The morning call., 1895-02-10

the San Francisco organization, now but
two years old, could mold its head so very
high.
"That is an open secret, " he replied with
a laugh, ''but we must not 90 into par
ticulars. We are all Americans in the
club, so you may know there are none of
the crack German shooting kings among
us. Well, it is all in the weapons we use,
even more than in the skill of our mem
bers. L don't suppose you can find such
another collection of queer things in pis-
tolls anywhere outside of the Columbia
Club. Our pistols are either original de-
signs or worked-oYer weapons of standard
make. We have made many interesting
discoveries in the shooting qualities of
pistols and worked out secrets which I'm
sure many Eastern pistol men and manu-
facturers would give great deal to know.
For a certainty | may say it is not possible
to get the results we are accustomed to
with any other weapons than our own"
From experiments running through two
years it has been learned that the best
standard pistols are not properly rifed or
turned. The Smith &J Wesson and the
Stevens gallery pistols of % caliber have
not satisfied the club cracks because that
feature is lacking. The barrel must have
a twist of one inch in fourteen.
To get turned barrels some members of
the Columbia Club have sawed off % cali
Der Remington and Winchester rifles ten
inches from the hammer, removed the
stock and attached a pistol handle.
No better pistol for target shooting
can well be designed. For although
awkward and clumsy they have the
advantage of weight, which makes it
possible to take almost perfect aim. Other
members take Smith & Wesson revolver.
a caliber, and so distort it that the makers
could not recognize their pet weapon.
The cylinder is cut off fat with the
action frame and fastened firmly. the
handle is fashioned and weighted to suit
the individual taste. Then a piece of a
Winchester rife, ten inches in length, is
turned down to fit into the big barrel Its
calibeT is %, so when the new pistol is fin
ished instead of murderous weapon the
owner has gallery gun, capable of firing
only tiny bullet without even the con-
venience of revolver action. But the
rite-barrel inside has the desired number
of turns to send bullets spinning around
through space along direct line of sight
for an incredible distance. In this way the
queerest assortment of pistols has been
evolved, and undoubtedly there will come
out OF them new and nearly perfect
weapon for general use.
So great is the variety of designs, no two
pistols used by the club are alike. Pistols
and rifles and revolyers. are mixed I'D in
most bewildering fashion, until the comb
nations of Remington, Winchester, Smith
d Wesson and Stevens appear almost end
less. Here is No. Remington rife barrel
in a Stevens pistol; there on a Smith &
Wesson revolver action is grated ten inches
of Winchester steel; again the action of
one rife may be united with portion of
another's barrel, and even different pistol
actions and barrels are joined. AS a rule
the handles are remodeled to fit the own
er's hand or suit his idea of comfort, and in
all of them heavy lead weight is intro
duced for balancing.
d. w. Mclaughlin, crack shot who
would go East with his club in the event
of a challenge, recently designed an extra
ordinary pistol. 1t was made by local
gunsmith on the plan of the Remington
action, with Winchester rife barrel OF
pistol length. The action is so arranged it
lies behind the handle, which hangs from
the middle of the pistol. The main idea OF
this original contrivance is to give an abso-
lutte balance, though it necessitates the use
of connecting rod between the trigger in
front and the action behind Mr. McLaugh-
lin has the satisfaction of knowing from ex-
perlenee that his model is second to none.
The secret of the Columbia Clubs sue
cess is soon told, and it is this: The best
standard pistol of to-day is not what it
ought to be-