THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
rifles of ’400 bore, excellent weapons for deer stalking, were evolved in 
succession to the *450 at the end of what we may call the black powder 
epoch. But the reduction of calibre did not end here. 
Three improvements came to military rifles in the “eighties the first 
being the attachment to them of a magazine holding several cartridges 
ready for rapid loading. The second, without which the magazine would 
not have been very effective, was the reduction of calibre from about 
•450 to about *300, which produced a smaller and lighter cartridge, of 
which a greater number could be carried by the soldier. The third im- 
provement was the advent of smokeless powder, which removed one great 
obstacle to rapid fire, the cloud of smoke accompanying the discharge 
of black powder; and which at the same time, by its more concentrated 
power, enabled a powerful charge to be loaded into a cartridge of small 
dimensions. If the reduction of bore and of weight of bullet tended to 
diminish the wounding power of the new type of rifle as compared with 
the old, full compensation was given, for military purposes at least, by 
the flatter trajectory and increased velocity of the bullet. The *450 Martini 
Henry bullet had a velocity of about 1,300 feet per second; the *303 was 
designed for a speed of about 2,000 feet, much above that of black powder 
Express rifles. Smokeless powder was soon well established, and soon 
still smaller bores of 7 mm. and 6*5 mm. (*276 and *256) were adopted 
on the Continent. There was at first a very natural incredulity as to the 
power of bullets smaller than a lead pencil to kill or wound. Their striking 
area was but small, and by so much the probability of the ball touching 
some vital point seemed to be reduced. Experience soon showed that 
there was something in this contention, at all events when the bullet had 
travelled far enough to lose much of its original velocity. Hitherto bullets 
had been made of lead hardened by an alloy, and heavily lubricated or 
covered with a paper patch to save them from destructive friction against 
the bore of the rifle. With the increased velocity and friction of the new 
small bores, it was found necessary to encase the bullet in an envelope 
or thimble of copper and nickel, or of soft steel, to prevent it from being 
deformed or damaged in the bore. This made the bullet stiffer, and while 
adding to its power to penetrate, reduced its tendency to open or break 
up on striking. This was not of very vital importance in warfare among 
civilized nations, where a wounded man is a greater encumbrance to the 
enemy than a dead one. The same does not apply in shooting game. The 
leaden bullet of the Express had been made fatal for soft -skinned game by 
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