Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-01-15
GUNS ARE NOW CHEAP
Changes in Sporting Weapons by
Smokeless Powder.
DIderent Materials ana Mechanism
VOW In use-Cut Prices and SEQ
ond-Hsnd Pieces Figure In
the Reduction,

With every prospect of a fine fowling
and hunting season the sportsmen are
looking around for the latest things In
guns. II looks as II perfection had been
nearly reached so far as structural Tea
lures are concerned, and the great prob
lem is which ore the best Of certain fair
Iy new devices grated on old standards.
The only really new item is a gun which
has a movable breech. The entire part
containing the lock mechanism and the
chamber for the cartridges may be
taken out TO be replaced by another
similar piece. This Is designed for rap
Id firing, where leaders are employed,
and although It has gained a certain
amount Of favor in Europe II Is not like
IL TO receive much netics from Ameri-
IAN sportsmen.
The magazine fowliug piece proper is
receiving more attention than for years
past. Especially has this been the case
with the reed bird and the rail hunters
this fall. The single trigger gun has
failed 20 take here, except as a novelty.
and the fowling piece with auNiliarN
chambers on each side Of the barrel to
hold two extra cartridges, did not APP
pear To sell al all. The truth il the
American sportsman is satisfied with
the performance Of the average high
grade American double.barreled gun.
Possibly never before were guns so
cheap as at present. II is said that the
tut price fever is responsible for this,
and that the second hand guns so eN-
tensivcly advertised are second hand
In the same way as the bicycles were
when a ride around Central park had
rougheued the tires a little and so en-
abled the dealer to sell them at second
hand" prices without breaking his price
agreement. Certain it is that many OF
the guns at reduced prices show little
or no wear. and equally certain IL is
that the fairly large profits on these
goods will permit a smart dealer to
make a good thing out Of the second
changed also, owing to the use OF
smokeless powders. A few years ago
when the everyday shooter knew moth.
ing but black powder as a sporting cN-
plosive, the lowest grade Belgian bar.
rels were good enough for guns made to
sell at six dollars. and for ordinary
amateur shooting filed the bill. About
the worst that happened in case of an
overcharge was that the barrel was
bulged at the Dreech or muzzle, and a
badly burst gun was the exception.
Smokeless- powder has all changed the
situation. A comparison OF II gun Of
ten years ago and one Of to-day will
show material differences in the mech
anism of the breech, the thickness OF
the brecch, and the construction of the
body and action. All these changes are
designed 10 withstand the greater
strain OF the nitro Of smokeless pow
ders.
The smokeless powders have also
been extensively used In rifles, espe-
cially those OF small caliber. The ex-
perience in actual game shooting with
these arms has been about the same AZ
In war. The bullet perforates without
killing. In the Maine woods n fine deer
was well within shot OF n New York
man, and IL wa noticed that the tip OF
one antler was split in a peculiar fash
ion 30 as to distinguish the animal. lie
fired and apparently hit the deer just
back OF the flank. The bullet went
clean through the deer, and away went
the animal. Three weeks later, in an
other camp, the animal was shot by an
other man and identified 10y the split
point and the wound mark which had
healed. An old-fashioned bullet would
have stopped the deer within 300 yards.
In the same camp a deer was secured
without a visible wound. II was shot
at, threw up It's head and dropped, just
rs the guide reached it, knife in hand.
IL rose, but its throat was cut before /,
escaped. At first the impression wa,
that the knife caused the muscles TO re-
act, but investigation showed that the
bullet struck the base OF the horn and
was DETECTED, the shock stunning tbs
animAl.-N. Y. Sun.