Arthur Corbin Gould

“ Such experts as Chevalier Ira Paine and Frank Lord, and even some of the gentler sex, who have astonished the shooting world by their seemingly impossible feats of marksmanship with the pistol, unhesitatingly select this heavy pistol, and declare it more reliable, for the reasons mentioned, than the lighter ones, and as some of the professional shooters perform hazardous feats when inaccuracies with the arm would peril the lives of those who assist them in their performances, it is likely that they have given the matter the fullest investigation. ”

“ There are a few fine muzzle-loading duelling and target pistols in use at the present time, but the great amount of time necessary to load them, in comparison with the modern breech-loading arms, makes them unpopular with most of the pistol-shots, and out of the question for revolvers for military use, where rapidity of firing and reloading is required. The difference between a muzzle and breech loading single-shot pistol is apparently the same as the difference between the two systems of rifles. If loaded a certain way there is no advantage in one over another. ”

“ Any shooting at a distance beyond fifty yards with a pistol is almost unheard of in America; but it is believed that before long the experts who become so proficient with the pistol at this range will shoot at much longer distances, and we shall not be surprised to see matches shot up to 200 yards, and, perhaps, at a longer distance, as the officers in the European armies practise up to 400 paces and secure good results. ”

“ Any revolver which takes a cartridge of sufficient power to make it a suitable weapon of defence will foul, with the present ammunition in use, to such an extent as to impair its accuracy after a dozen shots, and many individuals believe with a less number. It is therefore the custom of all the best revolver-shots the writer has ever met, when using full charges, and wishing to do fine work, to clean the inside of the barrel as often as every ten shots ”

“ The country is flooded with revolvers of other make, some of them good enough for the purpose intended, for a very short-range weapon of defence, among them the products of the Marlin Arms Co., the American Arms Co., and Harrington & Richardson; but a majority of the revolvers to be found throughout the country are cheaply made, unreliable, inaccurate, and, above all, unsafe, and endanger the lives of those who attempt to use them, though they bear names high-sounding enough to captivate rustics and juvenile purchasers ”

“ Persons unfamiliar with these fire-arms, when they test a new pistol or revolver, generally commence by aiming at the object desired to hit, and if their holding is good they are likely to find the shots grouped quite a distance above the object aimed at. The heavier the charge and lighter the arm the greater the flip or kick-up. The shooter, when he observes this result, generally corrects the fault by holding under the object, and some wonderfully good shooting has been done by aiming eighteen or twenty inches under the object. ”

“ The question of powder is a very important one, and has provoked an endless amount of discussion and experimenting among manufacturers and shooters. The most desirable point is cleanliness, as much fouling means inaccurate shooting; and as that is a very marked defect in nearly all black powders at the present time, many believe that the effectiveness and accuracy of the revolver will be increased when improvements in powder are made. ”

“ Having witnessed considerable revolver-shooting, and not a little in a section of this country where the arm was carried for protection, and after many practice shoots to almost invariably hear the shooters remark, “Any one of these shots would have hit a man,” the writer formed [Pg 58] the impression that the majority of persons who carried revolvers were content with an arm which, when fired, would hit the size of a man. On the supposition that this is the case, it is not strange that so little has been done to improve the accuracy of the revolver by correctly sighting it. ”

“ The old American model Smith & Wesson revolver was formerly a great favorite with many who knew what weapon to select to do good work with. Many are in use to-day, and highly valued as a very accurate weapon; but this model has been superseded by a new model army revolver, which is generally known as the .44-cal. Russian model, the name being given on account of the Russian government purchasing 150,000 of this model for her cavalry. This model seems to grow in popularity each year, and many of the best revolver-shots in America have selected it as their choice of weapons. ”

“ A very high front-sight, which is necessary for the large charges, is considered unsymmetrical by manufacturers, and until some ingenious person devises a means of raising and lowering the front-sight of a revolver, the person who desires to shoot several kinds of ammunition accurately in one revolver, and at various distances, must carry about with him several front-sights of various heights which will interchange. ”

“ All skilled marksmen who have handled the modern American pistol and revolver must be aware that those of standard make are strong, well-made, safe, and accurate. It is believed that no attempt has ever been made to learn the possibilities of the various weapons, the greatest accuracy, range, and power, and record them for comparison in a single volume. ”

