Wm. B. Harrison

“ The central pellets have thus an allowance given them to compensate for distance and the motion of the object. You look along the imaginary line, higher at the breech according to distance, and at this elevation the gun is fired, exactly as a rifle target-shooter sets his breech sights to a given distance.
“How does a man drive a nail? Certainly not by closing one eye and looking along the hammer; but with both eyes open, he mechanically balances the hammer and strikes instinctively, never, if accustomed to the use of the tool, missing his aim. It is the same in shooting.” ”

“ He will also know that a gun finely finished in every particular, is, undoubtedly, a better gun than one put together in the rough, and his own eyes will quickly tell him as to the finish. Prompted by these considerations, the muzzle-loading shot-gun is turned over to the good sense of the gunsmith for adjudgement as to superior or inferior qualities, leaving him to decide upon it, unbiased by any rules that could be given, which is the most rational course to pursue, since, under existing circumstances it would be impossible to make rules that would be entirely reliable. ”

“ In loading a gun with coarse shot, if they rest in the barrel side by side in regular layers or strata, we say they chamber; but if they are a little too large for this, so that some of the shots must lie above the common level for want of space between other shots and the side of the bore to admit of their going down, we say the gun will not chamber shot of that particular size. A gun is not supposed to shoot shot to perfection which she cannot chamber. ”

“ In most trades it is the same thing over and over again; but, with the exception of taking the gun to pieces and putting it together; and, perhaps, of tempering, case-hardening and the like, the gunsmith may work regularly for a long time without being called upon to do precisely the same thing twice. As a consequence, the gunsmith must be merely an ingenious mechanic or worker in metals, capable of thinking deeply and searching out causes and requirements—there is little need of his being anything more. ”

“ But this expert is evidently mistaken with reference to taking aim: he takes aim mechanically. He thinks only about killing the bird, without thinking about taking aim, and in response to the securing of a perfect [306] aim comes the feeling, unexplained in his thoughts, that if he shoots he shall kill the bird. It is simply a powerful concentration of thought, which is always of paramount importance in shooting. A mind scattering over all creation at the time of shooting is no more to be depended upon for good results than a gun scattering to all sides of a ten-acre field. ”

“ The gun must be subjected to a most critical examination in every part, in obedience to rules laid down for examining breech-loading shot guns, after which its shooting qualities must be thoroughly tested. To no botch at the business can be trusted the shooting test, if it be wished to decide whether or not a certain rifle can be recommended as being of first-class quality—the work must be performed at the hands of an expert, and it must be continued until is secured unmistakable proof as to how the gun shoots. ”

“ A gun from any of our prominent houses is quite sure to be as represented; and, until the gunsmith becomes so familiar with all the requirements of a good gun, the maker’s price may be taken as a pretty safe rule by which to judge of quality. Each manufacturing house is apt to have its guns graded, and priced accordingly—the higher [287] the price asked the better the gun in every case, for it is as much the desire of the prominent manufacturer to make a good name as it is to make a good gun. ”

“ The first true sight is always, with all fire-arms, the best sight, and a quick shot has as much or more advantage over a slow shot, with the rifle as with any other weapon.” Barber says he considers “the pull of the trigger a very important consideration; it should not be too slight, so as to go off almost involuntarily, nor so hard as to require force, but so that, by a gentle pressure, commenced at the moment of taking aim, the slightest extra squeeze will cause the hammer to fall at the very instant when the aim is perfected.” ”

“ In earlier days the devotees to his calling may, in their little shops, have made guns entire, but now, if the gunsmith makes them at all, that making consists in merely finishing up the parts and putting them together—generally making the stock entire. All gun parts can now be bought as “gunsmith’s materials,” either finished or in the rough, as may be desired. They are made by a variety of workmen, the business of each man being to make a single part, and nothing more. There is at present too much in a good gun to admit of all being made advantageously by one man ”

“ If the bird is flying across the shooter, and the aim is at the bird, naturally, by the time the shot get to the point of aim, the bird has gone on beyond it, and is untouched by the shot. And if the distance is great, gravitation has affected the shot and pulled them down below the point of aim. Possibly, too, the wind is strong, and has blown them a little to one side. So that, assuming that a sportsman aims steadily and exactly at a cross-flying bird, sixty yards distant, going a mile a minute, the gun making a pattern good enough to kill, what results? ”

