Jan. 14, 1911.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
71 
exact words. I must here be short, and so speak gen- 
eraMy. I he result of the investigations is, shortly, that 
in choke the pellets showed they had been jammed 
into one another by the construction, and a large number 
were badly crushed out of spherical shape. The column 
was much elongated, and was centrally crowded In the 
cylinder shots the spark photographs distinctly showed 
that the gas blast, allowed by cylinder boring to act 
upon the shot, was the cause of fringe dispersion, and 
probably of cartwheel pattern, and certainly of the wad 
being driven into the charge. Probably a graphical 
description, by sketches, will be the shortest way of 
explaining the action of the different borings, so as to 
grasp the findings of the various scientific experiments. 
J he sketches are not intended to be actual scale, but are 
very nearly so, and the formation of the shot charges is 
mere freehand as nearly as may be in accord with the 
actual results photographed. All experiments thus far 
recorded go to prove that the charge of pellets in flight, 
and clear of the powder gas blast gradually separate 
outward, and continue to do so as the range is traveled. 
The extent of spread, when unaffected by the gas blastj 
is much dependent on the amount of elongation ot 
charge set up at the muzzle by constriction of bore; that 
if there was no constriction of shot and no interference 
by gas and wad we should find quite a new set of read- 
lngs on the targets all down the range. A careful reading 
of the voluminous experiments will, I think, leave it 
clear that expanding flight, once set up, cannot in any 
way be controlled later into so-called choke formation, 
you cannot get true cylinder pattern at 15yds and full 
choke pattern at 40yds. 
Taking choke first (Fig. 2), we see the shot being con¬ 
stricted bv having to crush through a smaller bore than 
* r r 1 est J °‘ *he barrel. The gas will not give way, so the 
soft lead is much crushed. Fig. 2a shows the felt wad 
and its cards being squeezed into the choke, and thereby 
for a moment they are checked in speed, and the shot 
charge, now clear, gets away; 26 shows the last act 01 
the wads momentarily hindering the gas blast, which 
thus only overtakes the shot when weakened in its power. 
I he cylinder (Figs. 1 and la) shows no hindrance either 
to shot or wads, no deformation of shot column (pos¬ 
sibly some barrel friction). Thus the shot and wads all 
leave at once in contact, and are immediately overtaken 
and passed by the gas blast. Fig. lb is in accordance 
with Mr. Borland’s photograph of the actual state of 
thing's at 24in. out, and shows what happens at the 
muzzle. There is no wad check in plain cylinder boring, 
so the blast drives the wad into the base of the shot, and 
at least it holds the felt card wads in the base of the shot 
besides blasting through and separating the annular 
transformation of the shot base thus created. Of Fig. 3 
the remedv. later attention can be given. 
Mr. Borland’s article says, “It is not unreasonable to 
conclude that the shot emerges from the cylinder in the 
torm of a flat-topped cylinder of the diameter of the 
barrel, with at least the card wad close up to the base of 
the cylinder [I suppose this means the outside form of 
the shot]. On the exit of the card over powder the 
powder gases emerge from the muzzle at a much higher 
velocity than the shot, and press the wad next the shot 
into closer and closer contact. The shot being no longer 
confined in the barrel, is free to flow in a lateral direc¬ 
tion, and the mass widens first of all at the base, leaving 
an annular area around the wad unprotected against di¬ 
rect gas blast. In the photographs there are to be ob¬ 
served a large number of striations parallel to the line 
ot fire surrounding the wads, and extending, to a marked 
degree, to about the center of the shot charge. There is 
little doubt that these striations are the result of the 
travel of the gas blast more or less mixed with air, and 
that it is this gas blast which in the first instance caused 
the wad to expand the base of the mass of shot, and then 
at a later stage, acting upon the unprotected annular 
area of the base, produces more dispersion, and finally 
gives rise to the wide dispersion of outside pellets ob¬ 
served at 40yds. with cylinder patterns. The second pho¬ 
tograph (mem, also cylinder) shows the truncated cone 
shape of the shot mass in even more remarkable degree; 
the size of the shot being smaller in this case is probably 
the explanation of the more strongly defined enlarge- 
ment. Then it follows that any device or procedure which 
will protect all or any given proportion of the shot from 
the combined action of wad and powder gases will result 
in a reduced dispersion, and that is what the choke is 
calculated to effect.” 
