Choke-dressing.—Dressing out the bore of a gun so as to make it slightly larger at the breech than at the muzzle.
Clamp, Mainspring.—A mainspring clamp is a kind of vise used by gunsmiths for clamping the mainspring preparatory to taking it from the lock.
Cock.—In flint-lock guns, that part of the lock which holds the flint. The name is also often applied to the hammer of percussion and other locks of more modern make. When the hammer has been pulled back to its last catch, we say the gun is cocked, or at full-cock; when pulled back to the catch next preceding the last, we say the gun is half-cocked, or at half-cock.
Comb.—That portion of the stock upon which the cheek rests at the time of firing.
Cone.—See Nipple.
Countersink.—The recess in the chamber in which the rim of the cartridge fits.
Cross-Fire.—We say a rifle “crosses fire” when it plays the balls on the same level without varying upward or downward.
Curled Maple.—This is not a species of growth, but an unexplained condition to be met with in the wood of the maple, most commonly in that of the sugar or hard maple (the Acer saccharinum of botanists), though occasionally in Acer rubrum, or red maple. The grain of the wood lies in regular waves, presenting a most beautiful appearance when nicely dressed up. It is very popular for fine gun stocks.
Cylinder.—That part of a revolver in which the charges are placed. In the older make of percussion lock guns a short plug screwed into the side of the barrel at the breech, in which was placed the cap-tube or nipple, and through which the fire from the cap was communicated to the charge.
Damascus.—The variegated appearance on gun barrels, produced by welding together metals dissimilar, as steel and iron, and then, while heated, twisting these metals into various tortuous forms and re-welding. The colors of the dissimilar metals are brought out by browning mixtures.