MODERN
SHOT
GUNS
W.
W.
GREENER,
AUTHOR
OF"MODERN
BREECH-LOADERS,""THE
Gux
AND
ITSDEVELOPMENT,"
ETC.CAS
SELL
&
COMPANY,
LIMITED
INTRODUCTION.
IN
the present
treatisethe
Author
has
endeavoured
togive such
information
as isconstantly
demanded
ofgun
makers
by
shooting
men.
Notwithstanding
the
number
of published
books
written
by
sportsmen
forsportsmen, there
ismuch
information indispensable
to
those
who
use guns,
which
the
gunmaker
only can
impart.MODERN
SHOT
GUNS
isnot
intended
tobe
a
sportsman's
encyclopaedia, it is
not
a
compound
of
gunmakers'
circulars,nor
does
itexhibit
those
conflictingopinions
and
diverse
conclusions
found
inrecent
books
on
the
same
subject
such
books
having
been
written
with the
collaborationof various persons
more
or
lessinterested in
the
subjects treated.These
books
do
not enable the
sportsman
to arrive atany
definiteconclusion
with
respect tothe
merits
ordemerits of
any mechanism,
and
merely
"beat
about
the
bush"
with respect
tothe
more
important
technicalitiesof gunnery.
The
columns devoted
toshooting
inthe sporting
newspapers teem
with
flippantnonsense concerning
the
factsof
gunmaking,
and
although
it isapparent
thatnewspapers
derive benefitby
keeping
subjects
perpetually
open,
by
sodoing they propagate
ignorance
amongst
their readers,and do
but
bewilder those
they
pretend
tolead.
It is to
the
interestof
those
who
use
guns,
as it is tothe
vi
INTRODUCTION.
settled as far as is possible.
There can
be no
excuse
forthe
writers
of
books
intended
toguide
sportsmen
who
fail togive
a
definiteopinion with
respect tothe merits
of
"choke-bore
" or "cylinder,"of
"hammer-guns"
or"hammerless,"
and
whether
"nitro-compounds
" are better orworse
than black
gunpowders
foruse
inthe
modern
Shot Gun.
In
MODERN
SHOT GUNS
the
Author
has
made
a
specialendeavour
to givethe intending purchaser of a
modern gun
such
directions aswill
enable
him
toobtain the
articlebest suitedfor hispurpose,
toload
it to bestadvantage,
and
tokeep
it ingood
con-dition
ready
forimmediate
use.The
sportsman,
therefore,who
wishes
toknow
decisivelywith
respect to
any
recent topic orcontroversy
connected
with the gun.
has
but
toturn
tothe
pages
of
this treatise.The
Author
has
thought
itadvisable
topreface the
book
with
a short historical
resume
of
the
development
of the
Shot Gun,
forseeing
thatthe question of
"chokes
v.cylinders" has
been
seriously-discussed
so
recently as 1887, itmay
be
thatthe
controversy
of
"breech-loaders
v.muzzle-loaders
" willbe
resuscitated,and
it ispossible that
information concerning the merits of
"firelocks"
anu
percussion
guns
may
yet
be
required.Meanwhile,
the
Author
takes
this
opportunity
totender
histhanks
tothe Editors of
the Sporting
Newspapers
forthe valuable
servicesrendered
tothe
gun
trade generallyby
their energeticendeavours
toobtain
more
perfectShot
Guns
forEnglish sportsmen,
and
for theirable
support
toand
kindly
recognitionof
worthy
inventions
;and
truststhat
inthe
future, asin
the
past, theywill direct their attention tothe
furtherdevelopment
of the
Shot Gun,
ratherthan
to futile discussions oflong
since accredited inventions.In the
arrangement
of this treatisethe
Author
has followed
amethod
which
appears
tohim
the
best suited toconvey an
accurate
INTRODUCTION.
viiconditions,
without
necessitatingwearying
and
bewildering
re-petitions.The
HISTORICAL
Section
is necessarilymeagre
:those
sports-men who
desire furtherinformation
respecting the
firearmsof
our
forefathers will find fuller particulars in
the
Author's
book
-"
The
Gun and
itsDevelopment"
The
DESCRIPTIVE
Section
contains short
particularsof
the
leading types of
modern
Shot Guns.
The
numerous
illustrationsand absence
of
technicalwords from
the text
willbe
appreciated
by
those
sportsmen
who
do
NOT
care forthe jargon of the
gun-shop
nor the
phraseology
of
science.In the
ANALYTICAL
Section the various
partsof the
modern
Shot
Gun
are detailed,with
their technicalnames.
The
part referring tothe
barrels willhave
interest formany,
whilst
the
detailsconcerning
gun-stocks
may
be
perused
with
benefit
by
even
the
most
experienced sportsmen.
The
TECHNICAL
Section
isa
long
one,and,
unfortunately,
teems
with
figures, resultingfrom an endeavour
toinclude
the
results
of
allrecent
important
experiments, which,
although
a
knowledge
of
them
isof
little actualimportance
tothe sportsman,
could
not
be
leftunnoticed
ina
treatiseprofessing
to treatof
Sporting
Gunnery.
The
SPECIFICAL
Section
isdevoted
to descriptionsand
par-ticulars
of
such
specialguns
asused
for "pigeon
shooting," "duck-ing,"
"
wild-fowling," for
"
largegame,"
shooting with
ball;and
treats,
moreover, of small-bore guns,
light short12-bore guns,
and
contains
tablesspecifying
what any
Shoulder
Gun may
be
ex-pected
toaverage with
any
of the ordinary
loads.In the
CRITICAL
Section the
Author
has
fearlesslyand
with-out
prejudice
criticisedthe
various
types
of
guns
described
inthe work,
orfound
inthe
gun-seller's stock.He
has not abstained
viii
INTRODUCTION.
the important questions
agitatingthe
minds
of sportsmen,
and
has
pointed out
tothose
about
tobuy
guns
how
they
may
avoid being
imposed
upon by
the ignorant
orfraudulent
vendors
of spurious
worthless weapons.
