,,automatic ,,pistol ,,shooting ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,automatic ,,pistols ,,automatic ,,pistol ,,shooting ,,together ,,with ,,information ,,on ,,handling ,,the ,,duelling ,,pistol ,,and ,,revolver ,,by ,,walter ,,winans ,,chevalier ,,of ,,the ,,imperial ,,russian ,,order ,,of ,,st4 ,,stanislaus ,,commander ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,spanish ,,order ,,of ,,isabella ,,the ,,catholic ,,commander ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,order ,,of ,,the ,,crown ,,of ,,rumania ,,officer ,,of ,,the ,,star ,,of ,,rumania ,,olympic ,,champion ,,for ,,double-,,rifle ,,shooting ,,in #aijh ,,gold ,,medallist ,,fifth ,,olympiad1 ,,stockholm1 #aiab ,,revolver ,,champion1 ,,five ,,years ,,national ,,rifle ,,association ,,of ,,great ,,britain ,,seven ,,years ,,of ,,the ,,south ,,london ,,rifle ,,club ,,and ,,ten ,,years ,,of ,,the ,,north ,,london ,,rifle ,,club ,,one ,,year ,,duelling ,,pistol ,,champion ,,at ,,gastinne-,,renette',s1 ,,paris ,,vice-,,president ,,of ,,the ,,national ,,rifle ,,association ,,of ,,great ,,britain ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,association ,,of ,,american ,,international ,,riflemen1 ,,life ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,american ,,national ,,rifle ,,association1 ,,life ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,revolver ,,association ,,and ,,of ,,le ,,pistolet ,,club ,,of ,,paris ,,president ,,of ,,ashford ,,rifle ,,club1 ,,ashford ,,miniature ,,rifle ,,club ,,and ,,the ,,surrenden ,,miniature ,,rifle ,,club ,g4 ,p4 ,,putnam',s ,,sons ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london ,the ,knickerbocker ,press #aiae ,,copyright1 #aiae ,,by ,,walter ,,winans ,the ,knickerbocker ,press1 ,new ,york ,,preface ,though my last edition of ,hints on ,revolver ,shooting was published only four years ago1 ,i find it now necessary1 owing to the advance of the automatic pistol1 to revise it thoroughly and to add new chapters4 ,till quite recently1 the automatic pistol had many defects1 both as to balance and as to safety1 chiefly in the latter respect1 so that only a very careful expert could handle one without danger to the public and to himself4 ,this has now been altered1 and with safety bolts and external hammers several automatic pistols are quite safe for the use of experts4 ,they are still very dangerous in the hands of ignorant persons2 a revolver is dangerous enough in such cases but the automatic is much more so4 ,i shall try to explain how any one possessing mechanical knowledge can1 by observing certain precautions1 safely carry and shoot an automatic pistol4 ,of course1 some men who1 for years1 have shot small game1 and who are good shots1 are still very careless in handling a gun4 ,such men should never touch an automatic pistol4 ,i have made the above remarks as ,i do not want to be responsible for any accidents with automatics2 and ,i advise any one not sure of himself to confine himself to revolvers and single-shot pistols4 ,the automatic pistol is gradually replacing the revolver except as a gallery pistol4 ,up to the present no automatic pistol can shoot gallery1 or light-charge1 ammunition1 and the full charge1 because of the noise1 is very unpleasant in a shooting-gallery4 ,it is a great pity that the 4#dd ,smith ,wesson break-down model of revolver 7shooting gallery ammunition7 is no longer made1 as it is still the best revolver for gallery shooting4 ,m4 ,gastinne ,renette1 of #ci ,avenue d',antin1 ,paris1 for his gallery1 uses them still1 together with his duelling pistols of the same calibre and powder charge4 ,i mention this as he is the only dealer who can now supply the old ,smith ,wesson revolvers4 ,,walter ,,winans4 #ag ,rue de ,tervueren1 ,,brussels1 ,,belgium4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4--,,the ,,automatic ,,pistol #a ,,ii4--,,selecting ,a ,,pistol #e ,,iii4--,,cleaning ,,and ,,care ,,of ,,pistols #aj ,,iv4--,,sights #ad ,v4--,,learning ,,to ,,shoot #ba ,,vi4--,,rapid ,,firing #dj ,,vii4--,,traversing ,,target #dc ,,viii4--,,gallery ,,shooting #dh ,,ix4--,,twenty-,,yards ,,stationary ,,target #eb ,x4--,,disappearing ,,target #fa ,,xi4--,,stationary ,,fifty-,,yards ,,target #gg ,,xii4--,,team ,,shooting ,,and ,,coaching #gi ,,xiii4--,,shooting ,,in ,,competitions #hb ,,xiv4--,,duelling #he ,,xv4--,,shooting ,,off ,,horseback #ih ,,xvi4--,,pistol ,,shooting ,,for ,,ladies #ajb ,,xvii4--,,stage ,,shooting #ajf ,,xviii4--,,trick ,,shooting #aaf ,,xix4--,,shooting ,,in ,,self-,,defence #abj ,,xx4--,,shooting ,,in ,,the ,,dark #aca ,automatic ,pistol ,shooting ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,automatic ,,pistol ,this is the pistol of the future and the revolver has now to give place to it1 just as the horse has to give place to the automobile for traction purposes4 ,still1 like the horse1 the revolver seems still to have before it a future for certain purposes1 and one uses a revolver where one would not care to use an automatic pistol4 ,the superiority of the revolver consists in its being adaptable to reduced charges and also in its being less complicated and less apt to be discharged accidentally by an ignorant person4 ,at one time1 the revolver was considered the most dangerous fire-arm in existence1 but the automatic far surpasses it in this respect4 ,when the chambers of a revolver are emptied1 it is harmless2 but when the magazine is taken out1 after an automatic pistol has been charged1 one cartridge still remains in the chamber4 ,this has been the cause of several accidents2 a man thinks the pistol is safe after he has extracted the magazine4 ,the automatic pistol is barred from gallery shooting by the fact that the mechanism is operated by the recoil from a full-charge cartridge only1 and this full charge makes too much noise4 ,i do not advise the purchase of any automatic pistol which does not have at least one safety bolt and which does not have also an external hammer4 ,there are two makes which1 from personal experience1 ,i can recommend2 one is the ,colt 4#de which has been adopted by the ,united ,states ,government for army and navy purposes4 ,this has a grip at the proper angle for shooting4 ,hardly any other automatic pistol is properly designed in this respect1 their grips being too much at a right angle1 so that the barrel tends to point too high1 this creating a strain on the wrist1 since the wrist must be held in an unnatural position4 ,the ,colt automatic of the ,u4 ,s4 ,army pattern has a stock as pleasant to aim with as a duelling pistol4 ,next1 it has a hammer which can be put to full and half cock1 just like that of an ordinary pistol or revolver4 ,it has1 besides1 two safety appliances2 one a slide which can be moved with the thumb just before firing1 like the safety bolt of a shotgun1 the other a safety bolt which is pressed by the palm of the hand in the act of squeezing the trigger1 like that of the ,smith ,wesson safety revolver1 later described4 ,the pistol is1 therefore1 as fool-proof as it seems possible to make it1 but yet there is the danger of a cartridge being left in the chamber when the magazine is taken out4 ,i again warn all shooters of automatic pistols to bear this fact constantly in mind whenever handling an automatic4 ,however1 ,i do not like the sights of this ,colt automatic4 ,the front sight is a black1 upright1 narrow rod when aiming1 and the notch in the hind sight is far too small4 ,this arrangement of sights may be all very well for deliberate aiming at a black bull's-eye on a white target1 but it is of no use for practical shooting in a bad light4 ,the front sight should be a shotgun silver bead1 and the hind sight a large ,u-shaped notch that will show the full bead in it with a little to spare at the sides4 ,with these alterations1 ,i think the ,u4 ,s4 ,regulation ,colt automatic is the best automatic ,i know4 ,the ,savage automatic is also very good1 and ,i can confidently recommend it1 especially for those who find the 4#de ,colt too large for their purpose4 ,the following chapters on learning to shoot with the revolver and duelling pistol apply equally to the automatic pistol1 except that the butts to be shot against should be more solid when using the automatic1 owing to its penetration1 and the shooting with it should take place only out-of-doors1 as the noise is very bad for indoors4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,selecting ,a ,,pistol ,you must first decide for what purpose you want the pistol2 a general utility one is about as much use as a hunter who goes in harness--not much good for either purpose4 ,if you want a hunter1 buy an ,english hunter2 if a harness horse1 buy an ,american trotter4 ,in the same way1 for whatever purpose you want a pistol1 buy one1 if by any means you can do so1 especially for that purpose4 ,anyhow1 it is useless to compete with a short-barrelled pocket automatic against target pistols4 ,this class of pistol is intended only for self-defence at short range1 and has no pretensions to accuracy4 ,a long barrel theoretically gives greater accuracy1 especially at long range1 owing to there being more length to burn the powder in1 and to the sights being farther apart1 which minimizes error in aiming2 but practically this advantage is more than counterbalanced by making the pistol heavy at the muzzle1 so that it therefore balances badly4 ,the balance ought to be as near the trigger as possible4 ,for a pocket pistol1 a short barrel may be absolutely necessary for portability4 ,in ,england some men use very long barrels1 but ,i prefer shorter pistols1 and ,i do not consider that anything over #g-a_/b inches is a ,military revolver nor should it be permitted in military competitions4 ,see that the trigger-pull is sweet1 and has no drag4 ,also1 have your trigger-pull as light as can safely be used4 ,the pull is often left by makers very heavy1 so as to be alterable to suit customers1 and the shopman may forget to have this altered4 ,if you are not hampered by rules1 about three or three and a half pounds is the best trigger-pull for general purposes4 ,i do not like a double-action revolver1 except for a pocket one1 as it cannot do accurate shooting when cocking with the trigger4 ,for a man whose hands are apt to get moist1 roughing the trigger may prevent slipping2 but it may also make the finger sore if roughed too sharp4 ,some pistols have too narrow a trigger1 almost like a piece of wire2 a wide1 spoon-shaped trigger is best1 as less likely to cut the finger1 especially when coupled with a heavy trigger-pull4 ,get a pistol which1 when you grip the stock properly1 has the barrel and your arm as nearly in a horizontal line as possible4 ,many makes of revolvers and automatic pistols have the stock much below the level of the barrel1 which consequently is above the hand4 ,this makes shooting more difficult2 you are apt to cant the weapon to one side1 and the recoil is more severe on your wrist4 ,a man who holds a pistol properly does not need a big stock1 even if he has a big hand4 ,for rough work1 and in strong sunlight1 a pistol is best blued4 ,i temporarily paint the rib1 etc41 when target shooting on sunny days1 with sight-black4 ,revolver ammunition is usually made in the following calibres3 4#cb1 4#ch1 4#da1 4#dd1 4#de1 4#dee4 ,most of these can be had loaded with various smokeless powders1 as ,king's semi-smokeless1 ,riflite1 ,cordite1 ,walsrode1 etc4 ,the ,union ,metallic ,cartridge ,company1 ,u4 ,s4 ,a41 have supplied me with great quantities of 4#dd gallery ammunition1 loaded with both round and semi-round bullets4 ,these have a small charge of black powder1 and ,i should prefer this ammunition out of a ,smith ,wesson ,russian ,model revolver for self-defence1 as well as for competitions up to twenty yards1 and ,i find it the most accurate for exhibition shooting4 ,i believe most professional stage-shooters use it4 ,it is a great pity this revolver is no longer made and can only be bought second-hand4 ,if a second-hand one is otherwise good1 a new barrel can be put to it4 ,i suppose the various ,english makers of ammunition could supply gallery charges in any of their various calibre cartridges1 but ,i know of none and should not advise the beginner to try loading this sort of ammunition in ,english cartridge-cases for himself4 ,the dome of the cap is generally higher than in ,american cartridges2 if1 therefore1 the small powder charge used in gallery ammunition be put in the case and the bullet pressed down1 the bullet will come down on the dome1 stop up the flash-hole1 and cause a misfire4 ,the way to obviate this is to take a wad of suitable calibre1 make a hole in the centre1 and push the wad down to the bottom of the cartridge before putting in the powder1 so as to fill up the base of the cartridge and let the bullet seat on the powder1 higher than the dome4 ,makers can do this properly1 but an amateur may put the wad in too loosely1 and a little powder get under the wad4 ,the result would be that1 on the shot being fired1 the wad would be driven half-way up the barrel1 and might at the next shot cause a burst4 ,be sure to use only low-pressure powder1 if you use smokeless1 as high-pressure powders are dangerous in a break-down action revolver4 ,gallery ammunition in a 4#ch new model solid frame ,smith ,wesson revolver gives good shooting4 ,many people do not understand this difference in powder pressure1 and injure their revolvers by experimenting with what become practically blasting instead of propelling charges4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,cleaning ,,and ,,care ,,of ,,pistols ,always clean your pistol the moment you have finished shooting4 ,if you leave it over till the next day1 you may as well throw it away as expect to win prizes with it4 ,the larger the calibre1 the easier it is to clean and the less chance is there of spoiling the rifling by jamming the rod in it4 ,i prefer wooden rods as less apt to spoil the rifling1 but the very narrow calibres require a metal rod 7soft metal for preference71 as the wood would have to be too thin and would be liable to break in the bore4 ,clean from the breech1 not the muzzle end if the make permits of this2 the last fraction of an inch at the muzzle is where the rifling1 if damaged1 spoils the shooting most4 ,for the same reason1 it is as well to have the rifling reamed off at the mouth of the muzzle1 so that the edge of it is protected4 ,examine the interior of your barrel at frequent intervals after cleaning1 to see if there is any damage going on from corrosion4 ,use the cleaning fluids recommended for the particular powder you are using1 as what may be good for one powder is of no use for another4 ,the great thing is to clean very thoroughly4 ,i use cotton-wool of the best quality rather than tow1 and ,i do not use boiling water unless in very exceptional cases1 for fear of overlooking a spot in drying1 and getting rust in consequence4 ,if necessary to use water to remove fouling1 let it be as hot as possible1 but this cannot be done if the barrel is not capable of being separated from the action4 ,do not try to oil the lock1 or put it right2 send it occasionally to the maker to be seen to4 ,it is also well to have a cleaning kit with wooden not metal 7except for calibres of 4#cb or less7 cleaning rods1 cotton-wool1 cleaning fluids1 screw-drivers1 etc41 all in proper compartments1 and to put them back when used4 ,see that the cotton-wool is absolutely dry and clean before using it4 ,throw away such pieces after once using4 ,do not use too big a piece on your rod1 such as would get the latter jammed in the barrel1 as you may ruin the shooting qualities of the barrel by using force to remove it4 ,have the cleaning rods long enough1 or you may bark your knuckles4 ,i do not care much for detachable stocks for pistols4 ,they only turn a pistol into an inferior carbine1 and the pistol is not meant for a long-range weapon4 ,i also do not like the cardboard cases in which ,american pistols are usually packed1 for permanent use2 they are not strong enough and are apt to injure the sights1 especially fine sights4 ,a holster1 again1 is not the thing in which to keep a pistol habitually1 as the sights get knocked about2 if the holster is used out-of-doors it gets damp inside and rusts the weapon4 ,great care should always be taken to see that the holster is absolutely dry inside before placing a pistol therein4 ,to dry the inside of a holster1 make some oats very hot in a saucepan and fill the holster with them1 emptying them out when cold4 ,some ,american holsters are made of india-rubber1 to prevent perspiration from the body rusting the pistol1 but such an one is very liable to retain dampness inside after rain4 ,the holster which ,i prefer 7for wearing1 not as a pistol-case7 is a cowboy holster1 