Litchfield enquirer., 1865-02-09
For the Enquirer. LETTERS UPON RIFLES AND RlELE- SHOOTING.
 No. III. @

Il Your questions in reference to what consi r tutes excellence in rife, and whose make yo would advise cue to buy. is difficult to answe chiefly because of these two reasons
 lss Because the particular service to whic
 rifle IS to be put alters the conditions oe i,
 value, and a..-
 2nd. Because there are so many oood rife
 in the market that it is no small task to dis
 criminate with justice. l ssa
 but as yon have solicited my advice, and a
 l have personally definite opinions upon tn
 subject, I will consent to' answer your enoui ries Perhaps (as you suggest) I am bette qualified than some to judgein. .this matter. in asmuch as l have no favaaite hobby Or wespol of nay own. For have always observed .thi to be true. j. e. that most rifemen believe Mei, rifle is the best, and it's makersthe most capa ble.. And this tendency of sqlz dulged prevents them from seeing kpce o other. and rival pieces, oz1 19kdil 4z \ them For ii is the peculiar .|al iyfId each generation to think gits aFe ' }ss 6est. end TO scout with derision al zslIIeql1 1ailt soi improvement. s
 For this reason tl<FeIQxe 40 E LII kVselt happy, inasmuch as Do lllang is '5tA feet which has man forits aushdr. and tlalt above all else are we ignorant of tho law and properties which govern the flight of ofspr proi.c. tiles, and of that happy combination of fxeles nepts in the construction and charging of Ans which would ensure the perfection of accuraey. And instead of being so sensitively sure of the superiority of one make of guns oEer sl others as to raise them above the possi- biity of improvement, hold that none are yet pevfect or above the liability of being supp planted.
 But to return, would say that the use to pfich gun is to be put decides it's relative s nssry or tEe Spencer rife is doubtless to be nrderred. The former have shot, in company dth Mir. Cbapin it's chief supervisor, at East Bridgeport, and its performance was exceed ly credi able. The piece shot was some 20 inches in length with open sights, 22O yards (40 rods.) should judge that every ball would have entered the bodyo a man. There was strong current of air at the time. For rapidity of shooting this cannot be surpassed. A raw hand can load and fire it twenty times minute, an expert thirty times. Mir. Chapin is now having some 30 inch barrels made, which will be sighted with bead and globe for target practice. His theory of the trajectory of balls and the construction of the bullet, seems supe rior to any which have read. feel sure that by summer the Henry rife will rank high as target gun. Flor further description see Hints to Rifemen,' by Cleaveland
 For Target Rifles to do nice work. two names instantly suggest themselves-Lewis and Wes- son-both of whose guns are muzzz|e lo2defs. Nelson Lewis resides at Troy, N. r., Wesson in Massachusetts. For years these Two guns, with their makers, have been rivals ffhey have been frequently shot against each other. Both are superior guns. Here in L6chfell county wesson is best known and hs guns more com mon. Their is no doubt but that Wesson has made poor guns, as it is, equally true that some of his make are scarcssecond to none Should any desire to see a specimen of hls make got up in good order J refer them to s. D. Ford Of Washington. Con-, who has not only good piece, but is also an excellent shot. From him you can ascertain its peculiar merits. .- The rifles made by Lewis are too well known for comment As a general thing they are Lighter than Wesson's. larger caliber, and have longer range. His favorite ball is 50 round. 3t slug to the pound. Wesson's is about 40 slug to the poun,l. He thinks that l2 or l3 pounds rife is the best rife in the world. sufficient.
 heavy for target practice, light enough fo sporting purposes. Lewis is perhaps the bes I shot living. With one of his rifles in his hant
 when in good trim, his shooting is wonderful
 The best string on record is string of 10 shot
 which he made, distance 220 yards (40 rods
 average from the tack but small fraction oyi
 one inch. This was done in the open air. an
 from common rest, with the breach of the gu
 to the shoulder. This is several hundredtI
 better than Whitwerth's celebrated string sht
 from frame rest and in covered galler
 at the time when he boasted that he wou shoot each ball in succession through the ir
 hole Lewis (who is no brag) writes me thu he has shot strings of ten balls at no yards f rods) which silver quarter would cover. La fall, with 1z lbs: rife, calibre 30 to the poun he shot at chickens, distance $50 yards t14
 rods) getting them cheaper than heconld ha, F bought them in market. For long range has
 no hesitation in saying that the Lewis targ
 rife is the best rife in the world His price s from $50 to SIS. Warranted to give .perts ,. smisf sfactson or no pay-n
 ]. . The Crosby ridle' is also a gun of excellel i. parts. Same of these pieces have won gre I reputation and we should remember that ies, like horses, are not all Thoroughbred | There are ten ordinary ones to one superior. d am not acquainted with but one Crosby iifi t which is owned by A. HI. Wgant of Washin r ton, and has done some excellent shooting. t r has some targets preserved which are VI Q wsEth the sssi1e Some prsfss shis nasne ts~ isspa YassS . sasrsase est hEa n f~a ssia
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