The
PRACTICAL
Section
is justwhat
it professes to be, viz.,a
seriesof
practical instructions tothe
usersof guns.
This
and
the
preceding
section arethe
longest
and
most
important
inthe
treatise.
The
sportsman
who
peruses
them,
and
followsthe
hints given, willnot
fail tosave himself
expense
when
purchasing
arms
and
ammunition,
but
willbe
able
tomake
the
bestuse of
hisweapons,
and
shoot
with
confidence, ease,and
pleasure.W. W.
GREENER.
Birmingham,
January
2nd, 1888.NOTE
TO SECOND
EDITION.
THE
first large editionof
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS
having been
exhausted,
and
the
demand
stillcontinuing, the
Author
has
feltit
incumbent
upon him
toproduce
this revised reprintof a
book
which,
judging
by
itsfavourable
reception,has
been
of
serviceto
many, and
may
prove of use
to allwho
handle
guns.
Birmingham,
CONTENTS.
PAGE
INTRODUCTION v
PART
I.THE
GUN.
SECTION
I.HISTORICAL.
Firearms first used forSporting Purposes
The
Wheel-lockThe
Flint-lockFirst Double
Gun
The Manton Muzzle-loader Percussion GunsThe
GreenerMuzzle-loader
The
Breech-loaderThe
Lefaucheux Pin-fireGun
The
Central FireSystemThe
Daw
Gun
The
Double-GripGun
TheTop-lever
Hammer
Gun
SECTION
II.DESCRIPTIVE.
Hammer
Guns Double-GripGun
Side-leverGun
Top-leverGun
"Doll's-head"
Gun
Treble-GripGun
Treble Wedge-fastGun
Semi-hammerlessGuns
The
MurcottGun
The
AllportGun
The
"Club"
HammerlessGun
Top-leverHammerlessGuns The Ansonand DeeleyGun
TheScottGun
The PurdeyGun
The Greener HammerlessGun
HammerlessEjecting Guns
The
Needham
EjectorThe
Greener Self-actingGun
The Westley Richards' Ejector
Gun
The "Gye"
Gun
Guns of Divers Systems Novelties Repeating Shot GunsThe
LarsenThe
SpencerThe Winchester
SECTION
III.ANALYTICAL.
The Component Parts of a
Gun
The Barrels Damascus Barrels English v.Belgian Barrels Steel Barrels
The
Breech Mechanism TheLocks-CockingMechanismsofHammerless Guns Safety Mechanisms TheStock
Gun
Stocks, the Style Bent-overStocksThe
MonopeanGun
x
CONTENTS.
SECTION
IV.TECHNICAL.
Calibre, Gauge, Bore Weight Shooting Standard Charges Bursting Strains
ObstructionsinBarrels Velocity of the Flight of Shot Stringing of the
Charge Spread at Various Ranges Recoil Patterns Killing Circles
Chokesv.Cylinders Ignition ... ... ... ... ... 56
SECTION
V.SPECIFICAL.
The Essentials ofa
Gun
PigeonGunsGame
Guns Boys'Guns Ladies'GunsMiniature Guns The Miniature Ducking
Gun
-Single Guns DuckingGuns BrassCaseGuns
What
aGun
must Shoot Eccentricities 91SECTION
VI.-CRITICAL.
TheChoiceofa
Gun
Merits of Rival SystemsHammer
or HammerlessThe
Best
Gun
Price London or BirminghamSham
GunsHow
toDetect aSpurious
Gun
TheGun
that willSuit Ordering byLetter Choosing fromStock ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... 109
SECTION
VII.PRACTICAL.
Handlingthe
Gun
CaringforGood
Guns Keeping CleanHow
toCleanHow
to Keep in Good Order Temporary Breakdowns Stripping Guns
How
and
When
toSendforRepairsHow
toUsetheGun
inthe Field Handingto Loader Shooting from Boats Loading Cartridges General Arrange-ment andManagementof the
Gun-Room
... ... ... ... 134PART
II.AMMUNITION
AND
ACCESSORIES.
SECTION
I.GUNPOWDERS.
Powder Black Powdersv.
Nitro-Compounds Schultze, "E.C.,"and Coopai's
English and Foreign Powders
New
Powders Cocoa, Brown, and SafetyPowders ...
_
t t I4g
SECTION
II.SHOT.
English Shot Chilled v. Soft Shot Mould and Milled Shot Sizes of
CONTENTS.
xiSECTION
III.CARTRIDGE
CASES
AND
WADDING.
Eley's Cases Paper v. Brass Cases
The
"Life" Cases Ignition of CartridgeCases Improvements Required Paper Wadding Felt Wadding The
"Field"
Wad
158SECTION
IV.GUN
CASES
AND
IMPLEMENTS.
Gun
Cases Cartridge Magazines Cartridge Bags Cleaning ImplementsCar-tridgeLoading Implements UsefulTools Abominations
Handy
Impedi-menta PackingupforaShootingTour ... ... ... ... 164
PART
III.TRAP
SHOOTING.
SECTION
I.LIVE BIRD
SHOOTING.