without any button to the flap4 ,if you fasten the flap1 you cannot get the pistol out in a hurry4 ,a lining of rabbit fur is useful in keeping out sand or dust4 ,my pistol-cases are good1 strong1 and solid1 of leather1 with brass corners like gun-cases4 ,each case holds four1 placed either side by side1 each pistol in its own compartment1 or1 with a tray1 two in the tray and two below4 ,if you have only two pistols1 they can be put in a case without this upper tray1 or the tray can be used for cartridges4 ,under all circumstances1 use a good lock1--not the sort that any key fits1--keep the case locked1 and wear the key on your watch-chain1 so that you are sure nobody but yourself can open the case4 ,keep the case in a dry place1 and look at the pistols occasionally1 when they are not in constant use1 to see that they are not rusting4 ,keep your cartridges1 if not in the same case as the pistols1 also locked in a good leather case4 ,this may be fitted with compartments for various calibres and loads4 ,the word loaded may with advantage be inscribed inside the lid of the pistol-cases4 ,people then feel less encouragement to meddle with the contents4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,sights ,sights are made in many forms4 ,some suit one man best2 others another4 ,you cannot decide which suits your individual case without trying each sort for yourself4 ,when you find one form which suits you1 it is a pity to risk spoiling your shooting by changing to others2 a beginner should never do so1 as he will get into an uncertain way of taking his sights1 instead of always the same1 which is the only way to make reliable1 consistent1 shooting4 ,of course1 all your sights may be useless if you are going to shoot in a competition1 consequent on the authorities making some new rule as to fit for rough usage2 and then you will have to shoot with whatever will pass the rules4 ,my patent sight has1 so far1 complied with every rule1 and it can be used for hammering nails without sustaining damage4 ,the main point is to have a front sight at once easily seen1 and of which you see each time the same amount2 not sometimes more and at other times less1 else you cannot keep your elevation4 ,also the ,u in the back sight should have bevelled edges1 so as to give a sharp edge1 else it looks woolly4 ,again1 if you are not able to see daylight each side of the front sight when it is in the ,u1 you cannot be aware that you are not covering part of the front sight on one side or the other1 and1 therefore1 whether your aim is in horizontal axis with your barrel4 ,the reason ,i prefer a ,u- to a ,v-shaped notch in the hind sight is because in the ,v you do not see this daylight so well4 ,as soon as you can shoot well enough to know whether bad shots are the fault of the sighting of the revolver or of your own holding1 you can sight the pistol properly for yourself2 and in this way you can do the sighting much more accurately1 and with greater nicety1 than by taking it to a gunmaker and saying3 ,alter the sights to shoot three inches higher and two to the left at twenty yards1 and open the ',u' a little1 etc4 ,to do this1 have front and hind sights made of horn1 put in temporarily1 without any ,u in the hind sight1 and both hind and front sights a little higher than you think necessary4 ,then go to the range with your pistol and several files of various sizes1 including some that are round4 ,make a slight ,u in the measured centre of the top edge of the back sight4 ,shoot a few shots at the range you want to sight for 7taking care that you do not go clean over the top of the butt1 owing to being sighted too high71 and then keep working with the files1 first at one sight and then at the other1 till you get them approximately right4 ,do not cut the ,u down too close to the barrel1 as it will then give you a blurry aim1 especially when the barrel gets hot4 ,if you find you shoot too high1 unless you cut this ,u down take out the front sight and put in another higher one1 rather than file the ,u unduly low4 ,remember when filing3 ,filing at the bottom of the ,u makes you shoot lower2 filing at the top of the front sight makes you shoot higher2 filing on the side of the ,u or the front sight makes you shoot towards the side on which you have filed4 ,therefore1 by filing a very little at a time1 where necessary1 you can at last get your sighting perfect4 ,be sure to file a very little at a time1 or you will overdo it4 ,as in sculpture1 you can easily take off1 but cannot replace4 ,if you have taken off too much anywhere1 you may be able to correct this by filing so as to alter the direction4 ,for instance1 if you have been shooting too much to the right1 you can correct this by filing on the left of the front sight or the left of the ,u1 whichever makes the more symmetrical job2 but if1 by doing so1 you make the front sight too small or too narrow or make the ,u too wide1 there is nothing to do but to put in a new front or hind sight and begin shooting and filing again4 ,when you have got the sighting perfect1 work carefully with your file 7taking great care not to spoil the edge of the ,u nearest to the eye when aiming71 and give a chamfered or bevelled edge to the other side of the ,u1 so that it has a knife-edge4 ,this is to make the ,u look clear and yet allow the back sight to be strong4 ,on this principle1 you can let the hind sight be strong and over a quarter of an inch thick1 and yet have a nice1 clear ,u4 ,do not have the ,u deeper than a semicircle4 ,if this ,u is too deep1 it hampers your view of the object aimed at4 ,in fact1 it should not be quite a real ,u1 but a semicircle4 ,you can also file all round the front sight1 giving it a taper toward the muzzle1 but keeping unaltered the silhouette that you see when aiming1 so that the outline shall then stand clear to the eye4 ,a gunmaker's vise 7padded1 so as not to bruise the revolver7 is a useful thing1 as it leaves both your hands free to use the files4 ,i cannot tell you how much you may undercut the front sight1 assuming you intend to use it in competition1 as the rules alter so from year to year4 ,i have an undercut bead-sight which some years was allowed at ,bisley as ,military1 and in other years not4 ,the best plan1 if you are in any doubt as to its passing1 is to send your revolver to be passed by the committee before competing4 ,when you have finished1 and have had a final shoot to see if this finishing has not spoilt your elevation1 etc41 you can send your pistol to the maker1 and ask him to make your sights precisely like your model ones1 and to fix them permanently on the pistol without screws1 if for ,bisley use1 so as to comply with the rules4 ,when you get the pistol with these sights1 if the work has been properly done1 a very little more filing will put the matter right4 ,should you not be shooting at ,bisley1 or at any of those clubs which shoot under ,bisley rules1 you can1 of course1 get a pistol with ,smith ,wesson's ,ira ,paine adjustable sights4 ,carry a miniature folding gilt screw-driver and sight-case on your watch-chain1 as ,i do1 and you will then be able to shoot in any light1 at any range1 or in any style of shooting1 by merely giving a slight turn to the adjusting screws to alter your elevation or direction2 or take out a sight from your little case of sights1 if a sight breaks or you want a different size or shape4 ,public opinion has not yet been educated to the point of considering this a practical military sight1 but this will come--in time4 ,,extracts ,,from ,,specifications ,,of ,,walter ,,winans',s ,,revolver ,,front ,,sight ,great difficulty has hitherto been experienced in seeing the same amount of front sight each time aim is taken1 unless the base of the sight is sufficiently undercut to form a 'bead-sight'2 such undercutting being1 however1 detrimental1 as it weakens the 'sight' and renders it very liable to injury1 and is not permissible in ,bisley revolver competitions4 ,the object of my invention is1 therefore1 to overcome this difficulty1 and to this end ,i make the 'sight' of metal1 horn1 wood1 or other hard substance1 with a strong1 wide base1 preferably of the 'barleycorn' or triangular section4 ,the face of the upper part of the 'sight' facing the marksman 7as much of it as it is desirable to see in aiming7 is made vertical1 or inclined slightly towards the marksman1 so as to cause it to appear black1 as if in shadow4 ,the visible part of the sight below the face inclines forward from the marksman1 and downward1 so as to reflect the light and enable the face of the sight to be at once distinguished by its difference of shade from the lower part4 ,it may be polished or plated to assist in reflecting the light1 while as a contrast1 the vertical face is cross-filed1 or 'roughed1' or may be hollowed out so as to be in shadow1 and give it a 'dead' black appearance4 ,in the drawing1 ,i have shown what ,i consider the best means of carrying this out4 ,fig4 #a is a side view1 full size1 of a portion of a revolver barrel fitted with my improved 'front sight4' ,fig4 #b and ,fig4 #c are sections of the barrel at ,a ,b1 showing two forms which the sight may assume in section1 one having straight sides1 the other concave4 ,i show in ,figs4 #d and #d991 on a larger scale1 for the sake of clearness1 a side and plan view of the sight shown in ,fig4 #a1 and in ,fig4 #e a modification of this shape4 ,figs4 #f and #g are end views1 showing two sectional forms of the sight1 and corresponding in size with ,figs4 #d and #e4 ,in ,figs4 #a and #d1 it will be seen that a is the vertical face of the sight1 which is designed to present a dark appearance to the marksman2 and b is the polished1 inclined surface1 which takes a rounded form4 ,in the modification1 ,fig4 #e1 the face a is slightly inclined towards the marksman1 and the bright or polished surface b takes the form of a flat incline4 ,,chapter ,v ,,learning ,,to ,,shoot ,it is assumed that you have procured an accurate pistol1 properly sighted4 ,it is best to use a single-shot pistol or revolver as an automatic pistol cannot well be used as a single loader and for a beginner is very dangerous with the magazine charged4 ,first1 make sure that it is unloaded4 ,always do this before handling a pistol4 ,take a bottle of sight-black and paint both sights over with the liquid4 ,i have seen men try to compete1 with their sights in a shiny state1 which made it impossible for them to make good shooting on a white target with black bull4 ,for game shooting1 or for military purposes1 of course1 a dead white 7ivory for choice7 tip to the front sight is preferable1 or my patent military front sight1 which answers the purposes both of a light on dark1 or dark on light sight4 ,with a pistol the first thing to consider is safety4 ,it is1 owing to its shortness1 one of the most dangerous of firearms to handle4 ,even an expert must exercise great care2 and in the hands of a beginner or a careless person it may be fearfully dangerous4 ,i have had many very narrow escapes in teaching men how to shoot2 it is not even safe to be behind them2 they will turn round with the pistol at full-cock1 pointing it at you1 and say3 ,i cannot understand why it will not go off2 see6 ,i am pulling as hard as ,i can at the trigger4 ,it is indispensable to have a safe background4 ,some people think that if the target is fastened to the trunk of a tree it is all safe1 since the bullet will not go through the tree4 ,this may be so if the tree is hit1 but the bullet will1 most likely1 go past the tree when the beginner fires2 or1 what is just as dangerous1 graze the tree and go off at an angle4 ,also1 in shooting with round bullets1 and light gallery ammunition1 the bullets may rebound from a hard tree and come back on the shooter4 ,this ,i have actually seen happen4 ,a good background is a high sandy bank1 a thick pile of fagots1 or1 if not closer than fifty yards1 a high brick or stone wall4 ,the target may be stood some fifteen yards away from the wall to prevent danger of a bullet coming back on the shooter1 and then the shooter can be far enough from the wall1 if the wall is a background4 ,if a lot of shooting is done1 it is not very good for the wall1 and if many shots hit the same spot they may gradually make a hole4 ,iron butts are expensive1 especially for the large surface required by a beginner2 at twenty yards1 a beginner could not in my opinion safely shoot at a background less than twelve feet high and some ten in width4 ,even then there should not be any one beyond it within half a mile1 lest he should happen to let off by accident4 ,shooting out to sea is safe1 if one keeps a good lookout for boats2 but the glare from the water is bad4 ,a sand or chalk pit is a good place to shoot in1 or one can shoot against a high chalk cliff4 ,it is dangerous to shoot anywhere where people cross unexpectedly1 as from round the corner of a building4 ,the great thing is that the pistol should never point in any direction where it would matter if it went off by accident4 ,this rule should be observed even with an empty pistol1 because so many ,i-did-not-know-it-was-loaded accidents occur4 ,having got a butt1 the learner should take a firm1 narrow wooden table and place it some ten yards from the target4 ,this target is preferably a ,bisley fifty-yards target1 four-inch bull's-eye4 ,the ,bisley cardboard targets are cheap2 and1 by pasting white patches on the white and black on the bull's-eye bullet-holes1 one target can be used for a long time4 ,i refer to the fifty-yards target because this four-inch bull's-eye is very easy to hit at ten yards' range4 ,the ,bisley revolver bull's-eyes count1 at all ranges1 seven points2 the concentric rings counting one point less1 each1 till the outermost one1 which counts two points4 ,the highest possible score1 therefore1 for the six shots is forty-two1 or six times seven4 ,it is best to shoot at this very big bull at ten yards1 as making bull's-eyes encourages the beginner2 and1 as he gets more proficient1 the two-inch twenty yards bull can be substituted4 ,this ,i think preferable to going back farther from the target as your skill increases2 also it is safer1 for the nearer the shooter is to the butt the wider his shots would have to be for him to miss it2 whereas1 if he goes back to fifty yards he may easily shoot over a very high butt4 ,place your empty pistol on the table1 the weapon lying on its left side with the muzzle towards the target4 ,the table is preferably a narrow one1 so that1 during the process of loading1 the muzzle points to the ground beyond the table and not to the table itself1 an accidental discharge being thus immaterial2 a foot wide is about right2 the length does not matter1 so long as it will hold your field-glasses1 cleaning things1 and cartridges4 ,,position4--,the position for shooting which ,i am now going to describe1 is the one in which ,i shoot and the one which ,i have found from experience suits me best4 ,this position1 however1 will have to be modified according to the build of the shooter2 a stouter or shorter-necked man than myself might have to stand more sideways4 ,stand facing the target2 the right foot pointing straight for the target1 or perhaps a shade to the left 7if the ground is slippery1 this gives you a firmer foothold72 the left heel distant from six to nine inches to the left of the right foot1 according to your height 7my distance is eight inches71 and about an inch farther back2 the feet turned out about as much as is natural to you when standing4 ,stand perfectly upright1 not craning your head forward2 the left arm should hang down straight and close to the side in the position of ,attention4 ,some people bend the left arm and rest the hand on the hip2 but ,i think this looks affected1 and it is not as workmanlike as if the arm hangs straight down4 ,if you are trying to hold an especially important shot1 and find yourself wobbling off your aim1 it is a great help to grip your thigh hard with your left hand2 this especially applies in a gusty wind4 ,now lift the pistol with your right hand 7the weapon is empty1 remember7 and cock it4 ,there are two ways of cocking3 one using both hands and one using only the shooting hand4 ,i do not refer to the double-action revolver cocked by pulling back the trigger1 as ,i do not think shooting with much accuracy can be done by this method2 and it is1 moreover1 the cause of half the accidents happening with the ,i-did-not-know-it-was-loaded shooters4 ,the cocking by the trigger is only useful in a revolver for self-defence at very close quarters4 ,to return1 this single-handed cocking is done by putting the thumb on the hammer and by the action of the thumb muscles alone bring it to full-cock4 ,take particular care that the first finger is clear of the trigger1 or else