This is the scientific account of the disease common 
to cylinder; but the remedv suggested is worse than the 
disease. The article practically admits this. In speaking 
of the choke photogTaph and the action of choke, it says. 
The wadding in its turn is delayed by the obstruction 
(the choke) for an infinitesimal period, but sufficiently 
long to delay the issue of the powder gases and to 
dimmish the pressure of the card wad upon the base of 
the mass of shot. * * * The mass of shot (seen in the 
photograph; see also Fig. 26 here) is utterly different in 
its form from the cylinder projection; it occupies an 
actual length of l%in. as compared with %in. in the case 
of the cylinder. On the other hand, the diameter of the 
column only very slightly exceeds that of the 12-bore 
wad. The shot pellets are only loosely grouped, and the 
card wad is not bedded against the base of the mass.” 
These quotations are sufficient for the present; they give 
indisputable scientific findings on a subject on which 
there has been much vague dispute, but they also accord 
well with facts found in other lines of research, and with 
the patterns obtained on the targets at the far end of the 
range under the two classes of boring. Other experts, 
in speaking of other matters, have given information of 
value here. The velocity of the gas blast at the exit is 
3900 ; t - P e r second, about three times the speed 
of the first shot charge. May we not infer as almost a 
certainty that in some cases the blast goes right through 
the shot, or drives the hard crushed felt wad right 
through, and forms the “cartwheel” pattern? 
In this connection and knowledge I, last week made 
experiment on paper targets at a distance of 20yds from 
the muzzle The targets were of stout elephant' paper 
with a black bull mark to aim at. There was a strong 
wind, unfortunately blowing diagonally toward the gun; 
out of twelve cylinder consecutive shots the felt wad was 
™ lve P through the elephant paper target seven times. 
1 ne hole made by the wad, with in each case its circu¬ 
lar impression left on the torn tongue of paper, was, as 
regards the bull aimed at, thus— 5in., 6in., and 15in. 
above bull; 7in. below bull; lOin. and 24in. below to 
right; and 9m. abreast to right. Two of these were 
almost bare centered cartwheel, and one very patchy; 
whereas the no-wad targets were good. Now, what could 
drive a felt wad 20yds. with such comparative accuracy 
across a strong wind? Gas blast, and perhaps air suc¬ 
tion <pf the shot charge? I had much the same wad hit¬ 
ting m a previous 20yds. trial for patterns, and was not 
as shown in the sketch, with a glazed thin card for its 
own tront, but it must be capable of compression and 
so expand in diameter to fit tightly and fill the recess, 
as Otherwise there would be a blow-by of gas, and it 
will then all the better act as a gas check at the muzzle. 
1 ne rear card and that over the shot are negligible* they 
are cartridge requisites. 
The action I anticipate from recess cylinder is that 
tne shot not having been constricted more than a shade 
at tront of recess, and not disturbed by gas blast or wad 
collision, will get a start and travel in a new formation, 
something between cylinder and choke. Somewhat as 
in sketch 3a the gas blast must of nature overtake, though 
less violently, and may act upon the shot rear to open 
the charge evenly in parachute form, and as a conse- 
quence probably give a good even spread, filled to about 
half-choke percentage of total charge. It is as yet mere 
speculatmn; even the scientist cannot definitely say, 
without further experiment, what will result. It mav 
turn out a bad egg, but it is worth opening. 
a . , , W. Baden-Powell. 
As a postscript to the above I desire to emphasize that 
the illustration is not intended to be an actual scale 
drawing of the various borings of guns, such as the 
three-thousandths of an inch; they are merely intended 
to illustrate the form of boring and character of dis¬ 
charge. Also, since the article was in type I have been 
agreeably surprised by receiving a pamphlet of Mr W 
JJ. Borland s researches in the photography of flying 
shot and gas blast, reprinted from Arms and Explosives 
in connection with the laboratory of E C. powder My 
FIG 3 . RECESS CYLINDER. 
FIG 2 b. 
troubling to notice the wad, but the targets show. In 
those trials where choke barrel was also used there is, 
so far as I can find, no instance of wad through with 
choke; probably the check of the wad by the choke held 
the wad just_ back of getting the suction pull when the 
gas had lost its velocity compound to shot. Well, it may 
be interesting, but not useful. 