Trap Shooting ItsCommencementand Development Chief ResortsinEurope
HighestScores English Rules ContinentalRules ... ... ... 166
SECTION
II.INANIMATE TARGETS.
TheGlass BallTrap Glass Balls ImprovementinInanimateTargets TheClay
Pigeon
''
Blackbird"PigeonTraps TheBlueRockBirdand Trap Rules
ofInanimate Target Shooting BestRecords ... ... ... ... 183
APPENDIX.
"Sterling "
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
PART
I.THE
GUN.
SECTION
I.HISTORICAL.
EARLY
GUNS.
THERE
was
much
oppositionmade
tothe adoption of firearms asweapons
of
war by
thenoblesand
knights of the fourteenthand
fifteenthcenturies.The
firearmwas
not consideredby
them
tobe
a knightlyweapon
forany
purpose,
and
soguns were
scoutedby
thesportsmen
of mediaeval days, who, iftheywere
not themselves knights,were
rarely in a position todis-regard the dictaofthe warriors.
The
knights notwithstanding, the use of firearmsbecame
general forpurposes ofwar,
and
the "poachers" ofGermany seem
tohave been
ableto
make
use ofthem
atan
earlyperiod, for in the State papers of theElector
Augustus
of Saxony, dated the loth of October, 1555, is apro-hibition against thepossession offirearms
by
peasantsand
shepherds. Small shotwas
known
inGermany
early in the sixteenth century,and
in 1562,by
aGovernment
Regulation, its usewas
"entirelyand
ab-solutely
"
prohibitedthroughout the
Duchy
ofMecklenburg.
The
weapons
used
for sporting purposeswere
not rifled,and
wereoften loaded with
two
ormore
small balls; with the invention of the rifleearlyinthe sixteenthcenturyby
theGerman
gunmakers,
asecond
classof firearm
was
created,which was
rapidly perfectedand
quicklyadopted
forlargegame
shooting, as well as forpurposes ofwar.The
Shot
Gun
was
gradually evolved
from
the originalhand
firearm, but as a ShotGun
itshistory
can
only datefrom
theintroduction of double-barrelled arms.The
Sporting ShotGun may
thereforebetermed
amodern
weapon.
Itwas
notuntilthemiddle
of the seventeenth century thatdouble guns were
made
sufficientlysmall orlight tobeused
as sporting weapons.The
de-velopment was
very slow;the earlierguns had no
ribs,and were
furnishedwith
wheel
locks; in the eighteenth century ribswere
added,and
theflint lock
and
hammer
employed.The
gun
thenbecame
essentially the sportingweapon
; its clumsiness
and
slownesshad
hitherto preventedits
general adoption,
and
the Flint-lockGun
was
consideredby
the2
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
firmly as
an
almost perfect sportingweapon.
This gun,in its best form
was
made
by
Englishgunmakers,
and
the particular style ofJoseph
Manton
was
considered superior to all others.His
gun, in its latestform is
shown
in theadjoining illustration.Such guns
arenow
treasuredManton's Flint-lock Muzzle-loader.
as curiosities
by
those fortunateenough
to possess them, although themaker,
and
possibly their first purchaser, thoughtthat fifty yearswould
probably see
them
inpractical use, notrelegated to thelimbo
of forgottenlumber, orutilisedtofill a
museum
gap
oradorn
the hall wall.W.
Greener's Double Muzzle-loader 1858.Manton
lived to see the introduction of the percussion cap,and
anew
era in the history ofgunmaking
commenced.
Of
percussionguns
many
forms appeared. Allgunmakers,
anxious to possess a speciality, invented detonating gunsmore
or less practicableand
useful,and
ofthese
many
havebeen
converted to thecommon
form,and
the othersHISTORICAL.
3The
percussiongun was
a greatimprovement on
the flint-lock,and
although its
day was
short, it didmuch
for Englishgunmakers,
and
ifproperly constructed
was
themost
durablegun
evermade,
or probably ever tobe
made.
Fulminate
seems
tohave
been
first applied successfully to firearmsabout 1806,
and
thename
of the Rev. A. J. Forsyth, D.D., will always beassociated with its practical application.
From
the date of his patent(1807) to 1825
many
detonatingguns were
produced,and
in1818
the copper capwas
made
inEngland
; itwas
notadopted by
the EnglishGovernment
until 1840, althoughithad been
generallyused
for sportingpurposes
some
years previously. Before the percussiongun had
arrivedThe Original Lefaucheux Breech-loader 1836.
at itshighest stateof perfection, thebreech-loading shot-gun
had
made
itsappearance in France,
and
when
improved by
various Englishgunmakers
bid successfully for public favour.
The
originalLefaucheux
gun
has long enjoyed, and, indeed, originallyreceived a fargreater share of praisethan it actually merited.
There was
little really novel in the gun,and
the
mechanism,
although simple,was
illadapted
for the purpose.The
Lefaucheux
was
favourably received,and
the principle of the droppingdown
of the barrels for loadingwhich he adopted
hasbeen
faithfullyadhered
to since,and
hasnow
possibly attained itsmost
perfect form.and
forfurther decidedimprovements
inmodern
sporting shot-guns theprinciple,notthe details, willrequire alteration.
The
pin-fire cartridge inventedby
Mr.Lefaucheux
was
a greatachievement,
and an
important step towards the production of a perfect sporting gun.The
shell or case,by
expanding
at themoment
ofdischarge, effectually closes the breech-joint
and
prevents the escape of B 2MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
gas
and
in this essential point iscontained the secretof the success of
*
CKi^!S
was improved
upon
by
Englishand
French
makers,and
thecentral-fire gas-tight case,produced
about
1853,Barked
a
new
epoch
in the manufacture of sporting firearms.succeLS
central-fire shot-gunwas
theDaw
gun
shown
in the
adjomtg
illustration:itwas
enthusiasticallychampioned by
its introducer,Mr.