you will either break or injure the sear notch1 or have an accidental let-off4 ,with practice1 this way of cocking becomes very easy1 and can be done with great rapidity4 ,i personally can also let the pistol down to half-cock 7manipulating the pistol with one hand1 with the trigger finger and thumb72 but ,i would not advise a beginner to try this1 except with an empty pistol and even then only one that he does not mind the chance of spoiling1 as he is very apt to break the nose of the sear if he bungles it4 ,by practice1 the thumb and forefinger muscles 7abductor pollicis and adductor indicis7 develop enormously1 and you need not mind if at first it seems difficult2 but stop at first as soon as they feel tired1 or you may strain them4 ,pistol-shooting is good also for the flexors of the forearm and for the dorsal muscles4 ,a small hammer with short fall is easiest to cock1 as well as to make good shooting with1 for such a hammer takes less time in falling1 and the aim is1 in consequence1 less likely to be disturbed4 ,the beginner will find that it assists the cocking to give the pistol a slight tilt to the right and upwards1 taking great care to bring it back with the hind-sight horizontal afterwards1 as holding the sights tilted is one of the chief causes of bad shooting4 ,for double-handed cocking1 assist the right hand by taking the pistol barrel in the left hand2 keep the barrel horizontal and pointed at the target1 not towards your left-hand neighbour 7if you are competing71 as is often done2 and1 while it is thus steadied1 cock gently1 not with a jerk1 bringing the hammer well beyond full-cock1 so that it sinks back into the bent with a well-defined click1 keeping the first finger clear of the trigger4 ,now1 stand with the pistol in your right hand1 just clear of the table2 right arm full stretch4 ,the first finger must be outside the trigger-guard 7not touching the trigger7 during this stage4 ,some ,englishmen shoot with the second finger on the trigger and the first along the pistol2 but this is a clumsy way1 and the first finger is apt to be burnt with the escape of gas from the cylinder1 if a revolver is used4 ,the habit was acquired from shooting the ,martini rifle1 the clumsy grip of which made this manner of holding necessary4 ,the great thing is to have your grip as high as you can on the stock1 in line with the axis of the barrel1 or as near this as is practicable4 ,with the ,smith ,wesson ,russian ,model 7now no longer manufactured7 ,i have it actually in line with the bore of the barrel4 ,some pistols for the ,british market often have specially long1 big handles1 or stocks1 because of the habit 7or is it the ,regulation ,position87 of holding the stock low down with the little finger beneath1 prevalent in ,england4 ,now this sort of position makes the recoil come at an angle to the wrist1 throws the barrel up at the recoil1 spoiling the accuracy1 and puts more strain on the wrist than is necessary4 ,i remember a very strong-wristed man firing one of my heavily charged fifty-yards revolvers and spraining his wrist at the first shot1 owing to holding it in this way2 whilst ,i have fired hundreds of rapid-firing shots straight on end with it without hurting myself4 ,i take the recoil just as a man catches a hard-thrown ball1 letting arm1 hand1 and wrist fly up together4 ,the pistol barrel1 hand1 and arm should all be nearly in one line1 the thumb along the left side1 so as to prevent jerking to the left in pressing the trigger 7in the same way as the left arm is fully extended in shooting with the shotgun71 and not crooked1 as all beginners insist on holding it4 ,you must be constantly on the watch that you do not crook your thumb1 until the extended position becomes second nature to you4 ,some makes of pistols1 however1 have the extractor lever in a position which renders this grip with extended thumb impossible4 ,for the benefit of beginners who are not target rifle-shots1 the following explanation may be necessary3 ,the target1 for the convenience of locating shot-holes1 is supposed to represent the face of a clock4 ,the top of the bull's-eye 7which we term bull for brevity7 is called ,,xii o'clock1 as that is1 of course1 where the numeral ,,xii appears on a clock face1 and so on for all the other numerals3 half-past four1 for instance1 is half-way between where the numerals ,,iv and ,v appear on a clock4 ,i was once shooting in the presence of a foreign naval officer1 and when ,i made a half-past five bull shot he said1 ,south-east1 his professional instinct making him liken the target to the face of a compass4 ,first take a deep breath1 and fill your lungs4 ,now slowly bring your right arm to the horizontal1 keeping your eyes fixed on the bottom edge--at six o'clock--of the bull2 whilst you are doing this1 put your forefinger inside the trigger-guard1 and gradually begin to feel the trigger and steadily increase the pressure on it straight back1 not sideways4 ,whilst you are doing all this1 also gradually stiffen all your muscles so that you are braced up1 especially about the right shoulder1 as though you were walking along the pavement and saw a man coming towards you whom you meant to shoulder out of your path4 ,you may breathe naturally until the pistol is levelled1 then hold your breath2 if you cannot get your aim satisfactorily before you feel you want to take a fresh breath1 lower the pistol1 take a deep breath1 and try again4 ,if you have followed these directions carefully1 you will find1 when the hind sight comes to the level of your eyes 7closing your left eye or not1 as you find best1 without any lowering of the head71 the front sight will be seen through the middle of the ,u pointed at the bottom of the bull's-eye1 the top of the front sight just touching it at six o'clock4 ,if everything has been done perfectly1 at the moment this occurs the pressure on the trigger will have been increased sufficiently to cause the hammer to fall1 and1 after it has fallen1 you will see the top of the front sight still just touching the bull's-eye at its bottom edge4 ,if the pistol had been loaded 7assuming1 of course1 that it was an accurate shooting one and properly sighted71 you would have had a central bull's-eye for your shot4 ,most likely1 however1 you will find that the pistol came up all of a tremble1 and that1 as the hammer fell1 the front sight was jerked very wide of the bull and perhaps even hidden by the hind sight4 ,do not be discouraged1 but cock and try again4 ,by the way1 it is best to use a dummy cartridge or an exploded one whilst doing this snapping practice1 as otherwise the jar may do damage to the plunger and perhaps break the mainspring4 ,there are dummy cartridges1 made with a rubber buffer1 for this practice4 ,if you still find your hand shaky 7and it is not naturally so71 it most probably arises from your gripping too hard4 ,the action of letting off should be like squeezing an orange--a squeeze of the whole hand4 ,start with a light grip when your hand is down1 and gradually squeeze as you come up1 the trigger-finger squeezing back2 and the hammer will fall without the least tremor or without the sights moving off the point they covered during the fall of the hammer4 ,the main thing of all in pistol shooting is to squeeze straight back4 ,whenever you find yourself shooting badly see if you are not pulling off to one side2 and in nine cases out of ten you will discover that this was the cause of your bad shooting4 ,some men can never squeeze the trigger straight back1 and have to allow for this by getting the hind sight set over to one side to correct it2 but this is a slovenly way of shooting1 and1 as the pull to one side may vary according to the jumpiness of the shooter1 it prevents his being a really first-class shot4 ,keep the hind sight perfectly horizontal2 beginners are prone to cant it on one side1 which puts the bullet to the side towards which you cant4 ,after a little practice1 you will be able to call your shots1 that is to say1 you will be able1 the moment the cartridge explodes1 to say where the shot has struck the target1 as you know where the sights were pointed at the squeeze-off4 ,after six shots1 make a pencil-cross over each bullet-hole1 so as to know where your former shots hit4 ,after twelve hits it is best to take a fresh target4 ,at the end of the day's shooting1 you can cover the holes by pasting black patches on the bull's-eye holes and white on the rest1 and use the target again4 ,i will now say why ,i insist upon the importance of a table being before the shooter4 ,the usual procedure for a beginner with the pistol is this3 ,he cocks the pistol with both hands1 pointing it at the spectators on his left whilst doing so2 he then holds it with his right arm close to his side1 pointing it to the ground at his right foot4 ,he then brings it up with a flourish1 high above his head1 and lowers it to the target1 jerks the trigger1 and looses off4 ,of course he does not hit the target1 but makes a very wild shot4 ,after a few more shots on this principle1 getting more and more wild1 and making bigger flourishes with his pistol1 he finally lets it off by accident whilst his arm is hanging by his side2 and he is lucky if he does not make a hole in his right foot4 ,i remember once a man telling me 7he professed to be an expert with the revolver7 that ,i was wrong in keeping my revolver pointed in front of me towards the target when preparing to shoot4 ,you ought to hold it like this1 he said1 letting his right arm hang close to his side and keeping the revolver pointing downwards2 then it is quite safe4 ,at that moment it went off and blew a big hole in the ground within an inch of his foot6 ,by my system of having a table in front of the shooter1 close to which he stands1 and from which he lifts the pistol1 he cannot shoot down into his feet4 ,but he must never turn round or leave the table without first unloading the pistol and placing it on the table2 nor1 on any account1 must he let any one go up to the target or be in front or even get level with him whilst the pistol is in his hand4 ,now1 as to the trick of lifting the pistol above one's head before firing3 ,i cannot understand why people want to do this4 ,it only frightens spectators2 besides1 the shooter is running the risk of shooting himself through the head2 and in competitions or in self-defence time is too valuable to waste in such antics4 ,when you are pretty confident that you can keep your sights properly aligned at the bottom edge of the bull while the hammer is falling1 you can try a few shots with a loaded pistol4 ,it is best to load only some of the chambers1 if using a revolver1 irregularly spin the cylinder round1 after the revolver is closed and at half-cock1 so as not to know which chambers are loaded1 and every time you find you jerk off with a shot1 return to the snapping-empty-cartridge practice4 ,this latter is good practice1 even when you become a skilled shot4 ,place the box of cartridges beside1 and to the right of1 the pistol4 ,use only a very small charge 7gallery ammunition for choice7 at first1 as nothing puts a beginner off so much as the fear of recoil4 ,stand behind the table1 the pistol being between you and the target1 and take the pistol by its stock in the right hand4 ,do not turn the muzzle to the left1 but straight out towards the target4 ,put it in your left hand and load it4 ,this procedure varies with different makes of revolvers2 with the ,smith ,wesson1 ,russian1 and ,winans models1 you lift the catch with your left thumb and press the barrel down with the same hand till it 7the barrel7 is perpendicular1 pointing to the ground4 ,but whatever the mechanism1 when the pistol is open for loading1 the barrel should be pointing downwards1 yet in line for the target4 ,if a cartridge projects too much1 remove it1 as it is dangerous and may explode prematurely from friction against the breech of the revolver4 ,in loading1 of course have the pistol at half-1 not full-cock4 ,close it by elevating the breech with the right hand1 not by raising the barrel with the left1 as in the latter case the cartridges may drop out4 ,this rule applies also to the hand ejecting revolvers4 ,see that the snap1 or other fastening1 is properly closed4 ,if your shot goes wide of the bull1 be sure1 before you alter your aim for the next shot1 whether it is not your squeeze-off which is wrong4 ,a practised shot can correct the shooting of his pistol by aiming-off enough to rectify any error in sights4 ,but the beginner had better not attempt this3 he will find enough to do in trying to hold straight under the bull4 ,do not mind if your score does not count much2 those who do not understand shooting judge the goodness of a score by how much it counts1 or by how many shots are in or near the bull's-eye4 ,in reality1 it is the group which constitutes a good score4 ,one score may consist of the highest possible1--forty-two points 7all six shots bull's-eyes71--and another may only count twelve points2 and yet the latter may be far the better shoot4 ,i will explain3 ,in the first case1 the shots may be all round the bull1 nicking the edges2 they would require1 therefore1 a circle of more than four inches 7on the target you are at present shooting at7 to cover them4 ,the other score may consist of all six bullet-holes cutting into each other at an extreme edge of the target1 but making a group which could be covered with a postage-stamp4 ,the first shoot is a wild1 bad score for ten yards' range at a four-inch bull1 although it counts the highest possible in conventional scoring4 ,the other is a magnificent shoot1 that any one might be proud of2 the fact of its being up in the corner merely showing that the sights were wrong1 not the shooter's holding4 ,a few touches of the file1 or knocking sideways the hind sight1 will put this error right4 ,never mind1 therefore1 about scoring many points2 merely shoot for group4 ,you will gradually find your groups getting smaller and smaller as you improve2 it is then merely a matter of filing to get good scoring4 ,as your four-inch bull's-eye is too large for real shooting at ten yards1 you must remember that the sighting of the pistol should put the bullets one inch only into this size bull at ,,vi o'clock1 not into the middle of it4 ,the reason is that1 practically1 the trajectory of a pistol is the same at twenty as at ten yards2 and as the ,english regulation bull at twenty yards is two inches1 you want the twenty-yards sighted pistol to put the shots into the centre of the two-inch bull when you aim at the bottom edge4 ,in other words1 you want it to shoot an inch higher than your aim at that distance4 ,therefore1 if with your four-inch bull1 aiming at the bottom edge1 you go into the bull one inch up1 it means a central bull's-eye shot on a two-inch bull4 ,the reason ,i recommend aiming at the bottom of the bull's-eye instead of at the middle of it is that if you try to put a black bead in the middle of a black bull's-eye1 you cannot see either properly2 if you whiten the bead of the fore sight1 then you cannot see it clearly against the white of the target in coming up to a bull4 ,nobody can hold absolutely steady on the bull for more than a fraction of a second2 you have to come up from below and squeeze off as you get your sights aligned4 ,it is best to have your cleaning appliances on the table1 or otherwise handy1 when shooting1 and every now and again to have a look through the barrel and a wipe-out2 you might otherwise be inclined to attribute to bad shooting what may be caused by leading or hard fouling in the barrel4 ,i have a little cupboard under my table with a lock and key1 in which ,i keep my cleaning apparatus1 cartridges1 etc4 7but not the pistol71 to save the trouble of carrying them to the range4 ,always clean a pistol as soon after shooting as possible1 and clean very thoroughly4 ,for real work1 ,i prefer a pistol when it is half worn out1 as everything then works smoothly and there is less danger of jambing4 ,rust in the rifling may entirely spoil accuracy1 as1 if you work it off1 the bore gets enlarged and the bullets strip4 ,i never like to compete with a perfectly new pistol2 all pistols have their peculiarities1 and it is necessary to get used to one1 to break it in1 before trusting it to obey one's slightest hint4 ,it is sometimes useful to be able to shoot with the left hand2 as1 for instance1 if the right hand is disabled1 the right arm held1 etc41 and for an officer with a sword in his right hand4 ,if the novice has resolution enough to divide his practising1 from the beginning1 between both hands1 he will be able to shoot nearly as well with his left hand as with his right4 ,i have put quotation marks round left as ,i mean by this the hand not usually employed2 a left-handed man's right hand