Screw to secure the Cock.--In common guns, this screw is very liable to get loose, fall out and be lost; it is therefore desirable to have one or more spare screws.
Water-proof Cover should not be forgotten.
Rust, to prevent.--Paraffine and mercurial ointment are perhaps the two best things to keep rust off iron, in sea voyages or in boat-shooting. Before embarking for a voyage, it is convenient to enclose the guns in a leaden case, which, on arrival, can be melted up into bullets. It is remarkable how much better dirty guns withstand rust than clean ones.
Olive oil, to purify.--Put a piece of lead in the glass bottle that contains the oil, and expose to the sun; a quantity of cloudy matter will separate after a few days, then the refined oil may be decanted.
The small of the stock is the weakest part of a gun: it is constantly broken by falls in travel. Sir Samuel Baker justly recommends that "all guns made for sport in wild countries and rough riding, should have steel instead of iron from the Breech-socket, extending far back to within six inches of the shoulder plate; the trigger-guard should likewise be steel, and should be carried back to an equal distance with the above rib; the steel should be of extra thickness, and screwed through to the upper piece; thus the two being connected by screws above and below, no fall could break the stock."
Injuries to Guns, to repair.--Ramrod tubes often break off, and it is a very troublesome accident when they do so. I know of no contrivance to fasten them on again, except by using soft solder, the application of which will not in the least hurt the gun: ashes, at a dull red heat, must be heaped over the barrel to warm it sufficiently, before applying the solder. If the ramrod tubes have been lost, others made of tin may replace them.
The Sight of a Gun, if it falls out and is lost, can easily be replaced by a substitute. A groove must be cut with a file across the substance of the barrel, if the gun be a single one, or across the midrib, if double-barrelled; into this a piece of iron, ivory, bone, horn, or hard wood, with a projection carved in the middle for the sight, must be pushed, then the metal on either side must be battered down over it, with a hammer or stone, to keep it firm.
A broken Stock, however much it may be smashed, can be well mended by raw hide (see "Hides"). Blacksmith's work and carpentering are seldom sufficient for the purpose. It is within the power of a rough workman to make a gun-stock, but it is a work of great labour.
A Ramrod may be replaced by cutting a stick from a tree, straightening it in the fire, and then seasoning it. (See "Green Wood.")
Guns to hang up, to carry, and to clean.--Hanging Guns to a Wall.--Fix a loop of leather for the muzzle, and a strap and buckle for the stock, with a piece of sheepskin or canvas nailed so as to hang over it, as in fig. 1. A more complete way is to sew a long pocket with a flap to it, which is tied up on to a stick or bar, as in fig. 2: the gun has simply to be Lifted out and in. The pocket must be made baggy at the part which corresponds to the cocks of the gun.