Daw,
ofThreadneedle
Street,and
notwithstanding general oppo:gun
1861,and
became
popular almostas
soon as
known.
The
central-fire system is stillemployed,
and modern
sporting guns areall
made
forthe central-firecartridge. It is thecentral-fire
gun
thathassochanged
theorder of things.The
percussion gun, asDaw's Central-fire
Hammer
Gun.an improvement on
the flint,and
the pin-fire, asan
improvement on
muzzle-loaders, areinsignificant in
comparison
with the advantages of thecentral-fire system. Safety, speed,
and
ease arewords which
representthe
main
advantages, but theydo
notconvey
the full import toone
un-acquainted withthe older types of sporting guns.
Improvements
duringthe first century
and
a half of the gun's adoption to sporting useswere
scanty
and
apparentlyunimportant; since thecommencement
of thepre-sent century each
decade
has seennumerous
inventions applied to sporting guns,many
ofveryconsiderable importance.There
isno
longerany need
forwriterstoadvance
thirtyreasonsshowing
the superiority ofthebreech-loading overother systems, nor for
sportsmen
to fatigue themselves with heavyguns,and
theannoyances
ofloadingfrom
the muzzle.The demand
isfora
gun
that willdo an
immense amount
of work,do
it quickly,and
with ease to the user.
The
large bagsmade
almost daily during theseason were a matterof impossibility to our grandfathers with their guns,
providing even that other things
were
equal.The
gun
for the battue,for the field,
and
for the trapmust
fill requirementswhich
ColonelHISTORICAL.
5certainly each decade,nay,each succeedingseason, witnesses theproduction of
new
alterations to the sportinggun
in suchnumbers
that perfect assportsmen
may
consider theirguns, it is evident that tomany
disadvan-tages orimperfectionsare quite apparent.
The
coming
season will see furtherimprovements,
and
many
gun-makers
willhave
novelties to the fore, but notwithstanding the fact thatsafe, reliable,
hammerless guns have been
more
than ten yearsbefore thepublic, there are
sportsmen
who
prefer thehammer
gun
;and
although,personally, the author thinksthatit should, as
manufactured by
several of our leadinggunmakers, be
relegated to the past,he
will describe it fullyand
treat it asamodern
gun, merely illustrating hereand mentioning
historically the Top-lever plain snap
Hammer
gun,which
hasmany
seasons enjoyed the confidence of
sportsmen and
theLondon
trade.The Purdey Central-fire
Gun
1888.Many
inventions,now
socommon
as tobe
considered publicproperty,and
some
ofwhich
arelooked
for in allmodern
guns,have
in their timeservedto
mark
valuableimprovements
to the sporting shot-gun; first, to
enumerate
those ofminor importance
: the patent striker, the springlessstriker, the through
lump,
the circle joint, the spring fore-end,the "solid-headed
" striker,the one-leggedextractor, thedouble
grip,and
the "snap
action"breech
mechanisms,
theextended
rib, &c.Those
of primaryim-portance the
rebounding
lock, the top bolt, choke-boring, thehammer-less gun.
The
rebounding
lock, sosimpleand
so efficient,was
quicklyadopted
;it saved
many
accidents, although causing some.With
hammer
guns
it isstill used,and
should be, but therebounding
lockand
hammer
gun
isbeing so rapidly superseded
by
the varioushammerless guns
that the advantages,which were
of suchimportance
fifteen years ago,seem
now
little
more
than aname.
The
topboltwas
the invention ofthecelebratedgunmaker,
Mr.Westley
Richards,whose
name
is so welland
sohonour-ably
known
throughouttheworld
in connection with firearms. Naturally,hissimple
form
was
quicklyimproved
upon
; the advantages of the6
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
method
of uniting the barrels to thestanding breech atthe top, the pointwhere
in adrop-down gun
the greatest strain is exerted.In
1873
theauthor
produced
hisnow
wellknown
"Treble-Wedge-Fast,"or topcrossbolt
gun
amechanism
by which
the barrelswere
secured to the breechaction
by
a double holdingdown
boltand an independent
bolt, of steelbinding the barrelsatthetopto thestandingbreechitself, the
whole
formingatriple
wedge
of almostillimitable strength. This plan has stoodthe testof a decade,
and
israpidly growing inpopularity;on
the expiration of thepatent its usewill bepracticallyuniversal.
Of
choke-boring toomuch
cannotbe
said in praise.What
theBreech-loader has
done
to increase the rapidity of firing, theChoke-bore
has
done
to increase the rangeand
efficiencyof theweapon.
Let
itbe
takenfor granted that theraison d'etreof a
gun
isto shoot: thisacknow-ledged, it is evident that the importance of the
Choke
outweighs all theimprovements
of the last twenty-five years.Many
countrieshave
laidclaim to the invention of choke-boring; it is still a
vexed
question;and
whether the
honour
belongs to the Americans, toPape
of Newcastle, tothe
French
or tothe Spanishgunmakers
of mediaeval times, all the authorwishesto say isthat, sofar as
he
is concerned, the invention is hisown.
The
form
ofChoke
produced,and which
hasbeen
generally accepted,and
themethod
of producing it, are both of hisinvention,and
for ithe
is not indebted to the Americans, to other
gunmakers,
nor tobooks
ancient or
modern.