“ It is necessary to have perfect fire-arms to secure fine and regular shooting; but unless the proper ammunition is used, the superiority of the pistol or revolver will not be apparent.
As marksmen become skilful, they notice errors in shooting; if they possess enthusiasm enough to become experts, they are constantly studying to improve their shooting, and a large share of their attention is devoted to the ammunition. It is not uncommon to find cartridges with the bullet improperly seated in the cartridge-case or shell ”

“ Other faults in factory-made ammunition are caused by age, which deteriorates the cartridge, causing the powder to cake, and the shell, bullet, and lubricant to oxidize; the latter cause also affecting the efficacy of the primer. As some cartridge companies have used one formula for making lubricant for cold weather, another for warm weather, and as lots of ammunition get scattered in all sections, and sometimes carried in stock for several years, it can be said that one would not be likely to get so good results from factory cartridges as from those freshly prepared of home make. ”

“ It is nothing uncommon for experts with pistol or revolver to place a series of shots in a smaller circle than one inch, at 12 yards, especially if a .22-calibre, single-shot, heavy pistol is used; but it should be stated that such shooting is generally done with light charges; but it can and has been done with full, heavy charges. At 20 yards it is not uncommon to place all the shots, when fired at a rest, in or touched by a circle one and one-half inches in diameter. ”

“ Those in use at the present time, for extensive and elaborate experiments and investigations, have impressed the author with the fact that improvements have constantly been going on, and that the pistol and revolver of the present time are as much superior to those produced a quarter of a century ago as the modern rifle is superior to the ancient flint-lock musket. ”

“ An improvement in the rear-sight is made by dovetailing a lateral sliding-bar across the barrel clutch of the Smith & Wesson revolvers, which makes an effective wind-gauge. Those desiring to test the accuracy of revolvers at a rest can do so very effectually by attaching to the rear-sight a piece of thin metal to convert the semicircle notch into a round aperture which, with a temporary aperture front-sight or the sight shown, enables the tester to obtain a good sight, which is quite difficult when shooting in this manner with open front and rear sights, which are so near together. ”

“ As revolver-shooting is becoming so popular in America, probably a more intelligent study of this arm is now being made by marksmen then ever before; and, while the advantages of a solid-framed revolver with a fixed barrel are admitted for certain uses, it seems to be generally admitted that, for fine [Pg 28] work, where accuracy is the chief object, no revolver is equal to one which permits of an inspection of the inside of the barrel. ”

“ Many of the foreign target and duelling pistols of recent manufacture are made breech-loading, and loaded in the manner described. The expert pistol-shot is well aware that he can secure a great advantage by preparing ammunition for certain purposes in a manner different from the way the manufacturer makes it for the trade; but this point will be described later.
With the exception of the pistols alluded to, all modern American pistols and revolvers take the metallic cartridges, which are produced in enormous quantities and variety of styles in this country. ”

“ The trigger on the Lord model is preferred by a majority of pistol-shots, and, to suit those desiring this style of a trigger in the Conlin model, the manufacturers have commenced making them in that manner, and can now supply either style of triggers.
The weight of the Lord model is in its favor, for those who can hold it secure an advantage in less liability to pull the pistol to one side or upwards when pressing the trigger,—an error one who uses a light pistol is quite liable to make. ”

“ During the years the author has been interested in studying fire-arms, and endeavoring to learn the greatest amount of accuracy it was possible to secure from them, his attention has frequently been attracted to the statements of individuals in relation to pistols and revolvers, which were mostly in the form of contributions to sportsmen’s journals, or in books chronicling the adventures of living heroes of the plains and backwoods,—many of the latter passing through the author’s hands for review and criticism. ”

“ The marksman, in attempting to reload ammunition, will be beset with many obstacles, and is not likely to produce so good cartridges at the first trials as he can purchase in stores where they have been received fresh from the factories; but [Pg 78] to those who desire to prepare their own ammunition, the following mode, practised by different pistol and revolver experts, will doubtless prove a guide to many. ”

