CHAPTER XXXV.
ON JUDGING THE QUALITY OF GUNS.
The Muzzle-Loading Shot-Gun.—In the days when the gun of this character was at its zenith, its quality could be approximately decided upon by a glance at the manufacturer’s brand which it bore, but at present that rule cannot be so safely trusted. Many of the houses which built for themselves a fine reputation by the manufacture of fine guns of the muzzle-loading order, have either ceased to exist, or have gone exclusively into the manufacture of breech-loaders, consequently the old brands, though they may still be met with, are not reliable. In truth they are more often dangerous signs than otherwise, in consequence of the fact that unscrupulous manufacturers not unfrequently apply them surreptitiously as an agent to aid in working off their bogus goods. It is, therefore, best to give brands but little consideration in judging the quality of new muzzle-loaders, trusting mainly on personal knowledge as to what a good gun should be, backed up by thorough test in all cases where such a thing is necessary.
The man capable of becoming a good gunsmith will require no special rules for his government in this matter. He will know that a steel gun is preferable to an iron gun, and he will be able to readily distinguish between steel and iron. 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.
The Muzzle-loading Rifle.—In the case of the old-fashioned Kentucky rifle, still on the market in limited numbers, eyesight and test, if necessary, will have to be the main reliance of the gunsmith in judging of quality. The barrel of a first-quality gun of this character is wrought iron, made eight-square, and finely finished. The lock is steel, well put up, and provided with double or set triggers. The stock is either black-walnut or maple highly polished and oil-finished. The bore is given as perfect a degree of finish as iron is capable of taking, and the rifles are deeply-cut and entirely regular all the way through. The sights are made with great care, some of the finest guns having an elevating hind-sight to be changed for long or short range—say, for 500 or 50 yards. In some of the older made guns the foresights are silver, though as a general rule they are made of some kind of white metal compound not so liable to glimmer as silver. The tube-cylinder has a vent screw in the end of it, which may be taken out for the purpose of working in powder in case a ball should have been accidently put down without powder, which accident, without this provision, would be apt to necessitate an unbreeching of the gun. The barrels are of different lengths, ranging from 26 to 40 inches, and the size of bore is equally varied. It is usually estimated by the number of round bullets a pound of lead will cast to fit it, as 200 (smallest bore), 175, 100, and so on down to 50, which is considered the largest bore in common use. The weight of the gun complete usually ranges at from six to twelve pounds.
A steel-barrel rifle made on the Kentucky plan may be met with occasionally, though not often. The steel barrel generally adds about five dollars in cost over that of the iron barrel finished in the same way, and is supposed to be at least that much better on account of less liability to wear and roughen in the bore.
The muzzle-loading rifle of more modern style differs very materially from the old Kentucky rifle in many respects. Mr. Barber, in his “Crack Shot,” says of it that so many changes are constantly taking place, and opinions are so diversified, that it is really difficult to state what is the prevailing style; but he is of opinion that a barrel of from thirty to thirty-four inches in length, with a bore from thirty-eight hundredths inch to forty-four hundredths inch will be found to answer best for general purposes. If for sporting purposes exclusively the barrel ought to be a little shorter, perhaps, though he believes the great hunters of the plains use rifles with barrels of from thirty five to forty inches in length, and of a calibre so small as to enable them to make sixty round balls out of one pound of lead.
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 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.
And now that reference has been made incidentally to Wesson, a description may as well be made of some of the peculiarities of his muzzle-loading rifle as presenting a fair sample of a first-class gun of this order. And to do this under the best of authority, reference is made to Mr. Chapman’s book on the Rifle, which is generally accepted as a standard work.