Hammerless
guns
shallbe
treatedupon
fully in the descriptive chapters of thiswork. It will sufficeto say herethat theyare the highestdevelopment
of the Sporting ShotGun, and
are likely togrow
in favour,and
practically to supersede other forms of breech-loadingguns
now
in use.The
author, in concluding this brief outline of thedevelopment
oftheShot
Gun, must remark
that, although in hisopinion theguns
passedinreviewin thischapterare outof date, there are others
who
differfrom
him,
and
itmust
notbe supposed
for amoment
thatguns
such asdescribed cannot
now
be
bought.Thousands
of flint-lockmuskets
aremade
yearly,and
sold; thousands of percussion muzzle-loaders areexported each year
from
England
and
Belgium
; pin-fireguns
arestill manufactured,
and
so the other typeswhich
have
once
occupiedthe front rankswill find admirers; but all practical, intelligent
sportsmen
will not be thus contented,and
such are invited to follow the authorSECTION
II.DESCRIPTIVE,
HAMMER
GUNS.
To
sportsmen there is a seemingly endless variety of guns. Allmakers
claim
one
ormore
specialities;and
although the sportsmanmay know
the type of
gun he
requires for instance,hammer
orhammerless
hischoice is practically unlimited, to
judge from
the advertisementcolumns
of the leading sporting papers.
To
give a description of every kind ofgun would be
but to reproduce ascore ormore
ofgunmakers'
catalogues,and
to leave thesportsman
inno
little confusion.Each
gun
now
tobe
The Double-Grip Gun.
described
must
be
considered as representing a type, the characteristicsof
which
willbe
briefly,and
the authorhopes
lucidly, set forth.The
advantages ordisadvantageswill
be
more
fullydealt with in a succeedingchapter.
The
gun
for several years the leading fashion,and
even
now
notentirely out of date,
known
as theDouble-Grip
Gun,
is the first, as itis also theoldest, pattern to
be
described.Its
appearance
is probably wellknown
to all. Its chief characteristic8
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
workinghorizontallyoverthe trigger-guard.
There
areno
action springs;an inclinedplane
on
thecylindricalhead
of the leverworks
againstthe barrellump
and
forces the barrels upward,when
the lever is turnedfrom
thetrigger-guard.
When
thegun
hasbeen
closed,theleveris returned,
and
two
flangeson
the cylindricalhead
enter into notchesin thebarrel lump,
drawing the barrels firmly
down
to the breech-action body.The
mechanism
is exceedingly simple; all the parts are strong, and,with
back-action locks, itisa
form
of breech-action which, but for the time itakestomanipulate it,
would be
of great service forguns
to shoot large charges of powder,
and
forhardwork
generally. Itis
now
usuallyappliedto low-priced
guns
only,and
is rarelyfound
upon
very light guns.A
modified action, inwhich
thelever isworked by
a spring, hasbeen made.
The Side-Lever Gun.
Another
style ofbreechmechanism
is the side lever. In thisgun
a
lever is bent
round
fromunderneath
thebreech-actionbody
to lieon
thelock plate, itsthumb-piece being conveniently placed immediately
behind
the
hammer.
Thisleveris pivoted beneaththe barrels inthe breech-actionbody, an
arm
being continuedupwards
toengage
in a slot in a steelbolt, working longitudinally in a slot in the breech-action
body
beingforced forward
by
aspring,and
moved
backward by
thelever.The
bolt entersone
ormore
notchesinthelump
underneath
the barrels,and
serves toholddown
thebarrels tothe breech-actionbody.The
spring aflatone
issometimes
fixedin the breech-action body, forward of thelever,and
isuncovered
; but it should be placedon
thetrigger-plate,
and
connectedto theleverby an S
swivel, similar to that ofa gun-lock.
Such guns work
much
more
pleasantly,and
the spring is notDESCRIPTIVE.
9
The
sidelevermay
beon
eitherthe right orleft sideofthegun.A
modification ofthis breechmechanism
is theunder
lever, inwhich
the lever, insteadof being taken to the side, is bent to the
form
of thetrigger-guard,
and
liesover it (seeDaw's
breech-loader, already illustrated).The
lever is depressed toopen
the gun.When
thegun
is closed, theholding-down
bolts snaphome,
carrying the lever toits place.This
mechanism
isnow
occasionallysupplemented by
a bolt or bolts,engaging with
an
extension of the top rib of the barrels; but, althoughonce
much
soughtafter, theside lever hasbeen
discardedby most
gun-makers, and, withone
notableexception, is tobe found
only in low-pricedguns.
THE
TOP-LEVER GUN.
The
Top-Lever
Gun
is oftwo
kinds: in one, the lever swingsupon
ahorizontalpivot, in the tang ofbreak-offor in the standing breech,
and
isTop-Lever Gun, with Back-action Locks.
raised
up
toopen
the gun.This
type is not generally used,and
isseldom
found, exceptupon
theguns
oftwo
Birmingham
makers.The
other type of lever is generallyused
; the lever turnsupon
avertical pivot,
and
ispushed
to the right toopen
the gun.An
arm
upon
the pivotisconnected
with theaction-bolt,and draws back
the bolttoallow ofthe
gun
being opened, whilst a spring,connected
with the bolt,the lever, or the pivot, forcesthe bolt into the bites
on
the barrel-lump assoon as thebarrels are in their place for firing.
The
generalappearance
of a
gun
withthis levermay
be seenby
referring to illustrations of thePurdey Gun,
in the first chapter. Variousmechanisms
areused
by
different
makers
to bringabout
the withdrawal of the bolt or bolts; butthere is, in reality, littleto
choose
between
themethods employed.
