheets. 2. 138 pellets. 

 *3. 33 pellets. . . sheets. 3. 151 pellets. 



4. 159 pellets. 11 sheets. 4. 148 pellets. 



5. 154 pellets. 11 sheets. 5. 150 pellets. 



12 sheets. 

 12 sheets. 

 10 sheets. 

 12 sheets. 

 . . sheets. 



Av. 143 pellets. 10 sheets. Av. 154 pellets. 11 sheets. 

 *Not included in average. 



Three shots at 4-foot square; 30-inch Circle selected from 

 best pattern. 



RIGHT BARREL. LEFT BARREL. 



1 176 pellets. 1 195 pellets. 



2 163 pellets. 2 167 pellets. 



8 172 pellets. 3 173 pellets. 



Average 170 pellets. Average 178 pellets. 



TEST AT 60 YARDS. 



Five Shots per Barrel from rest, at fixed 30-inch Circle. 



LEFT BARREL. 

 Pattern-. Penetration, 3 pellets. 

 42 pellets. . . sheets. 



1. 



RIGHT BARREL. 

 Pattern. Penetration, :) pellets.^ 



46 pellets. 

 64 pellets. 

 34 pellets. 

 23 pellets. 

 46 pellets. 



sheets. 

 12 sheets. 

 .. sheets. 

 . . sheets. 

 6 sheets. 



60 pellets. 

 29 pellets. 

 27 pellets. 

 38 pellets. 



10 sheets, 

 4 sheets. 

 . . sheets. 

 7 sheets. 



Av. 43 pellets. 9 sheets. Av. 39 pellets. 7 sheets. 



Three shots at 4-foot square; 30-inch Circle selected from 

 best pattern. 



RIGHT BARREL. LEFT BARREL. 



1 42 pellets. 1 46 pellets. 



2 69 pellets. 2 62 pellets. 



3 49 pellets. 3 56 pellets. 



Average 53 pellets. 



Average 55 pellets. 



CLAREMONT, N. J., Sept. 19, 1889. 

 TEST MADE AT FOREST AND STREAM GUN-TESTING SCREEN. 



@Wi— Folsom Bros. (Liege) Gun. Cost, $8. No. of gun, 661. 



Weight 81bs. Length of barrels, 30in. Gauge, 12. Right 



barrel, cylinder. Left barrel, cylinder. 

 Weather— Clear. Direction of wind, 12 o'clock. Force of 



wind, 17 miles per hour. Thermometer, dry, 61° . Do., 



wet, 54° . Humidity, 63° . Barometer, 29.7in. 

 Charge, as given by holder of gun: 



BOTH BARRELS. 



Shell— Club. 



Powder, Brand— FG Dead Shot. 

 Powder, Quantity— 3drs. 



( Make— LeRoy's. 

 Shot J Qu antity—1 }£oz . 



( »Size— No. 8 Chilled. 



CARTRIDGE ANALYSIS. 



Three Cartridges Taken at Random. 



BOTH BARRELS. 

 Loading. Powder. 

 Card over shot; cardfl... 91 grs. 

 and two P. E. wads- 2. . . 90 grs. 

 over powder. (3... 92 grs. 



Shot. 



473 grs. 418 pellets. 



440 pellets. 

 437 pellets. 



495 grs. 

 492 grs. 



Average 91 grs. 487 grs. 432 pellets. 



TEST AT 40 YARDS. 



Five Shots per Barrel from rest at fixed 80-inch Circle. 



RIGHT BARREL. * LEFT BARREL. 



Pattern. Penetration, 3 pellets. Pattern. Penetration, s pellets. 

 1. 150 pellets. 15 sheets. 1. 139 pellets. 



2. 183 pellets. 



3. 184 pellets. 



4. 166 pellets. 



5. 165 pellets. 



16 sheets. 

 8 sheets. 



12 sheets. 



13 sheets. 



2. 144 pellets. 



3. 175 pellets. 



4. 137 pellets. 



5. 145 pellets. 



12 sheets. 

 9 sheets. 

 12 sheets. 



12 sheets. 



13 sheets. 



Av. 167 pellets. 13 sheets. Av. 148 pellets. 12 sheets. 



Three shots at 4-foot square; 80-inch Circle selected from 

 best pattern. 



RIGHT BARREL. LEFT BARREL. 



1 186 pellets. 1 161 pellets. 



2 190 pellets. 2 164 pellets. 



3 184 pellets. 3 163 pellets. 



Average 187 pellets. 



Average 162 pellets. 



TEST AT 60 YARDS. 



Five Shots per Barrel from rest at fixed 80-inch Circle. 



RIGHT BARREL. 

 Pattern. Penetration, s pelleti 



65 pellets. 

 71 pellets. 

 74 pellets. 

 67 pellets. 

 15 pellets. 



4 sheets. 



6 sheets. 



5 sheets. 



7 sheets. 

 .. sheets. 



LEFT BARREL. 

 Pattern. Penetration, 3 pellets. 



83 pellets. 

 47 pellets. 

 41 pellets. 

 64 pellets. 

 59 pellets. 



6 sheets. 

 9 sheets. 

 .. sheets. 



7 sheels. 

 6 sheets. 



Av. 58 pellets. 5 sheets. Av. 59 pellets. 7 sheets. 



Three shots at 4-foot square; 30-inch Circle selected from 

 best pattern. 



RIGHT BARREL. LEFT BARREL. 



1 83 pellets. 1 97 pellets. 



2 76 pellets. 2 66 pellets. 



3 89 pellets. 3 59 pellets. 



Average 82 pellets. 



Average 74 pellets. 



Lewis County, N. Y., Sept. 20.— Extended trips and 

 faithful hunting on the part of the sportsmen m this 

 vicinity confirms the reports of the woodcock shooters in 

 regard to the scarcity of ruffed grouse, at least on their 

 usual haunts. One fair bag in years past for one man 

 was made by two men last week. The score was six 

 grouse and three woodcock. Several bags of two or three 

 are reported. The general verdict, however, seems to be 

 that they are few and far between, or else we do not look 

 for them in the proper places. Next month we expect to 

 find woodcock on the high grounds and we are hoping 

 for a good flight, although no large bags are anticipated. 

 A good-sized buck was seen a short time since on the 

 Utica & Black River R. R. track near the village of Cas- 

 torland by the section hands. This is some distance from 

 the Adirondacks proper. A few duck are reported on 

 the Black River. The weather is cold and raw; if it con- 

 tinues so migrating birds will soon be going.— Osceola. 



The Lost Flight.— The Cedars, Oakdale, L. I., Sept. 

 17.— During the heavy northeast storm on Thursday 

 and Friday, Sept. 12 and 13, there was a hig flight of 

 large snipe on the Long Island coast. Marlin, willets, 

 curlews and yelpers in great numbers winged their 

 happy way over the numberless empty blinds. As the 

 rain fell in torrents, and the tide was so high, gunning 

 was out of the question.— Alfred A. Fraser. 



Upland Plover Gunning.— Mr. W. Howard Pack, of 

 Philadelphia, is stopping at the residence of Joshua Ben- 

 nett, at Court House. Mr. Pack is one of the finest shot* 

 in the State, and spends much of his time in gunning 

 field plovers on horseback, being an accurate shot when 

 his horse is going at the highest speed.— Atlantic Goast 

 Pilot. Sept 21. 



