Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-11-08
THEY HELP To KILL
A GROWING CRAZE FOR BIG CUSs
IAs erase fer Zig Cans ana Very Lfssis
Gans-InprevsNea Ia the Hsnnss-
less High Gradss-A crap That
10 Fired ~ Kiscsricity.

could IL De with the hunting season In
full swing and the ducking clubs at
Carrituck banging away with double
barreled four horses weighing IS
pounds? II Is q growing craze, this, for
big guns Its only parallel In sporting
fads j. the craze for little guns. And
how little they are! Here IL double
barrel specimen for lady that will
hardly raise four-pound weight on
tina scaleA This season and the one or
two preceding it have been prolific in
the production Of new things in the
sporting and hunting line. The intro
duction Of nitro explosives that ta!fe
the place of powder are responsible for
much of it. then target shooting il
growing in popularity under the dis
couragements advanced by many states
to live bird shooting ON &C.
count OF The cruel nature Of
the sport. The sale Of inanimate
targets to 10 thrown from traps
has grown to enormous proportions and
under the encouragement Of this great
demand many new devices Of traps and
targets have come forward this season.
The latest expsrt trap is one pulled BY
electricity, ana which throws the birds
from . constantly changing angle.
Then the Improvement in the hammer
less gun that has now almost entirely
superseded tho old hammer muzxle
loader goes on under the inspiration OF
extreme competition A gun for brush
shooting must now necessarily be ham,
merlcss TO be ap with the times, and
the newest fashion Of hammerless guns
has q self-ejccting mechanism for
throwing out tho shells as they are
fred. These ejector shotguns have %
far been manufactured exclusively in
England. They are made only in the
fine grades, ranging in price from $3.50
to s4o5. and supcrbly finished. Now
several OF the American houses are at
work on ejector guns. The year will
probably not close without seeing one
or more on tho markOt
Speaking Of shell electors reminds me
of feature in the firearms market that
is just now broadcast and general. That
ia the prevalence Of cheap revolvers OF
patent that until recently has been
among the most popular and expensive
in the market The patent having
elapsed, all tho manufacturers Of cheap
rcvolvers ore turning them Gut by the
bushcl, and they include the ejectine
apparatus. Few of the recent patterns
of hammerlcss guns are for sale with
out the safety lock catch. The familiar
style of English side safety is super
seeded in all American manufacture by
the top safety. which sets automatically
when the gun is broken. Among the
novelties is repeating shotgun, OF
which there are two designs 10 the mar.
kct this year. One comes from Eng
land and is very expensive, but the 9TH
er, an American weapon, can be bought
for SIS, or in its most expensive pattern
for $50. The American mako are OF ten
or twelve guage, single-barreled and
weighing eight pounds. There is still 9
chance for great improvement in these
guns. as they do not fulfill In practice
the promises they make when cxhibited
in4hc store. With new and hawlesa
cartridges their mechanism works we'll
but with shells damaged or scratched in
the hunters pocket they prove their Inn
practicability In the field
Then there is q seven shot duck gun
shooting simultaneously seven 90 cali
Der cartridges, which are carried In q
metallic disk SO as to be inserted and
extracted at ono movement The ordi.
nary single barreled shotgun Is almost
obsolete and the combination rifle and
shotgun has an increasing struggle 70
find customer.
The market was never 50 flooded with
very cheap guns They come princi.
pally from Belgium, though England
furnishes many patterns. the cheapest