being in this sense his left4 ,i have also noticed that a left-handed man can shoot more evenly with both hands2 that is to say1 he is not much better or worse with either hand1 not being so helpless with his right hand as a normally handed man is with his left4 ,in all the directions for shooting1 for left-handed work merely change right leg to left leg2 right arm to left arm1 etc4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,rapid ,,firing ,rapid firing1 in my opinion1 is the most practical style of shooting2 a pistol is not a weapon for deliberate shooting1 but for lightning rapidity at short range4 ,if you are using a revolver it is necessary to get one which works as loosely and as easily as possible4 ,a half-worn-out revolver is best1 as it works freer4 ,next1 file the mainspring as weak as it is possible to have it without risk of too many misfires4 ,if it has one misfire in every twenty shots1 or so1 it does not matter1 the great thing being to have it cock easily4 ,an automatic pistol is the weapon for this1 a revolver being quite out of date4 ,a very big front sight and a big ,u in the back one are advisable4 ,as the target rises1 come up1 quickly1 increasing the pressure on the trigger as you come up1 so that the pistol goes off the moment it is horizontal and the sights are about right4 ,i say about because there is not time to correct the aim4 ,be sure to squeeze back--not jerk off4 ,it is possible1 with practice1 to get this snap shot into the bull or touching it4 ,as this first shot goes off1 be especially careful to take all pressure off the trigger4 ,unless you are very careful you will keep a slight pressure on the trigger with your first finger1 and if you are using an automatic the next shot will go off before you mean it to4 ,your right arm--and in fact1 the whole of your body--should be immovable4 ,your aim at each shot ought not to be disturbed enough to be more than a few inches off the bull4 ,after each shot begin a steadily increasing pressure straight back1 and without a jerk1 trying at the same time to get your sights as near the bull as you can before the pistol goes off again4 ,you can fire as quickly as you can get your aim4 ,if using an automatic pistol1 all that you have to do is to release the pressure on the trigger the moment each shot goes off1 and instantly begin to squeeze again as you get your next aim4 ,do not keep on too long2 half a dozen practice scores are ample at a time4 ,one only gets erratic and wild if one continues too long1 and the pistol also gets hot4 ,the sighting may have to be different in this from that required for slower shooting4 ,some men shoot up in one corner when snap-shooting with the heavy trigger-pull of the automatic pistol2 and it is preferable to have the sighting so that one can aim straight under the bull1 instead of having to make allowance for the jerking off4 ,the trigger-pull should be as light as is deemed compatible with safety1 but the automatic pistols so far on the market have a very heavy trigger-pull4 ,wearing glasses to protect the eyes against half-burnt powder fumes is very important in shooting an automatic4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,traversing ,,target ,target ,moving ,across the ,line of ,fire at ,twenty ,yards ,this is not so difficult as rapid-firing4 ,the chief difficulty is that when your aim is right horizontally1 you may be wrong vertically1 and vice versa4 ,when first practising1 have a target made with a black band two inches wide running down the middle of the target1 instead of the usual bull's-eye4 ,begin your practice at this1 having it first put up with the black band vertical1 and then with it horizontal4 ,shooting at it vertical will show you if you are getting the right allowance in front in your aim4 ,when it is horizontal1 it will show you if your elevation is correct4 ,this can be elaborated by having black bands painted or pasted on the back of an ordinary target1 and1 with its back towards you1 shooting at them4 ,then1 by turning it over after the six shots have been fired1 you will see what score you would have made on a regulation target4 ,the reason for this practice is that there are two things to attend to4 ,one is the allowance in front1 the other is the elevation2 and if a beginner tries to think of both at once1 it will confuse him4 ,if1 after you have got pretty certain of your allowance1 you go to elevation1 you will most likely lose your allowance1 and have to go back to the vertical band2 and so on1 alternately1 till you can trust yourself at the regulation bull4 ,most people1 unless they use alternate hands1 find the run one way easier than the other4 ,i prefer higher elevation in sights for this competition4 ,instead of aiming to touch the bull at ,,vi o'clock to get a central bull1 the aim should be at the actual elevation you want the bullet to go1 so as to enable you to aim off at ,,iii o'clock and ,,ix o'clock for right and left runs respectively4 ,some people who are slower on the trigger--that is1 who take longer to give the order to the trigger-finger when their eye says the aim is right--may need more allowance4 ,there is in astronomical work a technical term 7reaction time7 for the process of timing first contact in eclipses1 and each observer deducts his own personal error1 which seems constant to him4 ,this allowance varies in revolver shooting with different men4 ,some men aim at a spot1 and wait for the target to come up to it2 but this is useless1 as any one knows who has shot moving game with a gun4 ,stand absolutely square to the front1 or perhaps a little more toward the side on which you find it most difficult to follow the target4 ,plant the feet slightly farther apart than for other competitions1 and swing the whole of the upper part of the body from the hips4 ,do not swing your right arm1 keeping the rest of the body still4 ,the shoulder-joint does not give so smooth a horizontal swing as swinging from the hips4 ,moreover1 if you swing the arm1 you have to turn the head1 or else have to look out of the corners of your eyes1 instead of straight before you4 ,let the whole of the upper part of your body be held rigid1 and swing only on the hips4 ,lift your pistol from the table as the target appears1 and swing with the target1 bringing up the pistol on a diagonal line 7this is the resultant of the vertical rise from the shoulder and the horizontal swing of the hips74 ,let the sights come horizontal to the eyes a little in front of the proposed allowance2 and1 as you keep your arm moving in front of the bull1 gradually let the bull overtake you1 till it is the right allowance behind your sight2 and still keep on swinging4 ,all this time be gradually squeezing the trigger1 so that it squeezes off just when the aim is right4 ,be sure not to stop swinging before the pistol goes off4 ,i do not think there is any advantage in keeping your arm up between runs of the target2 it tires the arm1 and you cannot make the diagonal swing up to your spot in front of the bull4 ,i do not think it is of any use deciding to fire upon a certain part of the run3 it is best to fire when you feel you are aiming right1 and you may get this feeling sooner in the run on some days than on others4 ,there is a tendency to follow too long1 and then1 owing to lack of time1 to jerk off just as the target disappears4 ,i have made bulls when the target was almost out of sight1 in fact1 ,i did so in my record shoot1 at ,bisley1 where there used to be such a competition3 but this is a bad habit to contract1 and a risky sort of shot1 as it is almost sure to be too far behind1 or even to be fired into the shield in front of the target2 though1 of course1 if you have not a good aim1 it is better to delay as long as possible1 rather than to shoot earlier with a bad aim4 ,be sure in your range that your shield is bulletproof1 or you may get into the habit of making bulls when the target is sitting behind the shield1 by shooting through it4 ,to economize space1 you can have this target run in front of your disappearing-target apparatus1 putting the latter out of the way when not needed2 this latter will also serve for stationary-target purposes1 and to hold the fifty-yards target4 ,do not have a target which runs by gravitation1 as shooting at a target which is running downhill requires quite different sighting from that needed with one running horizontally4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,gallery ,,shooting ,a private gallery can easily be fitted up in the cellars of large country1 or even town1 houses4 ,all that is needed is a gallery of a certain length--ten yards will suffice at a pinch1 with the targets and butt 7such as ,i describe in the chapter on ,stage ,shooting7 at one end4 ,the targets should be lighted from above1 preferably by a skylight in the daytime1 and by gas1 lamp1 or electric light at night4 ,when artificial light is used1 it should be screened1 so that from the firing-point the targets are distinct1 but the source of light invisible4 ,at the firing-point it is difficult to get a satisfactory light4 ,if this gallery is not made in a greenhouse1 which1 of course1 would give ample light to sight by in the day1 ,i think there is no use in trying to get the light to shine on your sights4 ,if it is behind you1 you stand in your own light4 ,if enough above you to prevent this1 the light only shines on the top edges of your sights1 and is thus worse than useless4 ,i find it best to have enough light behind you to enable you to load by1 and to trust to seeing the sights in a black silhouette against the target4 ,you may1 for this reason1 have to alter your sights from the elevation which suits you out-of-doors4 ,you should have a ventilating shaft straight above the muzzle of your pistol1 and1 if possible1 a fan to draw off the fumes and smoke2 one worked by electricity or water-power is best4 ,it is expedient to use only the lightest gallery ammunition1 and it deadens the sound if you have the walls covered with some material hung loosely4 ,boiler-felt is very good for the purpose4 ,also1 if you shoot through a hole in a partition screen1 it helps to deaden the sound4 ,i prefer a big-calibre pistol in competition1 as it gives a better chance to score2 a shot which would be just out of the bull with a small bullet1 may just cut the bull with a large ball4 ,the bullet-hole is also more easily seen1 but the bullet must be spherical1 or you will have to use too heavy a charge of powder to propel it4 ,the self-registering targets1 such as are used for miniature 4#bb calibre rifles1 ,i do not find very satisfactory2 the larger size of the bullet makes it liable to strike two compartments at the same time1 giving you a double score1 and the impact of the bullet is1 moreover1 too heavy for the mechanism4 ,i prefer card targets or the ,gastinne ,renette target which registers hits at the firing-point4 ,on no account have targets that necessitate any one's going down the range1 or coming out from a mantlet1 to change4 ,there is sure to be an accident sooner or later4 ,have them made to draw up to the firing-point for examination and change1 and never let any one turn round with a pistol in his hand4 ,in fact1 observe all the rules as to table to fire from1 etc41 which ,i give in the chapter on ,learning to ,shoot4 ,all these rules apply equally to gallery shooting4 ,as the gallery is generally narrow1 it will be difficult to have traversing targets1 but you can have the ,bisley targets4 ,such a gallery will be an endless source of amusement in the winter evenings1 after dinner2 and the ladies can shoot as well as the men4 ,it is advisable to handicap the good shots1 so as to give all an equal chance4 ,gallery shooting is by far the most scientific style of pistol-shooting1 if you use a very light load1 fine sights1 and hair-trigger2 therefore you can have smaller bull's-eyes and subdivisions than the ,bisley ones4 ,the ,american and ,french targets are better subdivided for this purpose4 ,messrs4 ,de ,la ,rue make me special ace of hearts packs of cards for use as targets4 ,for experimental work also1 a gallery is much more reliable than shooting out-of-doors4 ,when shooting gallery ammunition in which the bullets are seated low down1 it is best to have a groove line impressed in the cartridge shell to prevent the bullet working up2 if you have not got this impression in the shell1 look into the cartridges before putting them into the chambers1 as a bullet may have worked itself up1 which would cause a weak1 low shot4 ,push the bullet down with a loading rod1 or pencil1 before you insert the cartridge into the chamber1 if you find it shifted4 ,also1 if1 after firing a few shots from a revolver with this ammunition1 you1 for any cause1 stop and want to re-load the chambers which have been fired1 it is as well to take out all the cartridges that have not been fired and examine them1 as the jar of firing may have started some of the bullets4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,twenty ,,yards ,,stationary ,,target ,i have already described how to stand and shoot at a stationary target4 ,there are a few points to be observed1 however1 which specially apply to this range when shooting at ,bisley4 ,before competing at any one of the limited-entry competitions1 it is well to be sure that you are shooting up to your proper form1 as mistakes cannot be corrected after once commencing4 ,personally ,i think it best 7if shooting every day or most of the ten days7 not to enter in a limited-entry competition till after the first two days of the meeting1 as one gets steadied down by then and grows more accustomed to the surroundings4 ,as sighting varies from day to day1 and even from hour to hour1 it may be as well to have a pool shoot for sighting purposes first2 but ,i personally never do so1 as ,i think it is a pity to chance wasting a good score in pool4 ,the moment you have found the spot1 leave off pool2 do not stop to finish a score4 ,i prefer doing my sighting on an unlimited-entry competition ticket1 so that in case ,i make a highest possible1 that score is not wasted4 ,the early morning1 from #i till #aa ,a4,m41 is the best time for shooting2 and then1 perhaps1 late in the evening4 ,one should watch for a good time when the light is favourable2 often the wind will drop late in the evening1 half an hour before gunfire1 after blowing hard all day4 ,there is often a good light after rain4 ,i rather like shooting in the rain1 and have made some of my best shots in it4 ,the light is then good2 and there is then no glare on the target2 bullets make very big1 ragged holes on a wet target2 and sometimes a shot which would not cut the bull on a dry target may do so on a wet one1 owing to its making a larger hole4#a ,the flat-topped bullets make very big1 clean holes4 #a ,at ,bisley a bullet must cut the bull to count2 at the clubs if it touches it scores a bull4 ,if you have a target with a doubtful shot1 that is to say1 one for which you think you are entitled to a higher count than the range officer gives you1 do not touch it1 or thrust anything 7your finger or a pencil7 into the hole to demonstrate that the shot cuts into the bull's-eye or the line you claim4 ,if you push anything into the hole you will spoil its outline and destroy all evidence of the point at which the bullet had cut4 ,in doubtful cases1 the range officer puts a bullet of the same calibre 7which has been pushed with a rod through a revolver barrel previously7 into the hole1 and examines it whilst in this position with a magnifying-glass4 ,accept the range officer's decision as final2 never protest a decision of his4 ,look at the target through your glass and see that it has no bullet-holes in it before you begin to shoot2 and refuse to shoot at a patched target1 except at pool4 ,a patch may fall off a shot made by a previous competitor and confuse your score1 besides making the target indistinct and throwing doubt on a record score by you if you should happen to make one on such a target4 ,also see that the bull's-eye is black2 some are badly printed1 and the bull is grey and indistinct4 ,shoot very slowly and deliberately4 ,there is no hurry4 ,the time limit of two minutes would be ample within which to fire twenty-four shots--and you have only to fire six4 ,if you are dissatisfied with your aim1 or your arm is getting tired1 or a gust of wind comes1 put the revolver down without firing4 ,look down on the grass to rest your eyes1 and wipe your hands2 a little sawdust is a good thing to rub them with on hot days4 ,when it is gusty1 putting up the pistol just as you think a lull is coming1 instead of waiting for the lull1 gives you a better chance of being up when the lull does come1 and you can then snap the shot before the next gust4 ,if you have to shoot