“ Apply mould to nozzle while in a horizontal position, then while still holding mould in contact, quickly elevate ladle above mould, holding them in that position for a few seconds. This gives the full pressure of the lead in the ladle on the mould while it is cooling, and by this method as perfect a bullet can be cast as can be made by swaging. They can be cast at the average rate of 225 per hour. A gas stove is much the best means of melting the lead, as a more even temperature can be maintained; but it is not difficult to cast good bullets, using almost any kind of a coal fire. ”

“ There are other reasons why many of the shooting fraternity prefer to reload their ammunition; it is a piece of economy not to be despised, and being located in an inaccessible place, away from towns or cities where cartridges can be purchased, compels some individuals to make their own ammunition. ”

“ The .38 calibre with the 6 and 7 inch barrels are very accurate up to 50 yards; the recoil is light and not unpleasant. The charge is less powerful than the .44 and .45, but about as heavy as is possible in an arm of the size and weight, and retains a satisfactory degree of accuracy. It is not difficult in shooting with a rest to place six shots within a 3-inch circle at 50 yards; and this feat has been accomplished in off-hand shooting with a .38-calibre Colt’s revolver with a 7-inch barrel. ”

“ As many of the finest shots prefer to use the full charge, desiring to practise with a practical charge, such as they would use in warfare or defence, and knowing that, if properly held, it will give fine results, they procure another sight, similar in shape, but higher, as shown in Fig. 2. This additional height depresses the muzzle of the barrel, and counteracts the flip or kick-up, and the shooter can sight directly at the bull’s-eye at a distance of 50 yards. ”

“ Lateral sliding-bars or wind-gauge may be used on rear open sight, also any elevating front or rear open sight. The use of a notch for a front sight will not be permitted. Sights may be smoked or blackened in any desired manner. No device shall be worn on or over the eye, or on glasses, to secure the sight through an aperture.
[Pg 136]
Diagram of six consecutive shots, fired from a rest, at 50 yards, with a Colt’s Frontier Model revolver, .44 calibre, full charge,—40 grains of powder, 200 grains of lead. ”

“ The American Powder Works’ products are used by many experts, the Hazard’s Kentucky Rifle is also a favorite brand, but there are many opinions as to the best powder; if a shooter get good results with a certain brand, it is wisdom to use it exclusively, if possible, as the different brands vary considerably in strength and effect elevations. ”

“ Doubtless in the near future there will be a rear elevating and wind-gauge sight for pistols and revolvers. One has been devised by Messrs. Smith & Wesson, which is a great improvement over any heretofore placed on the market. It seems to be quite a difficult thing to perfect a revolver-sight, as several firms know who have been endeavoring to accomplish it for some time past. As with heavy charges the desired object is to depress the barrel or lower the elevation, rather than raise ”

“ No scores with handicap shall exceed a perfect score.
Competitors who have to shoot off ties will be notified as soon after each match as practicable. When the ties are shot off one sighting-shot shall be allowed without charge. Competitors not present at the firing-points at the hour named for shooting off the ties lose their right to shoot, and will be placed accordingly. ”

“ The first person who attempted to equal Chevalier Paine’s record was Dr. C. C. Foster, who fired 100 shots with a Colt’s .38-calibre double-action revolver on same target, at the same distance, at Walnut Hill, Nov. 20, 1886, he securing 782 points. The next attempt at raising the record was by Chevalier Paine, who shot against his own record at Walnut Hill with the same weapon he used in the first 50-yard match. He shot on March 17, 1887, with the following result:—
It will be observed that 70 of the 100 shots were bull’s-eyes ”

“ All ammunition which is intended to be carried in a belt or the pocket should have no outside lubricant. When the exposed part of the bullet is freely lubricated it is likely to become detached on one side, and experiments have shown that a bullet, with grease on one side only, will not shoot accurately ”

“ Loading and Firing.—No arms shall be loaded except at the firing-point, the muzzle of [Pg 137] piece being kept in the direction of the target till the arm is either discharged or unloaded.
Miss-fires shall not count; but an accidental discharge shall, in every instance, be counted.
Position.—The position shall be as follows: Standing, free from any other artificial support; the pistol or revolver held in one hand only, with the arm extended free from the body, and unsupported in any way. The rear sight of the pistol or revolver shall not be nearer to the eye than twelve inches. ”