“ The English gun-smiths avoided the dilemma by giving the requisite pitch and making the grooves very deep, and even by having wings or lugs cast on the ball to keep it in the grooves—expedients which increase the friction in the barrel and the resistance of the air enormously.
The American gun-makers solved the problem by adopting the “gaining twist,” in which the grooves start from the breech nearly parallel to the axis of the barrel, and gradually increase the spiral, until, at the muzzle, it has the pitch of one revolution in three to four; the pitch being greater as the bore is less. ”

“ Quality of Locks.—It is impossible to judge the quality of a gun lock by a mere examination, for if the metal be not the very best and the workmanship be also good, some portions, as a spring, may grow weak and in an unguarded moment give way. If the mainspring be not thoroughly tempered it may break the first time it be used on a frosty morning. It is well to see if the attachment of the stirrup or swivel be well made and fitted, as this controls the movements and play of the mainspring. The fitting of the sear spring on the sear is important. ”

“ In sporting guns snow may accidentally get into the muzzle or a lump of dirt may “somehow” get in so as to fill the bore, and when the gun is fired, it will probably, yes, most certainly be blown off or blown open where the obstruction exists; the muzzle of a gun being thrust into water for a couple of inches or more will have like effect. The gas formed by burning the powder finds no outlet of escape, and the whole expansive force concentrates itself on the weakest portion of the barrel, and as a result it is forced apart. ”

“ In the case of a pin gun the pin should invariably stand in exact line with the hammer, otherwise the blow would be apt to bend it, and the chances for exploding the cap would be less certain.
There should be no crevices between the wood and iron. If any such crevice exists between the stock and the false breech it is likely that the wood was green when put up, which would settle it that the gun was not the work of a responsible maker, for no such person would work imperfectly-seasoned wood.
The extractor of the central fire should never be permitted to escape the closest scrutiny. ”

“ A tall, long-limbed and long-armed man requires a longer stock than a shorter person, and a straight stock will better answer for a short-necked, high-shouldered man than for a long-necked, low-shouldered person. A straight stock is much more suitable for a short-necked, high-shouldered person than a bent one, and for this reason, that, in fast shooting the point of sight at the end of the gun would come up to the range of the eye before the butt could be placed full against the shoulder, and one consequence would be, when fired, a severe recoil of the gun at every discharge. ”

“ When an object is hastily caught within the range of both eyes, the sense of vision is instantly assured as to position of the object, its distance from the gun, and, if moving, the rate of speed at which it is going. By a mental operation the brain is promptly impressed with all this, giving confidence and, consequently, calmness. Here the main point favoring success has been attained—calmness and a strong belief that the shot is going to succeed. The moment when this is felt is the one in which to press upon the trigger. ”

“ A wiping rod may be made of an iron rod having a slot or mortice cut through one end, and through this a rag is drawn. It may be used in breech-loading guns where it can be pushed in at one end and drawn out at the other, but in a muzzle loading gun it cannot well be withdrawn on account of the rag being folded upon itself in attempting to withdraw it.
If a wiping rag be put in a gun and cannot be withdrawn, it may be sometimes relieved so as to be withdrawn by turning a little warm water down the barrel so as to saturate and soften the rag. ”

“ Most young gunners close one eye in this operation, which, according to the best authorities, is entirely wrong. A man will learn to take correct aim with a shot-gun much sooner by keeping both eyes naturally open than he will by holding one closed. Once got in the habit of shooting with a closed eye, it will be found a most difficult habit to break up—the “hiding eye” will “close up” just as the finger is being pressed upon the trigger. And with that “closing up” is very apt to come a deviation of the gun from the line of correct aim. ”

“ The barrel is usually longer than that of the more modern gun; and, in the case of the rifle, the stock (all wood) extends nearly to the muzzle. It is what, in later days, when half-stocks had been invented, was called a full-stock. As already intimated the interior mechanism of the lock differs very little from that of the more modern cap or percussion-lock. On the outside, in place of the cap-hammer is a cock arranged with two lips for holding a flint. The lips are brought together firmly upon the flint by means of a screw which passes down immediately back of it. ”

“ A stock rather long is much better than one too short, and one rather crooked to one that is too straight. If a gun be not held on a perfect level, but the muzzle higher than [109] the breech, the load will be carried over the object aimed at, supposing that object to be on a level with the eye. Let a customer take a gun, such as would be thought to be best suited to his “build,” and request him to close both eyes and raise the gun to a level, as if to shoot thus. ”

“ There are some gunmakers in England who turn out the finest rifles that the world has yet seen, and the most costly. They are models of perfection in every particular, but when the best shooting is ascertained it is discovered that they have not proven themselves superior in that respect, to the more substantial (generally speaking) , but less finely finished and less expensive guns of the American makers. It is this matter of a really good rifle at comparatively low figures that has given the American product such an enviable reputation throughout the world. ”