in a very high wind--as in a match1 or in shooting off a tie--it is best to snap your shots 7see chapter on ,rapid ,firing7 and not try to hold against the wind4 ,if a shot strikes a little too high1 or too low1 or too much to either side1 aim off the bull the next shot to correct it4 ,do not keep altering the amount you see of your front sight if you hit too high or too low2 you will never make a good score in that way4 ,if you are out half an inch at ,x o'clock1 aim your next shot at half an inch off ,v o'clock2 if you hit half an inch above the bull at ,,xii o'clock1 aim half an inch below ,,vi o'clock with your next shot2 do not take a coarser sight4 ,this is where a practical shot has the advantage over a mere target shot4 ,if a shot is in the bull 7,i will assume you can easily see shots in1 or partly in1 the white at twenty yards2 ,i can see them at fifty71 and you are not sure of its exact locality1 examine it with your glass4 ,if you are holding exceptionally steady1 and have shot well into the bull1 though not actually central1 do not aim differently to try to get the actual centre with the next shot2 as a rule1 if you are anything more than half in the bull1 it is better to let well alone and hold the same as before4 ,i remember on one occasion ,i had five shots in one ragged hole at ,v o'clock in the bull on the sliding target2 and for fear lest ,i should put my last shot through the same hole and have it counted as a miss1 ,i tried to hit the bull at ,,ix o'clock clear of that hole1 and got just out of the bull4 ,if you have several bullets in one ragged hole1 it is advisable1 if there be time1 to draw the range officer's attention to this before you fire the next shot1 so that in case you go into the same hole or group again1 he may record it and not think it a miss4 ,if he watches the target whilst you shoot1 through his glasses1 he will see where your bullet goes1 even if you do go into this group4 ,at the stationary targets1 and at those only1 it is advisable to use both hands in cocking4 ,in cocking1 if using a revolver1 if there is not a distinct click1 or if the action feels woolly or soft1 put it back at half-cock1 and open the revolver and see what is the matter4 ,most likely a bit of fouling1 or piece of metal from a cartridge or bullet1 or a cartridge with too thick a head or protruding cap1 is the cause4 ,when the revolver is at full-cock1 take the cylinder between the forefinger and thumb of the left hand1 still holding the stock in the right hand and keeping the muzzle towards the target1 and gently try to revolve the cylinder towards the right4 ,this1 at least1 is the normal direction1 though some makes revolve to the left4 ,you will1 perhaps1 once in a dozen times1 find that it goes over an appreciable amount till it locks4 ,any revolver1 even the best1 may sometimes not bring the cylinder round quite true to the barrel2 and if it does not coincide1 the shot will not be accurate1 owing to the bullet not going into the barrel true1 and thus getting a small shaving taken off its side4 ,a bit of fouling1 metal from cartridges or bullet1 proud cap1 or thick cartridge-head may cause this4 ,by attending to the cocking in the elaborate way ,i have indicated1 this cause of inaccuracy is avoided4 7,this is very important in cases where a miss would be dangerous3 as when shooting objects off someone's head1 or those which are held in the hand or mouth1 or for the last shot on which everything depends in a match or a record score47 ,also every time you open the revolver1 look to see whether the caps have been hit absolutely true in the centre4 ,by my way of cocking1 even if the revolver is not acting quite perfectly1 the chambers ought to come true4 ,if they do not1 clean them very carefully4 ,if1 in spite of this1 the caps are still hit on the side1 it is useless to continue with that revolver until the maker has put it right4 ,shoot with the smallest charge1 lightest bullet1 and largest calibre the rules allow1 as it is easier to shoot with a small than with a kicking charge1 and the bullet of larger calibre is more apt to cut into the bull4 7,this applies to all competitions at ranges not over twenty yards2 beyond that distance1 a big charge is more accurate4 ,see chapter on ,fifty-,yards ,target47 ,i do not like too small a front sight4 ,i think that one which1 in aiming1 you see easily is the best4 ,the semicircular ,u of the hind sight should be wide enough to enable you to see all round the bead of the front sight4 ,in pistol-shooting1 the chief difficulty is in holding and squeezing off without disturbing your aim4 ,there is no need to strain your eyes with a microscopic front sight and it makes you slow and every fraction of a second is valuable in practical shooting4 ,another fault of too fine a front sight is that it is liable to get bent1 just enough to spoil your aim1 yet not enough to be noticeable until too late4 ,if you try to straighten it1 the odds are that you break it off and then have to waste a day or more getting another fixed1 which1 most likely1 does not suit when done4 ,i always have my ,bisley sights made solid with the revolver1 without any screws1 and have some made to shoot higher1 others lower1 each on a separate revolver4 ,if ,i find that the light1 or my shooting1 does not suit one sort of sight1 ,i take another revolver4 ,i have some fifteen revolvers prepared in this way4 ,the permission to have a hind sight adjustable by being hammered to one side is worse than useless4 ,the sight works loose1 gets knocked askew1 and when you begin shooting you find it is constantly shifting and spoiling your shooting4 ,i do not call it by any means a practical military sight4 ,if you only have one pistol have it with my front sight1 sighted to your normal or average shooting1 at twenty or fifty yards1 to whichever you decide to confine yourself1 and both back and front sights made fixtures4 ,wear nailed boots1 or those with corrugated rubber soles1 so as not to slip4 ,the rubber1 however1 is rather apt to get cut in standing on spent cartridges4 ,a broad-brimmed cowboy hat1 or sombrero1 is the best headgear1 except in a wind1 as it keeps the glare off your eyes4 ,i took to using these years ago1 and now ,i see them in use by nearly all shooting men1 as well as in the ,english army1 though 7unlike in the ,u4 ,s4 army7 often rendered less serviceable by having the brim looped up on one side4 ,i keep some of various widths of brim1 and use the one most suitable for the occasion4 ,also a ,swedish leather jacket is very good when it gets chilly1 as it is very light and does not hamper your right arm as a heavier coat would do4 ,if you do not possess one1 an extra waistcoat will serve1 as this will leave your arm free4 ,an overcoat or mackintosh hampers your right arm4 ,you are freer in a flannel shirt with turn-down collar1 loose round the wrists1 and no braces4 ,a silk handkerchief tied loosely round the neck1 cowboy fashion1 keeps the sun off the nape of your neck4 ,,chapter ,x ,,disappearing ,,target ,this target1 which has the two-inch bull's-eye1 like the twenty yards stationary target1 appears and disappears at intervals of three seconds--three seconds in sight and three seconds invisible--and is shot at from a distance of twenty yards4 ,the rules forbid the pistol being raised from the firing-table before the target appears2 and it must be lowered to the table after each shot4 ,shooting in this competition is the groundwork of all the competitions other than at stationary targets2 so ,i shall go very fully into the way of becoming proficient at this1 as the other competitions should then come comparatively easy4 ,in order to do the best possible work1 you ought for practice to have an exact copy of the disappearing mechanism used at ,bisley2 and also 7and this is very important71 the range should orientate as at ,bisley and should have the background of the same colour4 ,at ,bisley1 at one time in the afternoon the shooting is against the setting sun2 at which time the wise shot takes a rest and lets others waste their entries1 as it is impossible to make good shooting under these circumstances4 ,by having the points of the compass the same as at ,bisley1 you will soon find out which sort of light suits you best1 and at what hour of the day it comes4 ,personally1 ,i find the light from #i to about #aa ,a4,m4 7during which time it is more or less over one's left shoulder7 the best for shooting in ,july4 ,as the sun comes round1 you will find that the point to aim at varies gradually as the light strikes the front sight more or less on the side4 ,variations in elevation1 owing to varying intensities of sunlight1 can also be remedied by having several pairs of spectacles with plain glass 7unless1 of course1 you need optical glasses to see clearly with71 of different tints of smoke or yellow colour4 ,you can then1 when you find a certain strength of light best for your shooting1 keep to this strength artificially1 whatever the real light may be1 putting on glasses of a shade sufficient to modify the light as required4 ,the glasses should have round1 and not oval1 frames1 and these should be a good two inches in diameter1 so that the rims do not interfere with your view4 ,large round goggles1 with plain window-glass1 are a great protection against particles of burnt-powder1 especially in a head wind2 and after a hard morning's shooting1 the surface of the glass will be found covered with adhesive black spots4 ,it is as well to have one pair of plain white glass 7i4 e41 ordinary window-glass71 and to wear either these or one of the smoked or yellow pairs whenever shooting1 or even looking on at shooting1 as the powder blowing back constantly into the eyes irritates them2 and a sudden dab in the eye may even spoil a score by making one flinch at a critical moment4 ,i have known a man incapacitated from shooting for several days through getting his eyes inflamed from particles of powder and smoke blowing in his face in a head wind1 and from the irritating fumes of the nitro-powders2 and the look of many competitors' eyes towards the end of the shooting shows how it affects them4 ,a solution of boracic acid and rose-water 7of course you must get a chemist to dispense the right quantities7 is a very good thing to bathe the eyes with during and after a hard day's shooting1 and it makes the eyes feel very comfortable the next day4 ,also1 it is important to protect the ear-drums from the constant banging1 else you get your ears singing and finally become more or less deaf4 ,a pistol is worse than a rifle or gun in this respect1 owing to the shortness of the barrel and the consequent proximity of the concussion to the ear4 ,the left ear is more apt to suffer than the right1 which is more sheltered by the arm1 and a neighbour's shot1 for which the ear is unprepared1 affects it more than one's own4 ,this is particularly noticeable if your neighbour stands slightly behind you4 ,some use cotton-wool in the ears4 ,i find it apt to mix with the natural wax in the ears1 a small amount of the cotton-wool remaining behind each time the wool is removed2 and1 what is more1 it does not sufficiently deaden the sound4 ,for practising in private1 a pair of small down pillows tied over the ears deaden the sound best1 or a racing motorist's skull cap with ear shields but both are very hot in warm weather and cannot be worn in public4 ,elliot's ,perfect ,ear ,protectors are the best ,i have yet found2 these are made in the ,united ,states and sold in ,england by ,gieve ,mathews ,seagrove1 ,the ,hard1 ,portsmouth4 ,the concussion of pistols1 bad at all times1 is of course aggravated by the use of the heavy military ammunition obligatory at ,bisley4 ,if you cannot get a copy of the ,bisley disappearing-target mechanism1 the next best thing is to have the target hinge over and be brought up again by some mechanical means4 ,if this is not practicable1 a stationary target may be made to answer1 as ,i shall presently show4 ,my reason for wanting the actual ,bisley arrangement is because that comes up with a jerk 7some of the men operating it are very jerky71 and the target wobbles for a fraction of a second1 both just as it gets upright and just before it disappears1 and this is apt to disconcert any one not used to it4 ,next1 get a metronome1 with bell attachment4 ,set it to beat half-seconds 7be very particular to get the time absolutely correct71 and set the bell to ring at every sixth beat4 ,you have now intervals of three seconds marked with a ring at the end of each4 ,count the beats to yourself when the metronome is working3 ,one1 two1 three1 four1 five1 six2 one1 two1 three1 etc4 ,get your man to work the lever which actuates the target 7the lever in every case being a yard or two behind you1 so that there is no danger of shooting the man or of burning his eyes with the side flash from the chambers of the revolver74 ,let him1 at the stroke of the bell1 bring up the target sharply1 so that it comes with a bang1 and lower it at the next ring in the same way1 and keep it down till the next ring1 then jerk it up1 and so on2 jerking it as roughly as the mechanism will allow4 ,if you have to practise on a stationary target1 pretend to yourself that it disappears at each alternate ring of the metronome4 ,the firing-point must be like the ,bisley one2 it will not do to stand with the revolver hanging at your side2 it must rest on a ledge the same height as at ,bisley1 or else your practice will be useless for ,bisley1 as quite a different way of working the muscles and resting them between shots is in use in the two styles of shooting1 and it takes less time to come up from a ledge than when the arm is hanging by the side4 ,owing to the slope of the ground at ,bisley1 some of the ledges are higher than others2 choose the one that suits you best1 and have your practice ledge that height2 and when shooting at ,bisley1 do so from the ledge you have previously chosen4 ,stand squarely1 well behind this ledge4 ,you will only get disqualified if you get into the way of resting the lower part of your body against the ledge2 or even if you stand close to it and your coat happens to hang in front2 or if you happen to have a corporation some competitor may have you disqualified as resting against the ledge4 ,the position of the legs and body is as for the twenty-yards stationary target1 except that the rod which works the target is best kept between the feet1 and these have to be a little wider apart4 7,n4,b4 ,if you are a short man1 it is better to stand to one side of the rod47 ,stretch your arm out its full length1 and1 holding the pistol with the sights uppermost1 rest the lower side of the barrel lightly against the ledge4 ,the part of the barrel adjacent to the chamber is the part to rest on the ledge1 as it is less likely to slip4 ,there is a notch between the barrel and lower part of the frame of the revolver1 and when this is resting on the edge of the table1 and the arm is straight1 then you are standing at the right distance from the table4 ,if you have to stretch too much or to lean forward1 move slightly closer until you are comfortable2 if your arm is bent1 move backward till it comes straight4 7,all this is done with an empty revolver47 ,now stand in this position1 watching the target go up and down1 and counting all the while1 one1 two1 three1 etc41 to yourself1 till you get the rhythm of the thing4 ,keep your eyes all the time fixed on the bull's-eye when it is vertical to you2 do not follow it down with your eyes1 but keep a mental picture of it1 while it is away1 on the background4 ,you will gradually be able to know exactly where it will be1 and when it will be there1 and you will then be able to aim at the imaginary spot2 so that when the target appears the sights will not have to be shifted to the bull's-eye1 but the bull's-eye will come to the sights4 ,now1 cock the pistol1 of course using only your right thumb1 and not shifting your left hand1 body1 or pistol in the slightest4 7,if you cannot do this neatly1 cock the pistol first1 and then set yourself at the ledge47 ,now1 at the word one1 slowly 7i4 e41 without hurry or jerk7 bring your arm up1 quite straight1 till the revolver is level with your eye1 and you are looking through the sights4 ,if you have been following the above directions carefully1 you will find you are aiming at the bottom edge of the bull's-eye1 without having had to shift your hand or to align the sights2 the sights and also the target have1 in fact1 come up to your eye1 not your eye to them4 ,the speed with which you raise your arm should bring the sights touching the bottom edge of the bull at the word two2 but it is better1 at first1 to be slower3 as long as you get the sights touching the bull before it disappears1 it will do--for the present4 ,at the word six1 lower the pistol to the table1 but keep your eyes on the imaginary spot at which the bull disappeared4 ,keep the pistol down while you count six1 and then raise it as before4 ,after a few minutes of this drill1 begin to squeeze the trigger slightly while the pistol is resting against the ledge4 ,with practice you will be able to regulate the squeeze so that it will require only half a pound more pressure to fire the pistol4 ,then as you lift the pistol1 gradually tighten the squeeze1 and keep gradually tightening it1 never diminishing the pressure1 but not increasing it if your aim is getting wrong1 and beginning to increase it again as you correct your aim4 ,if you are increasing the squeeze properly1 you will find1 just as your aim is perfect1 and a fraction of time before the word six1 the hammer will have fallen and you will not have jerked or moved off your aim4 ,with an automatic pistol there is no need to cock it after the first shot1 but with a revolver the instant the hammer has fallen1 cock quietly with your right thumb1 and lower your pistol to the table as before4 ,in all cocking1 ,i mean it to be understood that it must be done with one movement of the right thumb1 the finger well clear of the trigger so as not to break or wear the sear-notch1 and the left arm1 left hand1 and body not moved in any way1 as already illustrated4 ,after you have done this a few times1 and have confidence1 you may load several chambers of the revolver1 having exploded1 or empty1 cartridges in the other chambers1 so as not to injure the nose of the hammer or the mainspring4 ,the cartridges1 loaded and unloaded1 should be put in in irregular order1 and the barrel spun round1 so that you do not know when you have a loaded one to fire4 ,now1 go through the same drill as before2 most likely1 if the first cartridge is an empty one1 you will be surprised to find you jerked it off instead of squeezing1 owing to fear of the recoil2 but if this is so1 expecting your next shot to be also an empty cartridge1 you will give a nice1 smooth1 gradual let-off1 with the result that you will get a bull1 or close to it4 ,the following shot1 in consequence of your being too eager1 will almost certainly be a very wild one1 most likely below the target4 ,this is caused by jerking the trigger1 which results in bobbing the muzzle down4 ,it is curious that1 contrary to the usual idea that in firing quickly with a pistol one is prone to shoot over1 the exact reverse is the case1 and that snatching at the trigger generally gives a low left shot4 ,i have my pistols for rapid-firing competitions sighted to shoot higher than the others1 to counteract this4 ,after a little of this sort of practice1 you can get to loading all the chambers of a revolver4 ,now the great thing is time4 ,time and shoot like a machine4 ,at ,bisley one sees men fire one shot directly the target appears2 the next too late--after the target has begun to go down2 and whenever a shot goes wide1 they dance about1 stamp1 or swear1 and shift their position constantly1 half raise the pistol and lower it again1 and more antics follow in the same fashion4 ,a man who shoots in this style may as well go home1 for all the prizes he will win4 ,i never trouble to look at his target2 seeing his form tells me what his target must look like4 ,by your constant practice with the metronome1 you ought to get the time so impressed on your mind that you could work the target at the proper intervals without any metronome to indicate the time4 ,your hand comes up simultaneously with the target2 you fire just before it disappears 7some of my highest possibles were made with the target just on the wobble of disappearing as ,i fired each shot72 every instant must be utilized for the aim1 and there must be no hurry or flurry4 ,in fact1 you become a workman4 ,do not get into the trick of coming up too soon before the target appears4 ,there is nothing to be gained by it1 and you might be disqualified4 ,if a shot goes wrong or there is a misfire 7you are allowed another shot for a misfire71 keep on just as though nothing had happened2 pay no attention to the number of shots you have fired in the score1 or how many more you have to go4 ,i have often started to come up again for a shot1 not knowing that my sixth had already gone1 so mechanical had my shooting become4 ,in practice1 never fire if you feel you are off the bull2 better come down with the target1 without shooting1 and fire the next time the target comes up4 ,in this way you will perhaps come up ten times for your six shots2 but you will have good shots for those that you have fired1 and will be encouraged much more and get better practice than by firing a lot of wild shots1 which as you fired1 you knew were badly aimed4 ,at ,bisley1 ,i find this the easiest competition of any1 more so1 if there is no wind1 than the stationary twenty-yards target1 but one can only keep it up for a short time4 ,one gradually gets into the swing of it1 till one can throw each shot right into the bull's centre4 ,this keeps up for a few entries2 as one's arm tires1 one begins to lose the absolute precision4 ,it is then useless to continue shooting and it is time to take a rest4 ,you need a large front sight and open ,u1 so as to get your aim quickly4 ,my favourite revolver has very coarse sights1--a front sight which1 in aiming1 seems nearly as large as the bull4 ,i like the sun as much behind me as possible for this and any other quick-firing or moving-object competition1 as you can then at once see the hit on the target and can correct it1 if necessary1 at the next shot4 ,at a stationary target1 this seeing the hit at once does not matter1 as you have plenty of time to locate your shot with your telescope4 ,in any competition in which unlimited entries are allowed1 it is best to give up shooting an entry at your first bad shot and to start a fresh entry instead of shooting out the full six shots4 ,many men say1 ,it is better to keep on1 as it is practice4 ,in my experience ,i find that everyone has strings of better shots than his average and these may commence at any time4 ,if you have a three1 for instance1 as your second shot of a score1 you may have four sevens to finish up with2 then your next score may begin with two sevens and then a two4 ,there are thus two scores spoilt1 whereas1 if you had retired at the shot counting three in your first score1 and started another score1 you would have had a string of six sevens in your second score1 making a highest possible score of forty-two4 ,i have so often seen this sort of thing happen to others 7though ,i have never allowed it to happen to myself7 that ,i am sure it is false economy at ,bisley1 except in the limited-entry series1 not to stop and begin afresh the moment you get a shot out of the bull4 ,another thing men do is to keep shooting pool to get practice1 as they call it1 till they shoot themselves out and make bad scores in competition4 ,the place to practise is at home2 there is no economy in paying half-a-crown for every six shots at ,bisley1 when you can shoot as much as you like at home for nothing4 ,the rapid-firing and fifty-yards competitions being more difficult1 you may allow yourself one or two sixes in a score before beginning again2 but stop at the first shot scoring less than six points4 ,if possible1 choose a time when there is no one shooting at the target next you2 as1 even if you do not find yourself letting loose at the sound of his firing1--he most likely1 timing himself all wrong1--the smoke from his shots may drift across you1 and spoil your view of the target4 ,do not shoot whilst a man is arranging his things1 or bringing up his target next you2 it will distract your attention4 ,shoot one entry in each series of competitions1--disappearing1 rapid-firing1 etc41--and then take the competition in which you have done worst 7comparatively worst1 should be said1 as thirty-six in the rapid-firing is equal to forty-one at the stationary twenty-yards7 and beat that score4 ,the moment you have beaten that sufficiently for one of your scores in another series to be the worst1 go at that one2 and so keep pushing the worst along4 ,this gives you a better aggregate than any other system1 and prizes are given for aggregates4 ,be sure to look through your barrel after each entry1 and wipe it out frequently4 ,quick shooting1 especially in hot1 dry weather1 cakes and leads the barrel and spoils accuracy4 ,if the pistol sticks or grates1 however slightly1 it is apt to spoil one's time4 ,at ,bisley1 you must not wipe out during the shots of an entry4 ,where1 however1 there is no rule against it1 wipe out after every shot at stationary targets1 and use only one of the chambers if using a revolver4 ,when you open the revolver after each entry1 look carefully to see if the caps were struck in the centre1 especially if you have made a bad shot4 ,should they be hit on the side1 clean the revolver2 if this still continues1 take another4 ,it is useless to keep on while this is happening4 ,be very careful to see that you are using your own ammunition1 the proper sort for each particular pistol1 and not taking some other that happens to be lying about4 ,also be very particular to have your pistol passed1 the trigger-pull tested1 and ammunition examined before shooting1 by the official appointed for the purpose by the ,national ,rifle ,association1 whose office is at the firing-point4 ,this should be done every day1 morning and afternoon1--as the trigger-pull may have altered1--so that there shall be no chance of disqualification after a good score is made4 ,although it is1 as a rule1 best to finish your shooting at one class of competition1 either moving or stationary1 the change from one to the other gives a rest if you find yourself getting tired or discouraged4 ,moreover1 as above explained1 you secure a better aggregate by shifting from one series to another1 though such changing would easily confuse a beginner4 ,for the beginner1 therefore1 it may be as well to study one particular competition and compete in it only at ,bisley the first year4 ,this will probably place him high in the prize-list1 and encourage further perseverance another year4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,stationary ,,fifty-,,yards ,,target ,now we come to the fifty-yards target4 ,to shoot in this series 7known as ,the ,long ,range7 you require the smallest and finest sights which you can see clearly without trying your eyes4 ,there is no advantage in having them smaller than you can see properly4 ,also1 it is well to have several pistols with sights of different sizes1 and differently sighted3 some high1 some low1 some to the right1 and some to the left1 so as to suit varying light4 ,by the ,bisley rules1 you are not allowed to adjust your sights4 ,i have experimented with peep-sights2 but one cannot hold a pistol steadily enough to get the full advantage of a peep-sight4 ,have a ,zeis glass and locate each shot1 correcting the next1 if necessary1 by altering your aim--as the rules will not permit you to alter the sights2 shoot very deliberately2 rest your eyes frequently2 stop at every breath of air1 and only fire when you are dead sure4 ,clean after each entry4 ,do not keep on too long at this range4 ,a few entries now and again are best1 as it is very straining to the eyes and trying to the muscles4 ,i prefer a heavy charge1 as giving more accuracy at fifty yards2 but one cannot stand many shots with a heavy charge without feeling the consequences4 ,i do not think this deliberate shooting at fifty-yards at a stationary mark worth practising as a pistol is for quick shooting at a moving or momentarily appearing mark4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,team ,,shooting ,,and ,,coaching ,when you are a member of a team1 do exactly what the captain of the team directs you4 ,never mind if you think that he is wrong1 and that you could do better work in your own way4 ,it is his show1 and he alone is responsible2 merely shoot as well as you can in his way4 ,of course1 if he should ask your advice1 that is a different thing4 ,should another member of your team ask your advice1 refer him to your captain4 ,if you are captain of a team1 and have the choice of men1 select1 preferably1 men whose nerve can be relied upon2 a veteran who does not get rattled1 even if only a moderate shot1 is preferable to a brilliant beginner who may go all to pieces at a critical moment4 ,the man ,i prefer in a team is one who always shoots a good consistent score1--never brilliantly1 yet never badly2 you can always rely upon him to shoot up to his form4 ,if you have two such men1 let one of them shoot the first score1--if possible against your adversaries' best man1--so as to give your team confidence that they are likely to hold their own4 ,reserve yourself--or your most reliable shot1 who can be trusted not to lose his head--for emergencies1 such as these3 to shoot last1 when everything depends upon making a good score2 when the light is bad and likely to improve later2 if there is a wind that may drop later2 for pulling up a score when the other team is leading2 for getting the sighting when you retire to the fifty-yards range2 to shoot1 turn and turn about1 against the most nervous or dangerous man of the other team1 etc4 ,you should specially notice if any of your team are getting nervous2 prevent their watching good shooting by their adversaries1 or looking at and comparing scores4 ,encourage them to think that their own team is so strong that their own individual shortcomings do not matter4 ,you can1 in this way1 nurse a man along who is on the verge of going to pieces4 ,if possible1 do not let your men know how the scores stand4 ,if there is a wind1 rain1 or bad light1 consult with your most weather-wise man1 and decide how to place your bad shots so as to give them the easiest shoot4 ,that is to say1 if the wind is likely to drop later1 shoot your strong shots when the weather is unfavourable4 ,it is also a good thing to have a reliable member of the team stand behind each one who is shooting1 to spot for him1 keep time for him1 and otherwise coach him1 watching the time constantly1 so as to let his man know instantly--if he asks--how much longer the time-limit allows him4 ,coaching is allowed in team shooting1 but not in ordinary individual competitions4 ,do not let any member of your team leave the range on any account till the competition is over4 ,have a man or two extra1 in case of anything disabling or preventing one of your team from shooting4 ,do not let two men shoot with the same revolver1 as both men may be wanted to shoot at the same time4 ,do not scold a man1 however badly he may be doing2 you only flurry him1 and it does no good4 ,do not have any refreshments for your team until the competition is over4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,shooting ,,in ,,competitions ,when shooting in competition1 be careful not to spoil your opponent's scores4 ,never approach or leave the firing-point while he is aiming or about to shoot4 ,if he is about to shoot1 and there be time1 reserve your shot till he has fired2 and do not fidget with your revolver or cartridges or get your target drawn up whilst he is aiming4 ,keep perfectly still and silent till his shot has gone off4 ,do not speak to him at any time1 except to answer some question of his4 ,if he is at all nervous1 you might by a slight movement or word ruin his score4 ,read carefully1 before shooting1 the rules of the competition in which you are about to engage1 and be sure you comply with every detail of them4 ,if you find you have1 inadvertently1 transgressed a rule1 report to the range officer at once1 and get your score cancelled4 ,write your name very distinctly on your score-card2 ,i have known a man to lose a prize owing to his name being illegible on the score-card4 ,see that your shots have been entered properly and rightly added up and corrections initialled4 ,have your target dated and signed by the range officer1 with the name of the competition also inscribed1 and keep it as evidence in case your card should get lost4 ,be sure you do not by mistake have a score entered on a ticket belonging to another series4 ,before shooting in competition ,i put a weight in a chemist's scale equal to the average weight of one of my loaded cartridges4 ,i weigh each cartridge against it2 put all of the correct weight aside for ,bisley1 and keep the others for practice4 ,by this means ,i minimize the chance of a weak or too strong shot4 ,when you are at the firing-point1 pay no attention to what any one else is doing1 or to what scores have been1 or are being1 made1 or to any of your scores being beaten2 the great thing is to have the average all round high for the aggregate prizes4 ,if you are constantly