Now, let us turn to the question of remedy. We must 
avoid the choke fault of constricting 1 the shot and of 
creating an unduly full-pelleted center on the pattern, 
but at the same time we want the check to the wad which 
choke gives to avoid the gas blast acting unduly upon 
the rear of the shot and upon the wads, driving them 
into the shot. Intermediate boring has been proved to 
bold the faults of choke. Though it gives a wiefer spread 
the center is always unduly filled and the outer part 
starved. Let us examine recess boring (Fig. 3). This 
was used in the old days of black powder shooting, pos¬ 
sibly first as a mere recess, but certainly later and com¬ 
monly as recess choke. Such a combination was prob¬ 
ably very severe on the pellets, and the value of the 
recess was defeated by the addition of choke. Fig. 3 
shows,, merely graphically, what I would term recess 
cylinder boring, with the shot charge leaving the recess, 
and the felt and card just entering the same. The shot 
are not constricted, but rather loosened on going through, 
and the actual muzzle is of the same gauge as the barrel. 
The felt wad, however, is the important factor; in 3, 
this wad, owing to the larger gauge of the recess, is 
being expanded in its diameter by the pressure of the 
powder gas behind it, and in a moment it will be, as in 
3a, throttled back again to the original gauge by the 
front return from recess to the cylinder. This should act 
upon the wad as would choke boring, and give the wad 
the required check, which we know frustrates the gas 
blast from playing havoc with the shot; and yet it should 
not constrict the shot. The exact amount of recess, in 
length and gauge, and its position within the muzzle, can 
only be determined by actual experiment, and I venture 
to think that the felt wad structure will have an im¬ 
portant bearing on results. Probably the loose card now 
used in front of the felt should be dispensed with, and 
the felt increased in thickness by one-twelfth an inch, 
amateur deductions from the scant report and four pho¬ 
tographs which I had seen previous to writing are en¬ 
tirely borne out in that fuller pamphlet. Where my de- 
auctions and conclusions exceed the experts’ views I 
may be wrong : but if the foundations are sound tfiey 
may help to stimulate further research leading to useful 
improvement in the gun of the future.—W. B.-P. in 
Field, London. 
Northern Kentucky Gun Club. 
Dayton, Ky.—The club started its series of monthly 
live-bird matches in January, 1910, and has held one each 
month, except in July and August, the last one taking 
place on Dec. 22. The series tVas open to club members 
only, and the entrance money was used for the purchase 
of a suitable trophy for the winner. Eight members 
entered for the first match. Of these, three have shot in 
ten matches, one in nine; one in three; one in two; and 
two dropped out after the initial contest. Taking the 
total score for the ten matches, 150 targets, Schenck and 
Gould are tied for high,. on 131, Walker 130. Parker 
killed 121 out of 135 birds in his nine shoots. Gould and 
Payne each have two perfect scores to their credit, and 
Walker one. Taking the seven best scores, according to 
the conditions of the contest, Payne won the trophy with 
98 out of 105 birds. Gould gave him a close run, finish- 
one bird behind with 97. Then came Walker and 
Schreck in order. The scores made in the last match of 
the series were as follows: Payne 15, Gould 15, Schreck 
12, Walker 10. The trophy this year was a very hand¬ 
some cut-glass vase, and was presented by the winner to 
Mrs. I. P. Gould, the charming wife of the club’s sec¬ 
retary, who has been an interested spectator at every 
match, and who is by no means a poor shot herself, 
either at targets or pigeons. Another series will prob¬ 
ably be arranged, to start this month. 
Monthly live bird trophy shoot, seven best scores; 
each match at 15 birds: 
Payne . 13 14 14 15 13 14 15 98 
Gould . 13 14 13 15 13 13 15 97 
Walker . 14 13 13 14 13 13 15 95 
Schreck . 14 13 13 14 13 13 13 93 
FIG I. TRUE CYLINDER. 
Western Handicap. 
Omaha, Neb., Jan. 6. —While the western Handicap 
comes to Omaha this spring, it will not be handled by 
the time-honored old Omaha Gun Club; the Benson Club, 
a younger and perchance a bit livelier body, beat them 
out. The Omaha Club thought as a matter of course, 
that they would be awarded the classic, and so an¬ 
nounced it, but this morning Secretary Lovering, of the 
Bensons writes me that his club has grabbed the prize. 
However, Benson is one of our choicest suburbs, and it 
amounts to the same thing after all. Col. Dan Whitney, 
one of the moving spirits of this young and flourishing 
organization, says they intend to make the handicap 
second to no shoot held in the country; that they have 
already begun to formulate their plans, and that the 
event will be staged at their grounds out near Krug 
Park, some time during early April. 
