Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-08
GUNS OF ALL KINDS.
Where Hunting Outfits Are Made and
What They Generally Cost.
THE OLD FASHIONED SHOOTERS.
Rifles Formerly Used for Bringing Down
ALI Kinds Of Game.
'ANIEL BOoNEs WONDERFUL WORK
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH


the minute. They wore deer skin leggings
below hunting shirt of linsey- wolsey, car
| ried powder in horns or gourds, had furred
pouch for bullets and patches, pocketful
of tow to serve for wadding, and flint or
so of red, white and blue safely stored in the
butt of the rifle. 1t was long, slender, muir
derous-looking, of the best steel, cunningly
handwrought and fitted to astock of English
walnut. Its bore was such that the bullet,
even with the help of the CREASED patch, had
to be driven home with mallet blows on top
of the ramrod. lie range was from
10 yards to 750 and the charge of
powder it took anything from pinch to
handful. Some of it ran out into ''the
pan," where it was fred by the sparks from
the flint held in the lock-hence the border
caution, "Be sure to keep your powder
dry" Damp powder, at best, would but
''fash in the pan," the gun hang fire, the
hunter lost his game and his temper, and
had no end of trouble repriming his piece.
Guns were guns in those days. The best
indeed pretty we'll all Of them-came across
the water and cost a pretty penny. Rifles
were almost universally used, not merely on
account of range and accuracy, but because
of their economy in powder. One charge
for musket or shotgun would make three for
the rifle in ordinary hands, or six if the
marksman was crack shot,
EVERY SHOT TOLD.
When Boone was captive among the In
dians, it was their habit to dole him out each
day SO many charges of ammunition, for
each of which he accounted with head of
game. They knew he never missed-also
that he would not dare attempt escape with
out ammunition, as he would starve in the
wilderness he must cross to reach his friends.
When at last he did escape they were dumb
founded, while folk at Boonesborough heard
with amazement that the great hunter had
cut his bullets in half, sent the fragments
with light charges of powder, yet never
failed to take in the full tale of the
game, and so in the space of three months
had managed to secure such store OF powder
and ball as brought,him safe back to Ken
lucky from the northern lake country. We
have changed all that with vengeance.
Though we have target rifles galore and
magazine rifles of superlative excellence,
the shotgun is the weapon nearest the hearts
and shoulders of Americas sovereigns Es-
specially the breech-loader, for which he
may pay all the way from S8 to $500 and
with which he goes a-gunning for flesh or
fowl from September to July or all the year
round, if he happens to live in one of the
States where they have no game laws. These
are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida,
Indian Territory. Texas, Mississippi, South
Carolina, Wyoming and Washington Terri
tories.
BELGIAN GUNS CHEAPEST.
Notwithstanding a protective duty, of
33% per cent, the cheapest guns all come
from Belgium. A Belgian muzzle-loading,
single barrel, with imitation twist barrels,
iron locks and vanished stock costs So SO; |
double barrel, the same quality, 81 80. |
Both are doubtless more dangerous to
hunters than to game. though they shoot
fairly well-until they burst. Old army |
muskets made over into shot guns cost 81 so. |
Though trife better finished, they do not |
shoot as we'll as the cheap. foreign guns. |
For SIG you can get really excellent
muzzle-loadlng duck gun, with laminated I
barrels, oiled walnut stock, bar locks and
patent breech, No. 10 gauge and weighing
10 to IL pounds. Finer qualities in muzzle-
leaders are now made only to order,
so great is the trend toward the con-
venient and quick breech loader.
in this, So Belgian guns correspond with
the cheap muzzle loader. From SIS up to
$3.50 American makes are supreme, and
from thence up to the $500 limit John Bull
and his island supplies the demand. About
S1OO will buy as good gun for service as
can be bought The other $500 goes for
style, Damascus barrels, fine engraving, !
gold mountings, makers reputation and the
protective tariff A fairly good one may be
had as low as $50, thoroughly good one for
$50 Much more than hall the breech-
leaders are choke-bored in one OF both bar
rels-that is, have the muzzle smaller than
the breech. The object of it is to shoot close
and far-that is, prevent the shot from scat
tering, and so prolong tbe carrying power
of the charge A iayorite style for wing
shooting has the right barrel straight and
the left choked.
THE PRESENT STYLE.
As the breech-loader has driven out the
muzzle loader, so the hammerless gun is dis
placing those with projecting locks. 1t is
neater, surer, very much safer, not very
much more costly, and fully as convenient.
There are dozen or more makes-each
claiming superlatiye excellence, with parti-
sans plenty to maintain the claim. The cost
is from $50 to $500 each. For wing shooting
of quail. snipe, woodcock, reed birds, rail or
partridge, guns of II to 16 gauge, weighing
9 to 613 pounds are chosen. For duck and
goose shooting 10 gauge, pound gun is
the correct thing. For big game gun
8 to 10 gauge, weighing 9 to Is pounds.
For boys and moderate sportsmen there are
single breech-Ioaders that cost from $40 to
$40. Both these classes, however, are apt
to choose instead the target or pocket rifle
as cheaper, lighter, more convenient, more
economical and much more conducive to
good shooting. With rifle it is clean
hit or mss-there is no stray shot to save
you from the consequences of bad aim.
So every well-regulated boy, with anything
to shoot at, wants 'little rifle" as soon as
he sees it or its picture. Seven to thirty
dollars buys one magazine or repeating rifle
weighing to 9 pounds and good for 6 to 20
shots without reloading, can be emptied in
side of ten seconds and cost from S15 to S25
each. They run from 80 to "A caliber, and
shoot from 30-grain bullets with three grains
of powder up to big 200-grain fellows with
40 grains of villainous saltpeter behind
them.
THE MAGAZINE SHOTGUN,
with six cartridges, weighs TX pounds and
costs $25 to $50. Though quick, deadly and
it somehow fails to hit the pop
ular fancy and is seldom seen outside the
gunstores In pistols Uncle Sam has it all
his own way. Numberless British bull
dog" revolvers and so on are advertised,
but most of them are home made. The rea-
son is not far to seek. The American in
ventor, Colt, reconstructed the weapon-put
it upon an entirely new plane Of efficiency
and to this day his idea dominates every
pistol worth having. As proof, cowboys
and frontiersmen, who beyond all others
need weapon to be relied on, will carry
none but Colt's-of the heaviest caliber and
as fine as engaving, chasing. pearl and
precious metals can make them.
Bullet pouch, powder gourd and their
more elegant remote successors are alike
banished by the all-prevailing breech-