kltitikiit i$. OF L OiiBPMfi-VfumPMuH 
748 
FOREST AND STREAM 
The merchandise shoot, held by the Cincinnati Gun 
Club, under the management of its long-time efficient 
manager, Arthur Gambell, was a success. It was to 
celebrate the opening of the new club house, and forty- 
seven shooters rallied to lend zest to the occasion. For 
the three 50-target events Mr. Woolfolk Henderson, of 
Lexington, Ky., was high with 140. Of the professionals 
Mr. Vietmeyer was high with 135, while Mr. Squier was 
a close second with 134. 
C> 
The Benson Gun Club, of Omaha, Neb., has issued 
the programme of its series of ten shoots, the first of 
which, a registered tournament, will be held on Nov. 
23-24. The main events of the series will be at 50 
targets, Dupont handicap; that is, a 90 per cent, shooter 
receives nothing; 88 per cent. 1 target; 86 per cent, 2 
targets, so on to a CO per cent, shooter, who receives 
15. Numerous valuable merchandise prizes will reward 
the best shooters. All contestants will stand at 16yds. 
High guns win. Address Secretary F. T. Lovering for 
further information. Bernard Waters. 
Cincinnati (0.) Gun Club. 
The merchandise shoot given Oct. 28 was a success 
and Arthur Gambell, who managed the affair, has demon¬ 
strated his ability to get the local shooters out, as well as 
to attract outsiders. There were forty-seven shooters 
present, and twenty-nine shot the entire programme. 
The shoot was given to celebrate the formal opening 
of the handsome new club house, which was turned over 
to the club on that day, complete with the exception ot 
a few minor details. The programme consisted of six 
events at 15 and three at 20 targets each, a total of 150 
targets for the day. These were shot in three 50 events, 
with thirty merchandise prizes in each event. There was 
also an optional $1 sweep in each of the nine events, 
divided 50, 30, 20, class shooting. In addition to the 
merchandise prizes there was $20 high average money, 
divided 60 and 40 per cent., high guns; and $5 to each 
of the low guns shooting the entire programme. The 
events were run off over two sets of expert traps, all 
standing at 16yds. 
The trade was well represented by Messrs, lorn 
Marshall, L. J. Squier, R. Trimble, C. O. Le Compte 
and Vietmeyer. 
The first event was started at 10.40, and by 4:15 the last 
shot was fired. Among the out-of-town shooters present 
were Messrs. W. Henderson, of Lexington, Ky.; E. 
Cain, of Dayton, O.; G. G. Williamson, of Muncie, 
Ind.; Mr. Rogers, of Cleveland, O. The Hyde Park 
and Northern Kentucky gun clubs were represented, and 
the visitors took home their share of the spoils. Dinner 
was served in the club house. 
Ed. Cain and Woolfolk Henderson had a close race 
for high average, .the latter winning by one target, 140 
to 139. Dodge got in third place with 132 and Barker 
fourth with 131. Vietmeyer beat Squier for high pro¬ 
fessional honors by one target, 135 to _ 134. Luther 
Squier had charge of the office work, as is usually the 
case when he attends a shoot in this locality, and this 
end of the shoot ran smoothly, of course. The weather 
was ideal, a crisp, fall day, with not wind enough to 
trouble the shooters very much. In the first prize event 
Henderson was high man with 48; Cain a close second 
with 47. Barker, Leever and Cain tied for first in the 
second event on 47. Williamson finished only one target 
behind the leaders. In the third event, Dodge was first 
with 48, and Henderson second with 47. 
The next big event for which the club is preparing 
will be the live-bird shoot on Thanksgiving Day, and a 
General averages, 
at 150 
targets: 
Amateurs. 
.... 140 
Roll . 
.... 139 
Dodge . 
.... 132 
Pfeiffer . 
Barker . 
Payne . 
Williamson . 
.... 128 
Pohlar . 
Frances . 
.... 125 
F A Pape . 
Hammersmith . 
.... 123 
Johnson . 
II D Anderson.... 
.... 123 
Woodbury . 
.... 122 
Dr Bird . 
199, 
Randall . 
.... 120 
Connelly . 
Willie . 
.... 118 
Wuest . 
Professionals. 
T Marshall . 
.... 125 
He Compte . 
Vietmeyer . 
.... 135 
Trimble . 
Squier . 
....134 
Events: 
12 3 
Events: 
1 
117 
116 
115 
113 
109 
109 
104 
103 
95 
75 
Targets: 50 50 50 
W Henderson .... 48 45 47 
F Cain . 47 47 45 
Randall . 43 36 41 
Francis 
Barker 
43 42 40 
41 47 43 
H M Smith.41 42 .. 
Pfeiffer 
Hammersmith 
Dodge . 
Dr Bird . 