“ If the case-hardening of the expert manufacturer be examined, it will be observed that the surface of such work has a fine grayish appearance, and in many places mottled with colored tints that are pleasing and beautiful to the mechanical eye. It will be further observed that the hardening is of such depth that it will wear for a long time. In fact it will wear better than hardened steel. The condition of the material is that of a hardened steel surface stretched over and shrunk upon the iron body of the work. It is stronger than steel, for it has the tenacity of iron for its interior. ”

“ Small articles to be tempered alike all over may be placed upon a bit of sheet-iron, after hardening, and the iron held over the fire of the forge, or directly over the flame of the lamp, until the required color has appeared, when they must be quickly plunged into the water. On large articles the colors will be often so strongly marked as to be readily seen on the surface of the metal, rough, just as it came from the hammer, but in small articles they will be somewhat faint; hence it is best to give small articles a slight polish before exposing them to heat for drawing the temper. ”

“ Taking a double-barrel shot-gun for illustrating these general principles, it may be stated that the barrels are movable at the breech or rear end, and butt upon the face of the standing breech peculiar to the latest and best muzzle-loaders. The face of these barrels fits smoothly against that of the standing breech. There is nothing in the way of a breech-pin to resist the backward force of the ignited powder, or hold the barrels in place. The hooks mentioned as peculiar to the patent breech muzzle-loader are not there—nothing at all like them. ”

“ There are many prominent establishments engaged in the manufacture of modern muzzle-loading rifles, some of them carrying splendid reputations, hence in this case a good deal of reliance can be placed upon brands. For instance, should a rifle be seen marked to Wesson, it is a guarantee of a good gun, for the reputation of the manufacturer is worth too much to admit of risking its tarnish by putting upon the market goods bearing his brand that are not fully up to all that is claimed for them. ”

“ But, still adopting Barber, it is very difficult to lay down particular rules as to what a muzzle-loading rifle of modern style should be, as marksmen and gunmakers are both whimsical, and each has his set ideas and notions concerning the matter. Some advocate a long barrel, while others maintain that anything beyond thirty-three inches militates against good shooting. ”

“ There are men who can take a good revolver and shoot a chicken’s head off every time, ten or fifteen paces, but of such men there are not very many. And none of them have ever communicated how they happened to become such fine shots with the pistol. In some cases they had practiced a good deal, but not more than had hundreds who were but comparatively poor performers. To come squarely down to the point at once, the peculiarity which made them good shots with the pistol was a “born-gift,” as in the case of the best shots with [314] the shot gun. ”

“ In taking down a lock the beginner should work slowly and cautiously, thinking in every case before acting. His screwdriver should be pressed well-down in the notch of every screw to prevent damage to the head, and if he apprehends the slightest danger of getting “things mixed,” he should lay each screw and its piece in different places upon his bench. Of course, there will be no such necessity after a few locks have been taken down, but such a necessity might exist at the very beginning; at least there is no harm to grow out of taking what is known to be the safe side in every case. ”

“ Importance of Rifling.—In a rifle the grooving is of the utmost importance; for velocity without accuracy is useless. To determine the best kind of groove has been, accordingly, the object of the most laborious investigations. The ball requires an initial rotary motion sufficient to keep it “spinning” up to its range, and is found to gain in accuracy by increasing this rotary speed; but if the pitch of the grooves be too great, the ball will refuse to follow them; but being driven across them, “strips”—that is, the lead in the grooves is torn off, and the ball goes on without rotation. ”

“ But the advance on the part of American gunmakers is not the only thing that has worked against the reputation of English guns for being eminently the best. The gun-making business of Belgium has seriously injured the general good name of English guns, just as the watch-making business of Switzerland has injured the good name of English watches. For instance, Liege, in Belgium, is almost literally a city of gunmakers. It is estimated that there are now more small fire-arms made in Liege than in all the rest of the world put together, though Liege gets credit for comparatively few of them. ”

“ If fine and quick-burning powder be used in a long barrel, the powder is flashed into propelling gas, instantaneously, and beyond a certain length of barrel has no further expansive power, and the result is a friction of the charge in escaping, that affects the shot and consequently the pattern on the target. If slow burning powder be employed in a short barrel, the whole of the powder cannot be so instantly flashed into the propelling gas and some portion of it is, as a result, driven unconsumed from the muzzle of the gun. ”