Litchfield enquirer., 1865-02-09
"essons or Lewis's, but itaseems to me with. oS' reason. Tradition and local prejudice-have 100 much to do with mems judgments.

e'0oii anu local prejudice have
 too much to do with mems judgments.
 now call your attention to the two rival preach loaders-Wesson's and Ballard's. These
 are preliminary sporting rifles i" indeed the,
 are last making for themselves reputation ir
 n'ee target practice also. They resembl,
 each other in shape, size and workmanship
 They differ in the manner in which they arr
 loaded. The barrel of the Wesson is litssd b,
 spring. and the barrel of Ballard remains fixed
 while the lock plate is lowered to receive ths
 cartridge, much handler operation. The
 cailpre of each is the same: 30 slugs to the lb
 The Ballard has this superiority over the Wes
 son, e. it can be loaded with loose ammunition
 while its rival cannot. This of course to a
 sportsman is of vital importance. The friends
 of the Wesson rife claim for it greater pene-
 tration. If thls is true. it must result from a greater slugeing of the ball by which the wind- age is diminished, but this gain in initial force
 necessitates corresponding loss of accuracy inasmuch as the ball is greatly marred in its passage through the barrel. Indeed both of itese guns seem to US to suffer from this cause, l am convinced that this imperfecton can be Fenedied. In the Henry rife, from the peculiar shape of the bullet. this seems to be avoided. The manipulation of the Ballard is by common consent superior to the Wesson, both in the manner in which the cartridge is placed in the barrel and the shell removed after the explo- sion. To conclude then this necessarily brief I would say that while the Wesson gun has many virtues, and is every way superi pr to the n,uzzle loading rifle for sporting pur Poses. nevertheless the Ballard is by far to be. iesIfeepd on the whole the most perfe~ weapon yetAVade. Some may disagree with me but I feel persaaSsd that an impartial person, i, 10s iategssssa in e'tSes gun, would sustain my
 But can a6eeoh loadsF Appete with mug zle loader in aecuracy7 To WAIch reply, I do not think it can, as get Sill the tourna- ne:t of the H.-A~ye Rific oIue tssy vrruuer-
 breech loader came near taki1g the prize ,ver all, and stood No. 2. Mo- being Yves, on muzzle loader, and have see the Ballard To shootingEa d to beat; saw Ta gdasof that n.ns7 ...ss ss.ss, fsN lbs, ien$t of narrel 2s ncfes ls,oseS ave st nf sereF balls in Q sheet # fooIscap paper at 40 yardy (so rods] which r s close shooting enough. At 5s yards (lo ods) Ballard. owned by Galpn of Wash ngton, made Q suing oK five shots, average hrty-four fcrtieths of ah inch. This gun is till kept by him, and if one wishes to see what first class Ballard loy yks like, would advise i'm to call on Mir. ghpn. Russell Frisbie, of he same town, hasalso one of Ballard Target Rifles, which in beauty of workmanship cannot ,e exceed. It tfs new piece, but promises to make for itssIh good reputation.
 This gunln common with Wesson's. suffers rom the ikperfection of it's ammunition. The ,als especially are rough and unworthy of the 'iece (This is known to the makers, and their ar9est attention is now given to perfect the artridge, which when done land believe it fil be soon) will enable both these rifles to | compete with even Lewis rife. Soma may eel inclined to laugh at this prediction, but the augh will come from those who have never compared the breech loader with the muzzle oader save through their prejudices, and know nothing of it's performances,
 will bring this already too lengthy letter to , close, by saying that all things considered the Ballard breech loader is the best rife ia mar ket; uext to which stands the Wesson breech oadrr, couple of whose make (and beautiful specimens tool are owned by T. Nettleton aud 5, Calhoun of Washington. For target rifles prefer the Lewis gun, especially for lonS range; and next in order of excellence, beyond doubt, is Wesson's muzzle loader
 , -.- OFF HAND.