watching the scores of others1 rushing from range to range as your various scores are passed1 you will have much less chance of making good scores than if you keep plodding on1 constantly adding a point or two to your aggregate4 ,you can afterwards try to beat individual scores1 if necessary4 ,of course1 if you at any time1 in any one series1 get a score which you think is up to the limit of your skill1 you may let that series alone till you have reached your limit in another series4 ,never watch a good man shooting2 it will only make you doubt if you can beat him4 ,it is also tiring your eyes uselessly4 ,do not read or use your eyes any more than is absolutely necessary4 ,when resting1 dark glasses will be found a great relief to the eyes4 ,i find that if ,i am getting tired of shooting1 a half-hour's gallop on a horse that does not pull freshens me up1 and helps to divert my thoughts2 others may prefer lying quietly down and shutting the eyes4 ,if you find yourself getting stale1 drop the whole thing1 even for several days4 ,it will not be time wasted1 as you will shoot better afterwards2 and you will certainly get worse if you keep on without rest4 ,never protest or dispute a score or decision4 ,the range officers are doing their best under very trying circumstances4 ,if you think any decision wrong1 say nothing about it and forget it2 you will only spoil your shooting if you worry about it4 ,just set your teeth and make a score a point better than the disputed one ought1 in your opinion1 to have been4 ,the protesting man is a nuisance both to himself and everyone else4 ,should you see a man infringing the rules1 leave it to others to protest4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,duelling ,the mere word duelling appears to shallow minds a subject for so-called humour1 like mothers-in-law and cats1 but a moment's thought will show that1 in certain circumstances1 the duel forms the only possible solution to a difficulty4 ,and it is not an unmixed blessing that duelling is abolished in ,england as ,vanoc in ,the ,referee truly says4 ,for some reasons1 he writes1 the abolition of duelling he means in ,england is a mistake4 ,insolent and offensive language is now too frequently indulged in with impunity4444 ,the best rule of all is never to take liberties yourself1 and never to allow liberties to be taken with you1 and to remember that self-defence is still the noble art4 ,i think1 though1 that the still nobler art is the defence of others1 and there are cases--which need not be gone into here--when a man must fight4 ,one of the reasons for this humorous attitude in the ,english mind 7it does not exist abroad7 is because sometimes abroad young men1 wishing to advertise themselves1 or their political ideas1 fight duels1 all the time never intending to hit each other1 and in fact intentionally firing in the air4 ,when two good shots mean business1 a pistol duel is a very deadly affair1 as is shown by the number of men who have been killed in them4 ,a duel with swords gives more advantage to a younger or a taller man1 or to a man in the pink of condition1 but a pistol duel will enable a much older man to hold his own4 ,the challenged has the right to choose weapons1 and if he choose pistols it is understood that the meeting should be conducted with single-shot duelling pistols4 ,the ,british public are accustomed to confuse the words pistol and revolver1 and most pistol duels are described as duels with revolvers by those not understanding such things2 but the revolver is not recognized as a duelling weapon1 and any fight with revolvers would on the ,continent lead to a trial for murder if any one were killed4 ,in challenging1 the person considering himself aggrieved asks two of his friends to act as his seconds1 and these he sends to his adversary4 ,the latter at once appoints two seconds for himself1 and the four seconds then make all the necessary arrangements4 ,first they call upon a gunmaker--combatants in a duel are not allowed to use their own weapons--and two single-shot muzzle-loading duelling pistols of regulation pattern are chosen4 ,in the presence of the seconds these are loaded by the gunmaker and put into a case1 which is then sealed4 ,this case is taken to the duelling ground by the gunmaker and the seal is not broken until everything else is ready1 the reason of course being to prevent tampering with the pistols1 or loads1 or obtaining practice with that particular pair of pistols4 ,a doctor is present at the duel with all necessary appliances4 ,on the ground the seconds draw lots for where their men are to stand1 it being of advantage to have sun and wind at one's back1 or left rear4 ,the distance is twenty-five metres1 marked by canes stuck in the ground1 and the shooters stand facing each other4 ,when all is in readiness1 the seconds break the seal of the pistol case1 then the director of the duel takes the weapons out1 holding them by the barrels1 one pistol in each hand1 and presents the butt ends to the duellist to whom the lot has fallen to have first choice4 ,the other pistol is handed to his adversary4 ,if shots are exchanged without result1 the duellists exchange places for the next shot4 ,it is not permissible to try the trigger-pull by cocking and lowering the hammer1 but about how light or heavy the pull is can be ascertained to some extent when cocking4 ,a light click indicates a light pull1 and a loud click a heavier one4 ,it is usual1 especially if the duellists are good shots1 and if they happen to be very angry with each other1 to give them a very heavy trigger-pull in order to make it more difficult for them to hit each other4 ,for the same reason the words of command in such cases are given very quickly4 ,this prevents getting aim4 ,it is well always to give a good strong pull back when firing1 so as to avoid pulling off to the side if you have been given a very heavy trigger-pull4 ,finally the duellists cock their pistols1 the seconds stand clear1 and the director of the fight stands midway between the duellists and about six metres back of the line between them4 ,the duellists stand with their right elbows touching their right hips1 butt of pistol to thigh1 and their pistols pointing at the ground4 ,the director calls3 ,attention--,feu6 ,un--deux--trois6 ,if either is not ready at the word attention1 he says so1 but otherwise after the word feu he raises his pistol and must fire before the word trois is spoken4 ,if he does not have the butt of his pistol to his thigh1 and muzzle to ground2 or if he raises his pistol or even moves it before the word feu2 or if he fires after the word trois has been spoken1 and he kills his man1 he is liable1 if his adversary's seconds lodge a complaint1 to be tried for murder4 ,the usual speed at which these words are spoken is a hundred words to the minute1 but1 as ,i have said1 the director often hurries the words in order to baffle the duellists and prevent their injuring each other fatally4 ,whether the duel should continue if neither combatant is sufficiently injured after the interchange of shots to prevent his going on shooting is a matter that the seconds have arranged between them before the duel begins4 ,it depends chiefly upon the gravity of the reason for which the duel is fought4 ,the position to stand in1 in my opinion1 should not be quite sideways4 ,of course one should1 theoretically1 make as small a target as possible for one's opponent1 and therefore the coat should be buttoned close4 ,but whereas if standing quite sideways one makes a smaller mark1 if hit when in that position the wound will probably prove more dangerous4 ,a bullet which would perforate both lungs of a man standing sideways1 will most likely go through one lung only if he be standing more full face4 ,several other internal organs are also safer when the shooters stand full face2 by leaning forward the ribs are closer together and afford protection to the heart and lungs2 also from a shooting point of view1 one can make much better practice when standing more or less facing the object to be hit1 than when craning one's head round to try and look over one's right shoulder1 and so hampering one's right arm and straining the eyes4 ,it is generally considered that one should look as dark as possible to one's opponent1 and turn up one's collar to avoid showing a white mark4 ,but with this ,i am not sure that ,i quite agree4 ,personally ,i should prefer to shoot at an entirely black target without a white collar or white patch anywhere diverting one's eye1 unless that white was at a place one wanted to hit4 ,but1 if a very bad shot were going to fire at me1 ,i should prefer his trying to hit my collar1 as he would then be more likely to shoot over my head1 or to miss me by shooting past me1 than if he tried to hit me in the middle of the body4 ,the white collar would1 however1 be hidden by the right hand and pistol as soon as the pistol was raised1 if aim were taken at an opponent's head4 ,the position safest for yourself is to aim at your opponent's head1 and to get on to that position immediately after the word feu1 keeping your own head low4 ,your right hand and the pistol-butt protect your throat and a good deal of your face and head if you lower your face as much as possible4 ,some men stand in the position of lunging in fencing1 which makes a still smaller target of the body1 but then this exposes them to a more raking fire1 and a shot which would only pierce the thigh of the right leg1 if the duellist were standing upright1 might glance along the thigh and penetrate the abdomen if he were standing in a lunging attitude1 but it looks more manly to stand perfectly erect4 ,a level-headed man would never agree to fight a duel unless he deemed it justifiable1 and then most likely his whole attention would be concentrated upon killing his opponent1 and considerations of personal safety would be neglected2 in the same way that a steeplechase rider thinks only of winning and not of his personal safety--if it is otherwise he is no good as a cross-country rider4 ,as the great object is to hit an opponent before he hits you1--as1 if he hits you first1 even slightly1 he may spoil your aim1--it is better to hit him as low as possible1 provided the bullet strikes high enough to injure him4 ,it takes time to raise the pistol to the level of his head1 or even of his armpit1 whereas with practice you can flip the wrist up and hit him in the thigh or hip without raising the arm at all1 and immediately after the word ,un4 ,if you hit him in the thigh it would not be of much use in a serious duel1 so the hip level is the point to try for4 ,an instance of perfect timing was that of a recent fatal duel where one man killed the other immediately after feu1 before his adversary had time to raise his pistol4 ,in the report of a certain duel which took place in ,france recently several of the ,english papers made stupid jokes because one of the duellists did not fire his pistol 7he placed it behind his back7 at the word feu4 ,the writers seemed to think he had forgotten to fire1 because1 when questioned as to why he did not fire1 he answered1 ,j'ai oubli4 ,of course any one conversant with duelling would have known that by acting thus he meant that he did not desire to kill or to wound his adversary4 ,a good shot who for any reason did not wish to hit his adversary would always put his pistol behind him rather than shoot wide and get credit for making a miss4 ,it is more dignified to do this1 if one does not want to shoot an adversary1 than to miss on purpose4 ,moreover1 the latter act might be misconstrued into an attempt to kill4 ,by ,french law1 if a man is killed in a duel1 the body must be left where it fell and the police informed at once4 ,the police then make an investigation4 ,the adversary is arrested and tried subsequently at the ,court of ,assizes4 ,he ought1 of course1 to stop by the body and give himself up4 ,he and his seconds may be condemned to imprisonment4 ,not wanting to kill an adversary is also the reason so many duels are bloodless4 ,men1 in the heat of an argument1 challenge each other4 ,in cooler moments1 they see that the cause of quarrel was not of sufficient importance to warrant their killing1 or attempting to kill1 each other4 ,yet neither likes to apologize lest this should look like cowardice2 so the two exchange a shot1 and both miss on purpose4 ,in this connection ,i may mention that the ,american law does not apply in the case of a duel fought by a citizen of the ,united ,states outside the geographical limits of that country2 for1 according to ,mr4 ,r4 ,newton ,crane1 no offence is committed by the fact that an ,american citizen has participated in a duel beyond the jurisdiction of the ,united ,states4 ,the citizenship of the combatant is1 in such circumstances1 immaterial4 ,on the other hand1 he continues1 sending1 knowingly bearing1 or accepting a challenge1 in ,england or ,america1 renders the sender1 bearer1 or accepter liable to punishment by the laws of ,england or ,america as the case may be1 whether the duel is subsequently fought or not1 and whether it is fought in ,england or ,america or abroad1 and whether the offending party is an ,englishman1 ,american1 or a foreigner4 ,provoking a man to send a challenge is also an indictable offence4 ,the law applicable to the punishment for actually fighting the duel is1 on the other hand1 the law of the place where the duel is fought1 and that law only applies to the offence4 ,provocation1 however great1 is no excuse1 though it might weigh with the ,court in fixing the punishment4 ,under the ,english law the punishment for sending1 bearing1 or accepting a challenge is fine or imprisonment without hard labour1 or both4 ,each of the ,states of the ,united ,states has penalties for the offence1 which though differing in detail are practically the same in substance as those provided by the ,english law4 ,whilst for a revolver ,i advocate holding the thumb along the top of the grip1 the stock is too straight for this hold with the duelling pistol1 and the thumb must therefore be turned down4 ,how far you hold up the stock must be determined by practice4 ,if you hold very high up1 and you have a muscular or fat hand1 the flesh between your thumb and forefinger will hide your hind sight4 ,hold it as high up as possible1 however1 and do not get too much of the forefinger round the trigger2 also remember to squeeze straight back in practising for duelling4 ,a metronome to beat #ajj to the minute is used4 ,you cock the pistol and stand with the left foot behind the line of fire1--the right foot may be outside1--your elbow touching your hip1 the butt of the pistol touching your thigh1 and the pistol pointing at the ground4 ,be very careful not to touch the trigger1 as the pull is so light2 be careful also not to point the muzzle at your right foot1 for in that case you might put a bullet through your foot in the event of an accidental discharge4 ,the assistant1 speaking at the speed of the metronome1 says3 ,attention6 ,feu6 ,un--deux--trois6 ,at the word feu you raise the pistol1 which must be fired before the word trois4 ,the target consists of a black figure of a man in profile4 ,shoot as ,i recommend at a disappearing target1 but there are some differences4 ,besides the grip and balance of the duelling pistol being different from those of the revolver1 the pistol has to be raised from pointing to the ground1 instead of from the hip level4 ,this has a tendency to make you shoot low1 as the time taken in raising the arm has to be hurried4 ,if your last shot was low1 aim higher2 if it was high1 aim lower4 ,if you are careful to squeeze1 instead of jerking1 you are almost sure always to hit the figure1 the only misses allowable being a graze of the waist to the left1 or under the chin to the right4 ,doctor ,devilliers has patented a bullet for practising duelling1 the competitors shooting at each other4 ,the bullet is useful also for indoor shooting where a leaden bullet would be dangerous4 ,the composition of the bullet is a secret1 but the bullet is light1 and1 when propelled by a cap with fulminate only1 gives a hard rap where it strikes4 ,when shooting with it at a man the following precautions must be observed1 according to the inventor4 #a4 ,don't shoot at less than twenty metres4 ,it is useless to shoot with it at more than twenty metres1 as the bullet rapidly loses its accuracy beyond that distance2 the blow at twenty metres distance is not severe if one is properly protected against it4 #b4 ,wear goggles1 a fencing mask1 and gloves4 ,the goggles are now made part of the mask1 and are of very thick glass1 while instead of the shooter's wearing a glove1 a metal shield is affixed to the pistol4 ,the hand must not be lowered before your opponent fires4 ,i once