The
adjoined illustration
shows
a Top-leverhammer
gun, with back-actionlocksj
and
itmay
as wellbe remarked
here, that in a lightgun
theback-actionlock allows of
more
metal,and
consequently greater strength in the breech-action, whilst the gripof the stock isnot proportionatelyweakened.
In a
heavy
gun, thestrainupon
thehand
of the stock is greater,and
asIO
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
weakest place, bar-locks should always
be
preferredupon
heavy guns
Back-action lock
guns
are usuallyalittle cheaper than bar-guns, althoughthe difference is so small, if everything
be
of the best quality, thatno
alteration inthe priceis noticeable; but ina very
cheap
gun,where
everyshilling is of importance, theback-action lock is often used.
THE
DOLL'S-HEAD GUN.
In thisbreech
mechanism,
the barrelshave
an extension ofthe top-rib, or a separate steellump
equal theretowhich
extension is let into a correspondinglyshaped
holeinthe topof the standingbreech.The
beliefis that thishead
keeps the standing breechfrom
springingTheDoll's-HeadGun.
back
atthemoment
of discharge,and
consequently increases the solidityof the weapon.
For
proofthat this is not generally the case, the reader shouldreferto the CriticalSection of this work.The
only objection to theDoll's-HeadGun
is that thesomewhat
large projection is in theway
when
loading, orwhen
taking outthefired cases.The
projection shouldalways be
used
as a guide for the extractor; a groove in itwillkeep
theextractorinitsplace betterthanthe
second
leg usuallyemployed.
The
Doll's-Headis decidedly popular. In its primitive form, it is notgenerally found
upon
high-class weapons, buton guns
of the thirdand
lower gradesitisconsideredtobe
a necessity.The
price of agun
as illustrated will average thirteen guineas inEngland,or 75 dollarsabroad.
Many
verymuch
cheaperguns
are in themarket,
and
the Doll's-Head willbe
found
upon
all thecheap
gradesDESCRIPTIVE.
11TREBLE-GRIP GUNS.
When,
in addition to the usualdouble holding-down
bolt, agun
isfurnished with a bolt, engaging with the extension of the top rib, it is
calleda Treble-Grip
Gun.
The
ordinary Doll's-HeadGun
issometimes
so styled,but
wrongly
so.The
crude idea of the ordinaryTreble-GripGun
would
seem
tohave
originatedfrom
acombination
of thewell-known
Westley Richards' top-grip breech-action with the double
holding-down
bolt; but, strange to say, this is almost the last
form
the Treble-GripGun
has taken.The
well-known and
verymuch
superior Treble Wedge-FastGun
tobe describedpreceded
it, asdidmany
othersof considerableworth.
The
third gripmay
be a prolongation of the toplever, a smallThe Treble-Grip Gun.
boltactuated
by
it, or a fancifully-shapedand
named
head
engagingwithslots or
V
grooves in the projectingrib.The
Treble-GripGun
illustratedis
one
of the simplestand
best of themany
formsnow
common.
The
third grip is a plain bearing of a prolongation of thetoplever
upon
theprojecting rib,
and
itnot only materially lessens the strainupon
theunder
bolts, but also
keeps
the projecting rib,which
is dovetailed into thestandingbreech,
up
to itswork.Many
of the "Triplex Grip," "Climax,""
Hold-fasts," "
Giant Grip"
guns have
not half thewear
inthem
thisgun
has,and
themechanism
ofsuch-named guns
should bemost
carefullyexamined
before purchase.Thisstyle of
gun
may
be purchasedfrom
15 to40
guineas,and most
guns of
second
quality arefurnished with a third bite, equal toone
of theTreble-Grips already enumerated.
THE TREBLE WEDGE-FAST
GUN.
This is decidedly the
most
popular Englishgun
; it hasnumerous
imitations,
and
itmay
therefore be said tohave
genuine merit.As
thisI2
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
sections for critical remarks
upon
the various breech-loaders described"
The
TrebleWedge-Fast
Gun
was
introducedby
W.
W.
Greener
in 1873,who
invented it asan improvement
upon
themany
flimsy snap-actionbreech-loaders
which
thenhad
a certain popularity. Itconsistsof a steel projectionfromthe top rib,which
fitsinto a slot in the standing breech.A
round
steel bolt,actuatedby an
arm
of the toplever,works
transverselyinthe standing breech
and
passesthrough thesteel projection,binding the top of the barrels securely to the breech, so thatany
gaping orwear
at the joint is impossible.
Nothing
more
simplenor
so efficientcan
be imagined. This top boltis in itself fully equal to the strain offiring
heavy
charges, but in connection with thedouble holding-down
bolt itW.
W.
Greener's Patent Treble Wedge-Fast Gun.works
smoothly,and
forms the strongestcombination
known, which
isapplicable toguns
upon
thedrop-down
principle.The
mechanism,
sofarfrom adding
totheweight ofthegun, diminishesit, for guns
may
be
made
on
this principle lighterand
stronger than ifmade upon
any
other. In appearance the TrebleWedge-Fast
Gun
isgraceful;
one can
see at amoment
that thechief qualityis solidity, butit isimpossibleto find atraitofweightiness.
The
Top-lever,from its position, far in arrear of the standingbreech,is
most
handy,and
thenarrow
projectingrib inno
way
interfereswith therapidity with
which
the cartridgesmay
be
inserted orwithdrawn.The
mechanism
is equally applicable to frontand
back-action locks,and
ismade
on
bothplans,and
is also applied to varioushammerless
guns. This
gun
ismore
expensive toproduce
than Treble-grip guns,and
if wellmade,
it is certainly withoutany
equal for strength orbeauty.