T urrell 
41 36 38 
40 40 43 
40 44 48 
40 37 45 
39 44 39 
. -39 .. .. Kerry 
Riley . 38 37 
F A Pope. 37 33 39 
Williamson . 37 46 45 
Richards . 36 35 33 
Roll . 36 44 37 
Schreck . 35 40 41 
Dr Phillips . 35 29 .. 
O E Pope. 35 .. 39 
Woodbury . 35 33 37 
Willie . 35 41 42 
Connelly .33 33 29 
‘Professionals. 
2 3 
Targets: 50 50 50 
R C Anderson.... 32 39 35 
Johnson . 31 30 44 
Payne . 30 43 40 
‘Klein . 25 26 .. 
*Wuest . 21 23 31 
Le Ccmpte . 43 44 46 
‘Vietmeyer . 45 45 45 
‘Squier . 45 45 44 
‘Trimble . 42 44 44 
*T Marshall . 38 42 45 
Leever . 47 43 
Kerry .43 
H D Anderson.41 43 
Clement . 37 37 
E S Rogers.40 
J W Rogers.37 
Stevenson 
Kramer .... 
W A Clark 
Lawrence .. 
Meyers .... 
Dr Gould 
37 
27 
26 
14 
23 
Overman . ” ’ ’ 12 
Measuring Pressure in Shotguns. 
Additional refinements which are intended to be used 
in measuring shotgun pressure cannot be adopted until 
the reasons for so doing have been suitably explained. 
Among the delicate measurements which modern scien¬ 
tific progress has rendered possible, there is perhaps 
none that needs more careful watching than the taking 
of chamber pressure in guns and rifles. When the 
powder is ignited gas is evolved with such extraordinary 
rapidity that the charge begins to move within some¬ 
thing very closely approaching half the thousandth part 
of a second. The motion of the charge relieves to 
some extent the intensity of the pressure, but the relief 
is compensated by the continued evolution of gas, _ so 
that the maximum chamber pressure necessarily exists 
only for a minute fraction of a second. In practice the 
pressure is found to lie as a rule somewhere between 
3 and 4 tons per square inch, but absolute values are 
necessarily difficult to obtain; consequently when all 
precautions have been taken, the particular pressure 
registered is assumed to be real, though in point of 
fact the tendency is for the nominal value to exceed 
the true amount. To give the problem to be discussed 
a concrete meaning in the mind of the reader un¬ 
familiar with the details of gun experiments, a diagram¬ 
matic illustration is here given of the method adopted 
for testing the chamber pressure in shotguns. 
SECTION OF PRESSURE TESTING GUN, SHOWING THE 
PISTON AND CRUSHER. 
It will be seen that a hole is drilled through the bar¬ 
rel wall right into the powder chamber, and that a 
piston is therein fitted, so that the explosion of the 
powder lifts the piston with a variable force which is 
known as pressure. The chosen form of measurement 
is to interpose between the piston and the holding- 
down screw a compressible piece of metal, which is 
shortened more or less according to the pressure ex¬ 
erted by the powder gases. The behavior of these crush¬ 
ers is fully defined by experimentally loading them with 
known weights, so that a given amount of what is 
known as decrement is related to a specific amount of 
pressure in the gun. The weights used are one-twelfth 
the pressure they represent, because the piston area is 
this fraction of a square inch. For the purpose of shoot¬ 
ing experiments tables are published translating a full 
range of values of the one into the other. Between 
lead and copper for the making of crushers there are 
many differences, and opinion is divided as to which is 
the better. Copper is undoubtedly more scientific, and 
the results obtained with it come nearer the truth than 
can possibly be the case with lead. The latter metal, 
on the other hand, is also very reliable and fulfills most 
of the ordinary requirements of shotgun testing. Copper 
has been tried, and by many found wanting, because it 
needs much more management and care than are ordi¬ 
narily available. While, therefore, copper is the ac¬ 
cepted means of testing the regular pressures which 
are experienced with rifles, it is less suitable for shot¬ 
guns on account of the comparatively large variations 
of pressure which are experienced with the ordinary 
nitro powder. This is why the Field pressure guns, 
which were originally built for use with copper crushers, 
have been altered by most of the firms possessing them 
to use lead. For our own part, we have so far over¬ 
come the difficulties connected with the use of copper 
that no change is contemplated. There is, however one 
small question still open, which it is the purpose of this 
article to explain. 
The difficulty in using copper crushers is wholly con¬ 
fined to the necessity to press them before use to a 
pre-determined length. Thus, if 3-ton pressures are 
expected, the coppers should previously have been re¬ 
duced to represent a pressure in the neighborhood of 
say, 2% tons. The exact reason is somewhat complex, 
and yet it is done for just the same cause that in¬ 
fluences the butcher, instead of flinging a joint roughly 
on the pan of the scales, to place it gently in position. 
