The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-09
They ALL HELP TO KILL.
Here Are Some Of the Latest
Novelties in the Sporting
Line.
The Craze for Very Big Guns
and Very Little
Guns.
improvements In the HammarleSs High
Grades-A Trap That Is Fired by
Means OF Electricity. 3

;" LII is NOT QUIET ON THE POTO
NJ mae. How could it be with the hunt
/Sl ing season in full swing and tn
ducking clubs at Carrittuck bangin,
away with douhle-barreled four horses
weighing twenty-thtee pounds2 1t is
growing craze this for big guns. Its onl,
parallel in sporting fads is the oraze fol
littlo CUR And how little they are. Here
il a doubie-barrel specimen for q lady thai
will hardly raise u fo%ur-pound weight on
the scales. This season and the ono or tive
preceding it have been prolific in
the production OF new things in
the sporting and hunting line. The
introduction of nitro explosives that
take the place of powder are
responsible for much of it. then target
shooting is growing in popularity under the
discouragements advanced by many states
to live bird shooting on account of the
cruel nature of the sport. The sale OF in
animate targets to be thrown from traps
has grown to snormou proportions and un-
der the encouragement of this great demand
many new devices of traps and targets have
come forward this season. Thu latest ex-
pert trap il one pulled by electricity, and
which throws the birds from a constantly
changing angle. Then the Improvement
in the hammerless gun that has
now almost entirely superseded
the old hammer muzzle loader goes on
under the inspiration Of extreme COMPETE
ton. A gun for brush shooting must now
necessarily BE- hammsrlsss to be up with
the times, and the newest fashion of ham,
msrless guns has a self-ejecting mechanism
-. -.k A. nLrJ1r ~-S Exal
These ~eisctor shotguns have so far been
manufactured exclusively in England.
They are made only in the fine grades.
ranging in price from $3.50 to $425. and
supsrbly finished. Now several of the
American houses are at work on ~sjsctor
guns. The year will probably not close
without seeing one or more on the market.
Speaking Of shell ~ejestors reminds me of
a feature in tho hre-arms market that is
just now broadcast and general. That is
the prevalence of cheap rsvolvers OF a pat
tern that until recently has been amono the
most popular and expensive in the market.
The patent having elapsed. all the manu-
f~aotursrs of cheap revolvers are turning
them out by the bushel, and they include
the ejecting apparatus. Few of the recent
patterns of hammsrless guns are for sale
without the safety-lock catch. The familiar
style of English side safety il superseded in
all American manufacture by the top safe
ty, which sets automatically when The gun
is broken. Among the novelties is repeat
ing shotgun, Of which there are two designs
in the market this year. One comes from
England and is very expensive, but the
other, an American weapon, can be bought
for $25. or in its most expensive pattern for
$50. The American make arc of ten and
twelve gauge, single barrs!lsd, and weigh
ing eight pounds. There IL still a chance
for great improvement in these guns. as
they do not fulfill in practice the promises
they make when exhibited in the store. |
With new and fawless cartridges their
mechanism works we'll, but with shells
pocket they prove their impracticability in
The field.
Then there is a sevsn-shot duck gun
shooting simultaneously seven % caliber |
cartridges, which are cnrried in q metallic |
disk 80 a. to be inserted and extracted by
one movement. The ordinary single bar
relied shot gun is almost obsolete and the
combination rifle and shot gun has an in
creasing struggle to find a customer.
The market WAS never 80 flooded with
very cheap guns. They come principally
from Belgium, though England furnishes
many patterns, the cheapest coming from
Birmingham. where also the most expen-
sivs of foreign high grades are manufac-
tured. Ths lowest price American made
hammerless shot guns this season coat from
$25 to $35.
For quail and other upland shooting, the
craze for the little guns is a noticeable one.
Miniature hammerless guns are twelve bore,
with twsnty-seven inch barrels, and weigh
a triAe over five pounds. They are found
almost as effective as an eight-pound gun, |
and recommend themselves by being very \
much pleasanter to handle. The use of