DESCRIPTIVE.
13guns
hard, forallwho
require a lightand
safe gun.The
pricemay
be
said roughlyto range
from
fifteen to fiftypounds
; buton
the Continentwretchedly
made
imitations are circulated,which
have
only the barestoutward
resemblance
to the original English gun,which
is the solepropertyof thepatentee
and
inventor,W.
W.
Greener.The
TrebleWedge-Fast
Gun
has somuch
torecommend
it that foralmost
any
sport orpurpose
itmay
be
chosen,and
the greatestconfidencemay
withsafetybe
reposed in it, fortheheaviest charge ofany
explosiveisas powerless toinjureit as are the sands of theSahara or the
snows
ofSiberia to stopits proper working.
SEMI-HAMMERLESS
GUNS.
Self-cocking
and
self-half-cockingguns, withhammers,
enjoyed acertain popularityin the 1860-70 decade.With
pin-fire guns, the raisingof thehammer
tohalf-cockby
means
ofthe action leverwas
an advantage.Central-fireguns, with
rebounding
locks, quite supersededallguns
half-cocked by
thelever.Hammer
guns cocked
by
means
of the action leverThe
Semi-HammerlessGun.have every disadvantage of
hammerless
guns, with butone
of thecorre-sponding
advantages.An
attemptwas
made
about
1876,by
some
gun-makers, to substitute aself-cocking
gun
forthehammerless, buttheattempt signally failed.Another compromise
is the semi-hammerless gun, inwhich
fingerlesshammers
are placedupon
the outside of the lock plate, insteadof being arranged withinthe gun.The
advantages claimed are that thegun
is neaterinappearance
: thattherecan
be
no
mistake as towhether
or not thegun
be at fullcock.There
is, however, nothing toshow
thatthegun
isloaded; allguns
shouldalways betreated as loaded;accidents
would
thenbe
rare.The
Semi-hammerless
cannotbe
said to be saferthan thehammerless
when
all things are taken into consideration; it issomewhat more
I4
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
EARLY
HAMMERLESS
GUNS.
A
hammerless gun on
thedrop-down
principle, the lockmechanism
simitar to the
Pruslan
Needle-gun, hasbeen
inusem
Germany
formany
vears Mr.
Daw
introduced ahammerless
central-fire
gun
about 1862,but it did notattain the popularityof
his central-fire
hammer
gun,and
ipractically
abandoned.
In 1866 a patentwas
taken outfor ahammerless
gun
inwhich
thelockmechanism
was
attached to the trigger-plate,and
the cocking effected
by
theunder
actionlever.TheMurcottHammerlessGun.
Mr.
T. Murcott'shammerless
gun, patented in 1871, is typical of the firsthammerless and
thepresentcheap hammerless
guns.The
one
drawback
to thisgun
is the position of the lever.An
under
leveris neither so handy, so pleasant, nor so quick as a toplever. In
theoriginal Murcottthe lever
had
to travel a long distanceand
requiredconsiderable force faults
which
in amodern
gun
areremedied
toa very great extent.The
Gibbs
and
Pitt is a modification of theMurcott
plan;Woodward's
Automatic, Reeves', Lang's,and
several others, are variouslyimproved
forms of the original idea,and
theMurcott
Gun
beingnow
manufacturedcheaply,has
become
verypopular withgun-dealers,and
inone
ofitsmany
formsmay
be found
inalmost every gun-shop.The
price foraDESCRIPTIVE.
15are to
be found
as lowas;io,
butare nottobe recommended,
butany one
who, having a preference for theunder
lever, wishes ahammerless gun
at^25,
or thereabouts, should obtain asound
weapon
on
this principle.A
very simple, effective,and
ingenious safety boltwas
appliedto allAllport's Double-grip Hammerless Gun.
the early
Murcott
Hammerless
Guns
; its positionupon
the top of;'thestanding breech
was
not ahandy
one, but the bolt itselfwas
verymuch
betterthan the majority ofcomplicated
mechanisms
misnamed
"safeties,"which
areappliedto themodern
modifications of theweapon.
ALLPORT'S
HAMMERLESS
GUN.!6
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
combined
with thewell-known,and
atone
time extremelypopular,double-grip breech-action.
The
mechanism
willbe
easilyunderstood
after reference to tillustration.
This
gun works
withoutany
appreciable strain, is easy to cock,am
being
made
onlyin the beststyle,may
be stronglyrecommended
tothosesportsmen
who
prefer thedouble-grip breech-action.A
simple trigger-bolting top safety, in connection withan
ingeniousmechanism
forlocking the scears, is usuallyemployed
withthis gun, butvarioussafety bolts
may
be
used.The
mechanism
is adaptedfor doubleand
single riflesand
guns,and
from
its strength, simplicity,and
durability, will doubtless receive thesuccess it merits.
A
good
ordinary i2-bore shotgun
on
this principleshouldintheshop of a
London
gun-dealer costfrom
^30
to^45
; theThe
"Club"
Hammerless Gun.gun
is notmade
in verycheap
grades.There
are other double-griphammerless guns
besides the "Allport,"which
is takenas typical oftheclass.
TOP
LEVER HAMMERLESS
GUNS.There
are severalpatenthammerless guns
with top levers, inwhich
hecocking ofthe locks is effected
by
connectingthebreech-action lever withthe lock
mechanism,
so thatupon
opening
thegun
for loading thetumblers are forced into fullcock.