The quick-burning properties of gunpowder necessarily 
imply a sudden accession of load; consequently, as the 
weight must in any case be suddenly dropped on the 
scales, over-registration is prevented by building up be¬ 
[Nov. 6, 1909. 
forehand a resistance nearly equal to the weight to b<K* 
tested. The spring balance provides an absolutes' 
analogv. If a weight is suddenly released the ind 
finger darts to a point on the dial much beyond tL 
true value where it afterward comes to rest. If, on 
other hand, the pan could be forcibly depressed bef;. '* 4 
hand the over-reading would be much diminished, 
this is what is attempted when measuring gun or > 
pressures by means of copper. Lead has diff 
properties, which need not now be discussed, 
general practice in dealing with Eley’s conical 
crushers is to treat as correct all registrations who. 
copper has been reduced in length not more than .ti_» 
of an inch. When it is compressed beyond this limit 
a certain amount of over-registration undoubtedly occurs, 
and it was with the idea of measuring the extent of the 
error so arising that the experiments now to be re¬ 
ported were carried out. 
Gunmakers have an objection to seeing any undue 
strain put upon their guns, and it is accordingly desir¬ 
able that the published pressures, which it is the cus¬ 
tom to accept as real, should be brought as near truth 
as possible. Therefore, while a decrement of .030 rep¬ 
resents more pressure than a decrement of .020, the 
question is, how much of the .030 is true pressure and 
how much over-registration. The obviou^t form for an 
experiment dealing with this point to take would be to 
load up a number of cartridges, and then measure their 
pressure, using various lengths of copper. Those cop¬ 
pers which sustain an undue decrement should register 
more pressure than those where the difference, before 
and after, is less. As the result of the numerous shots 
which have been fired under these conditions, a simple 
rule has been framed, which may as well be given at 
once, leaving the demonstration to follow after. The 
rule is that when the decrement exceeds .020, only half 
the excess shall be taken as real pressure. The general 
effect in everyday routine tests will be that corrections 
will very rarely need to be made in any of the ordinary 
experiments which are made, but when a powder is 
prone to irregularity, so that a series of pressures in the 
region of 3 tons is suddenly interrupted by a registra¬ 
tion running up to 4 tons, the latter values will perhaps 
be watered down to 3% tons. In special cases where 
the absolute pressure of cartridges suspected of violence 
is wanted, well compressed crushers will be purposely 
used, which will give accurate results at the top of the 
scale at the expense of missing the low shots. In other 
words, either extreme may be catered for, but the ex¬ 
perimentalist must apply judgment as well as experience 
to secure the best results. As already mentioned, the 
reader has not as a rule to trouble himself with these 
matters, but the departure now proposed is of such a 
nature that it cannot be adopted without a preliminary 
notice. 
The first set of tests was made under the usual con¬ 
ditions of measuring recoil, velocity, etc., but it was 
found to be far more important to secure the average 
result of a large number of pressure records t*han to 
devote time to measuring velocity merely as a check 
on the general regularity of the cartridges. All the 
available results were carefully examined, and though 
it was found that a general tendency was apparent, the 
irregularity of smokeless powder from round to round 
frequently concealed the underlying law. To avoid hav¬ 
ing to deal with a mass of complicated figures, a typical 
set of results with smokeless powder has been set out 
in diagrammatic form as follows: 
—r -- 
> f Tl 
—1- 
rent,*, 
am • - 
irvy 
IxnfiJL 
Vj. *n~ 
topper*. | 
! * 
« 
» i 
j > 
I 
l 
u 
1 
i * * tong 
i 
Crux pr<**ur* 
„•«-- 
• 1 
1 
•4/.A* 
* » * 
«» 
1 
t 
i 
•ivy l 
* 
* 
• 
1 
lie 
1 a 
A 
- 
J 
1 
I 
• ( 
-i 
-L 
* > 
I--- 
1 
BLACK POWDER RESULTS, SHOWING THE GREATER 
GENERAL CONSISTENCY EXPERIENCED. 
The copper most heavily compressed beforehand 
measured .465in., which is equivalent to 2% tons pres¬ 
sure. The length after use was reduced on the average 
to .442in., which is equivalent to 3.42 tons. The true 
pressure of the cartridges was probably in the region 
of 3.3 tons, and the general law which it was desired 
to elucidate is expressed by the dotted line curve shown 
in the diagram. This curve could obviously be drawn 
with material variations of form almost anywhere be¬ 
tween the dots, which represent the actual records of the 
cartridges fired. Undoubtedly the longer coppers reg¬ 
istered a higher pressure than the shorter ones, but the 
results are not regular, as is shown by the great distance 
apart of the spots. It was, therefore, decided to re¬ 
peat the experiments with black powder, in the hope of 
securing greater uniformity. The next diagram shows 
that of the thirty rounds fired with black powder only 