The
top lever is very popular, butthere are
many
difficulties tobe
surmounted
before ahammerless gun
inwhich
thecockingisdone by
the lever,can
be produced.The
topleverisshort,
and
the leverage obtained barely sufficient to easilywithdraw
theaction bolts,
and
compress
the action spring.The
travel is short,although sufficient for withdrawing the action bolt; ifthe lever
be
made
to travelfurtheritis not handy, so although
many
arrangements oflevers,friction rollers,
and
inclined planeshave
been
tried,itis notsurprising thatDESCRIPTIVE.
17By
causing theholding-down
bolt toengage
with the barrel lug at theme
the barrels aredropped
for loading,and
utilising the weight of thefalling barrels as well as the action lever, it has
been found
possible tocock the lockswithout
undue
exertion. Severalguns
wereonce
popular18
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
which were
made
upon
this principle, but although theyare notnow
sogeneral, several
gun makers
still offerthem.The
"Club
"Hammerless
Gun
made
by
W.
W.
Greener
istypicalofthisclassofgun. In
London
such guns are offeredat^40,
but they are alsomade
in plainstyleforexportand
the countrytrade,and
may
be
met
withat half this price. Several safety bolts are applicable,
and
one
ormore
will begenerally
found on
allsuchguns.THE ANSON
AND
DEELEY HAMMERLESS
GUN.
This
gun was produced
in 1875, an(^ f r several years enjoyed apopularity never before attained
by
ahammerless
gun.The
cocking iseffectedbylevers pivoted
on
acommon
centrewith the barrels.The
lockmechanism, which
is particularly simple, is arranged within thebreech-action body.
The
cocking leversengage
witharms
of the tumbler extended forward,and
when
the barrels aredropped
for loading, thecockinglevers
move
with them,and
carry the locks into fullbent.The
jointpin is solid.The
gun
about the bree ch has avery square box-likeappearance. Several systems of holding
down
bolts are used incon-junction with the
Anson
and Deeley
lock, but the top-leverand
a treblegrip isthe
most
gent-ral.The
safety usuallyemployed
is fixedupon
the top,and
cuts rightthrough the weakest part of the gun-stock.
The
gun
ismade
inmany
qualities,
and
may
be found with thename
ofalmost everymaker
Englishand
foreign. Ithasbeen
popular in theUnited
Statesunder
thename
ofthe
"Harrington and Richardson
"Hammerless.
The
cheapest gunsmade
on
this planaremade
with loose hinge pins,sham
top fastenings,and sometimes
withoutany
top connection whateverall such
guns
should be avoided.They
are offered at prices rangingfrom
.10
to^20.
A
serviceablegun on
this principle,made
by
a reliable manufacturer, should be purchased for^15,
and
of course better quality guns.The
best qualitiesof
some
makers
aremade
upon
this principle.By
alater patent thelockmechanism
is modifiedto permit of thegun
being put togetherwithout first cocking the locks; it isnot sopopular as
theoriginalform,
and
issomewhat
dearer.SCOTT'S
HAMMERLESS
GUN.This
hammerless gun was
introduced to thegun
trade in 1878,and
being
made
atwholesale for retailers, quicklybecame
popular.As
it isnow
offeredunder
many
differentnames,
it willbe
necessary to illustratethe
mechanism
in order thatitmay
bereadily distinguished.The
cockingis effected by the dropping of the barrels for loading; the
mechanism
consists of rods (A)
moving
DESCRIPTIVE.
19rods
have
anotch neartheirfore extremity,withwhich
studs,c,fixedunder
the barrels engage,
drawing
forward the rods as the breech-ends of the barrels rise.The
rear extremity of each rod, A, engaging at B with thetumbler of the lock, pulls it into
cock
as the rod travels forward.The
lockmechanism
isaffixed to side lock plates,which
are usuallyfurnishedwith crystal apertures, H, through
which
the position of the tumblerwhich
is often giltmay
be
seen.Several
improvements have been added
to thisgun,and
itmay now
be
opened and
closed with ease,and
ispleasant to use.Mechanism of Scott's Hammerless Gun.
The
chief pointsby
which
itmay
be
differentiated are the crystal apertures, H, the studs,c,under
the barrelsand
gas-checks.These
checks consist of blued-steel discs letinto the face of the standingbreech, havingthe strikersfor theircentre.
A
groove ismade
near the circumferenceoithe discs,
which
joins a similar ductrunning
horizontally across thestanding breech to each extremity. This
check
may
be
likened to thetrench
dug round
a bell tent,and
itspurpose
is to providean
exit forany
gasthatmay
blow from
the cartridgeby
reason of a badly-fittingcaporfaultycap
dome.
The
ScottGun, under one
or otherofitsmany
aliases,may
be
purchased atpricesfrom
18 guineastomore
thandouble
thatamount.
PURDEY'S
HAMMERLESS
GUN.
Another
principlefor the lockand
cockingmechanism
ofhammerless
guns isillustrated in the
Purdey Hammerless, which
is typical of severalpatented systems possessed
by
London
gunmakers
of considerablerenown
20
MODERN
SHOT
GUNS.
Here, again, the
mechanism must be
illustratedto
convey any adequate
idea of its working.
The
principle is that of arebounding
lock, which, instead ofrebounding
to half, goes to fullcock
immediately thegun
isPurdey's Hammerless Gun.
opened.
The
spring iscramped
orset as thegun
isclosed,by
means
ofthe rod
and
cam shown
indottedlines intheaccompanying
illustration.Sporting
guns
made
on
this principlemay
be
neatlyand
symmetricallyW. W.
Greener's Treble Wedge-Fast Hammerless Gun.fashioned,
and
have the appearance ofcompactness
which
the ordinaryfront action lock conveys. It is