shot against a friend who omitted this precaution1 and my bullet cut away the flesh at the lower part of his thumb4 #c4 ,wear a black linen blouse4 ,this may be necessary to prevent your clothes being soiled1 but it makes you a bigger target for your opponent4 ,therefore a tight-fitting coat is better4 ,i shoot with no body protection4 #d4 ,in winter be careful that the bullets do not freeze4 ,i find it best to keep the loaded pistols on ice for some time before shooting--not letting them freeze1 however--and not to let the pistol get too hot1 for if the barrel gets hot the bullet does not take the rifling4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,shooting ,,off ,,horseback ,when shooting off a standing horse at a stationary mark1 turn the horse facing to the left at an angle of forty-five degrees4 ,this is to prevent his flinching at the shots1 as any but a very seasoned horse would be sure to do if you shot straight over his head or close past his ears4 ,also1 if he were to toss his head when you were shooting over it1 you might both kill him and get either a rearing backward fall1 with the horse on top of you1 or else a purler over his head4 ,if the horse shies away from the outstretched arm1 tie a handkerchief over his off eye1 as the bullfighters do1 until he is accustomed to the noise and flash4 ,there should be a bar in front of the horse to prevent his getting closer to the target than the distance for which the match is arranged2 but if the bar is low1 and the horse a good fencer1 he is apt to jump at the bar4 ,it is very difficult to get a horse to keep absolutely still1 and for that reason it is often more difficult to shoot when the horse is fidgeting than when he is swinging along in a gallop4 ,for shooting on a gallop or canter1 the ,french rubber balloons filled with water1 put up on the heads and posts principle1 are very good marks1 as they can be shot at with wooden or ,devilliers bullets1 shooting alternately to the right and left4 ,these rubber balloons are filled with water by a syringe which can be set to inflate them to any size1 and the mouth of the balloon is closed by simply squeezing the metal mouth together4 ,i can also recommend a target on the principle of the ,bisley running deer1 travelling on rails parallel to a railing1 on the other side of which the shooter gallops and which prevents his getting too close to the target4 ,firing blank ammunition at lightning paper stuck in the cleft of a stick is very good practice4 ,the paper flares up on being touched by burning particles of powder1 but of course the shooting must be done at a distance of a few feet only4 ,i do not think there is much advantage in cantering too slowly2 the speed at which the horse goes smoothest1 without raking or boring1 is the best4 ,for practical purposes1 shooting behind one1 when galloping1 is useful4 ,this is1 ,i think1 best practised with blank ammunition at the lightning paper1 or with ,devilliers bullets1 otherwise it would be too dangerous4 ,it is an assistance1 when first learning1 to catch hold of the pommel of the saddle with the bridle hand as you swing your body round to fire4 ,when shooting alternately to right and left1 be sure to lift the muzzle of the revolver clear of the horse's head as you swing it from side to side1 or you may shoot your horse through the head1 if he should happen to toss it at that moment4 ,it is useless to try to shoot off a horse unless both you and your horse understand school riding4 ,an ordinary hunter1 ridden in the ordinary hunting style1 needing both hands to lug at his head1 and requiring half a field to stop or turn him in1 is very dangerous at this game4 ,the horse must turn1 change legs1 stop dead1 and start again under the control of one hand only4 ,a horse that naturally leads with his near leg when allowed to choose his own lead is preferable1 as1 having to range up on the near side of the mark1 you can shoot better leading on the near leg1 as this turns you slightly towards the mark4 ,a horse is smoothest in his natural lead1 and is rougher and consequently more difficult to shoot off when leading on the other leg4 ,one can wear the holster as the cowboys do--a belt round the waist and the revolver hanging on the right hip1 not round the waist in front as army men carry it4 ,in front it is in the way of your bridle hand1 and it is not so handy to draw2 but1 worn on the hip1 it is also dangerous in case of a fall1 and is perhaps best in a saddle holster4 ,the revolver must fit loosely1 so as to draw easily2 but the holster must be deep enough1 and must hang so as not to drop the pistol out in galloping4 ,the flap of the saddle--where the hunting-horn is carried--is a good place to hang the holster1 but this arrangement might hurt one if the horse rolled over2 and one might be left defenceless by the horse galloping off with the pistol4 ,i prefer a short-cheeked1 single-rein curb with a loose curb-chain4 ,why do writers so often talk of pressing with the knee to turn a horse8 ,one uses the knees to grip with and the legs for turning and collecting1 etc4 ,i do not recommend a martingale if it can possibly be avoided1 as it is apt to throw a horse down4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,pistol ,,shooting ,,for ,,ladies ,a pistol puts the weakest woman1 who is a good shot1 on an equality with the strongest man4 ,it is especially suitable for ladies to defend themselves with1 as they have1 as a rule1 steadier hands than men1 and there are certain pistols1 just suited for ladies1 which give no recoil1 and yet are practical weapons4 ,u4 ,m4 ,c4 gallery ammunition in a big 4#dd calibre ,smith ,wesson ,russian ,model gives practically no recoil1 and ,i have seen a lady do very good target shooting with it4 ,with this revolver and load ,i have killed three rabid1 or alleged rabid1 dogs1 so it is a practical killing load4 ,i use the same revolver and ammunition for shooting park bucks4 ,every lady should1 to my mind1 know how to use a pistol4 ,she may at any time be in ,china or some other country where there are savage natives2 and there is none of that danger of bruising the body which is so harmful to ladies using guns or rifles4 ,the ,smith ,wesson hammerless safety revolvers of 4#ch and 4#cb calibre are especially suitable for self-defence for ladies2 but ,i should not recommend a lady to use these or any other short1 light self-defence revolvers unless it be actually necessary1 as the recoil is heavy and apt to hurt a lady's hand 7particularly between the first finger and thumb7 and tear the skin4 ,this is inevitable in a revolver made as light and as portable as possible1 and expected1 nevertheless1 to shoot a very heavy charge4 ,the best plan is to fire a few shots 7the hand being protected with a thick driving glove1 from which the forefinger has been cut off71 or1 better still1 ask a good shot1 who also knows your sighting1 to do so for you1 just to get the sights filed right1 and then keep this pistol for self-defence only1 and do practising and competing with a more accurate and more pleasant shooting weapon4 ,the pistol to be used for practice and in competitions must depend upon your physique4 ,if you are moderately strong1 ,i think the 4#dd ,russian ,model ,smith ,wesson1 with the ,union ,metallic ,cartridge ,co4's gallery ammunition1 is as good as any2 or1 if this is too heavy1 the 4#ch or 4#cb calibre ,colt and ,smith ,wesson revolvers1 with gallery ammunition1 are very good and are specially intended for the use of ladies4 ,the first-named revolvers are no longer made1 but the solid frame revolvers of the same make and calibre are very suitable also1 if shot with a gallery charge1 if a second-hand ,russian model revolver cannot be found4 ,the ,smith ,wesson 4#cb calibre in 4#dd calibre frame1 which ,i like for fifty-yards target shooting is rather heavy for a lady4 ,ladies who are of slight build may find it too heavy2 but with gallery ammunition it has no recoil whatever1 which is a great advantage for ladies4 ,always have a barrel not shorter than five inches and not longer than six inches1 and save the weight1 if you want a light weapon1 in the general makeup of the revolver1 fluted barrel1 etc41 not in length of barrel1 as you lose so much accuracy with a three-inch or four-inch barrel that it spoils any pleasure in shooting4 ,if you confine yourself to light ammunition1 you can get a very light revolver which is safe with that charge1 and has no recoil to speak of4 ,the ,smith ,wesson1 which has interchangeable barrels of 4#cb calibre for revolver1 and 4#bb for single-shot pistol1 is a very suitable weapon for a lady4 ,the lighter forms of single-shot ,stevens pistols of 4#bb calibre are exceptionally well adapted to the use of ladies who prefer a single-shot pistol4 ,the ,colt 4#bb calibre revolver is very nice for ladies' use4 ,in mentioning particular firms1 both here and elsewhere in this book1 ,i must not be understood to mean that the weapons of any one maker are better than those of another4 ,all first-class makers turn out good revolvers and pistols2 and ,i merely mention those revolvers and pistols which ,i have used and am personally acquainted with1 and which ,i find answer my requirements4 ,a lady can carry a pistol hidden for self-defence in many more ways than a man1 owing to her draperies affording more places for concealment4 ,cloaks1 capes1 etc41 make good hiding-places for a pistol2 inside a muff is about one of the best places2 and a small pistol in the right hand1 inside a muff1 that hand hanging down by the side1 is ready for instant use4 ,as ladies often carry their muffs in this way1 it does not arouse suspicion4 ,it is very important for ladies to protect their ears when shooting1 with ,elliot ear protectors4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,stage ,,shooting ,this subject can be subdivided into two parts3 real1 expert1 very accurate work1 requiring great skill and nerve2 and conjuring tricks1 that is to say1 shooting assisted by apparatus and the arts of the conjurer4 ,the greatest insult that can be offered to a professional shot is to call him a conjurer4 ,to begin with the unaided shooting3 ,you must have a safe background to shoot against4 ,the best1 in my opinion1 is a steel plate1 leaning towards you at an angle of forty-five degrees1 and below it a shallow tray1 filled with sand1 to catch the bullets1 which flatten on the steel and drop into the tray4 ,as only very light powder-charges are used1 and as the bullets for this purpose are round1 or semi-round1 this is sufficient4 ,it is usual to have something for the bullets to go through before striking the steel plate4 ,green baize is good for the eyes as a background2 but it is dangerous1 being very inflammable2 it gives off fluff1 some of which stands out from the baize1 and the rest falls to the ground4 ,this is like tinder and is liable to catch fire from burning particles of powder4 ,some fabric dipped in a non-inflammable mixture should be used2 either green1 white1 or black1 whichever you find suits your eyesight best4 ,the butt is either put prompt side of the stage 7so that the shooter's right arm is nearest the audience71 and at a slight angle1 in order that people may see the target2 or it is placed at the back of the stage1 the shooter standing with his back to the audience4 ,in either case1 the shooter keeps his tools on a side-table1 and when he shoots he stands quite clear of any table1 so as to afford an uninterrupted view of all his proceedings4 ,the range is about fifteen feet4 ,this may seem very short1 but it looks a long shot on a stage2 and it must be remembered that the shooting is at very small objects and no misses are allowable4 ,the golden rule to be borne in mind in stage shooting is3 ,never hazard a shot that is not very easy to you1 and which you cannot be practically sure of successfully accomplishing4 ,if you try a difficult shot and succeed once in three times--such as hitting a cork thrown into the air--hardly any of the audience will think of you as aught but a bad shot2 whereas1 if you hit six stationary glass balls--each as big as an orange--in rapid succession1 they will think you wonderful6 ,several professional self-styled champion pistol shots1 use both hands to hold their pistols which is never allowed in any pistol competition1 and stamps them as no pistol champion4 ,,weapons ,one or more 4#dd ,russian ,model ,smith ,wesson target revolvers2 ,ira ,paine target sights2 hair-trigger2 ,union ,metallic ,cartridge ,co4's gallery ammunition4 ,i use the revolvers which formerly belonged to ,ira ,paine2 several front sights1 the finest about the size of the head of a small pin1 the stalks as fine as a needle2 hind sight adjustable1 both laterally and vertically1 with screw adjustment2 trigger-pull so light that laying the finger on the trigger almost sets it off4 ,with such a revolver1 of course1 extreme care must be taken never1 for an instant1 to have the barrel pointed in any direction except that in which it would be safe for the bullet to travel1 and also to keep the finger off the trigger till you actually want the bullet to go4 ,ira ,paine when shooting at objects on the head of an assistant1 used to come down from above1 instead of coming up in the usual way2 so that if the pistol went off by accident there would be no danger to the assistant1 as there would be if the muzzle travelled up his body to his head in sighting from below4 ,i do not approve of shooting at objects on the head or in the hands of an assistant2 it is not1 in my opinion1 justifiable to risk life in this way4 ,the other weapon is a ,stevens1 or ,smith ,wesson1 single-shot 4#bb pistol4 ,some people use this to give variety to the show2 but ,i prefer a duelling pistol4 ,see that a narrow plank of wood--metal would1 if struck1 make a bullet glance--is put in front of the butt with slits and clips in it for holding objects4 ,as mentioned before1 ,i do not like assistants holding them in the fingers1 though1 for this purpose1 steel thimbles are generally worn over the thumb and forefinger1 and are concealed by a glove4 ,professionals sometimes shoot objects on the heads of assistants--generally a lady with her hair piled up very high1 or wearing a steel skull-cap under a wig4 ,devilliers bullets make such shooting practically safe in case of the assistant being hit4 ,the following shots ,i recommend to amateurs as safe4 ,beginning with the easiest1 we have3 ,six stationary balls in a row or else the ,french rubber balloons4 7,the balls are cast from a mixture of resin and whiting2 they are very brittle and break at a graze47 ,take them as quickly as you can be sure of them4 ,with practice1 you can snap the six off in about four seconds4 ,next extract the used cartridges1 and have them put in a row on the edge of the board1 standing them on their bases4 ,hit them in quick succession4 ,this requires a little more care1 as they are small2 but their height prevents your being likely to miss vertically1 and you have merely to pay attention to keeping your horizontal aim correct4 ,be sure not to shoot too low2 for if you do1 and hit the plank1 you will jar all of them off it4 ,this can be varied1 if you are a really good shot1 by placing the spent cartridges on their sides with the cap end towards yourself2 but it requires good shooting4 ,shooting at an object with a wine glass on each side without breaking the glasses is a trick in which the difficulty varies according to how close the glasses are4 ,put up a piece of paper with a black pencil line ruled vertically on it2 hit this line4 ,this requires care not to pull off to one side4 ,a similar line horizontal4 ,this is more difficult1 as the elevation must be absolutely correct if you want to hit the line4 ,hit a swinging ball4 ,take the shot on a turn2 do not follow1 but aim at an imaginary spot just inside of where the ball is at one end of its swing1 aiming at ,,ix o'clock1 as the ball is momentarily stationary at its farthest swing to the right1 or vice versa4 ,put six balls in a row2 hit one with the revolver in the right hand1 a second with the revolver in the left2 a third and fourth with the revolver upside down1 pulling the trigger with the little finger and using alternate hands4 ,the remaining two shots to be made with the revolver held half canted to the right1 and then half canted to the left4 ,after a little practice1 none of these positions are difficult4 ,the upside-down shot1 as soon as you get used to aiming at the top edge of the ball instead of the bottom1 is a very steady1 easy position4 ,for the two side ones1 you aim at ,,ix and at ,,iii o'clock1 respectively4 ,hang your watch on a hook on the board1 and place a ball resting on this hook4 ,break the ball4 ,this is easy1 as the ball is1 comparatively1 a big mark4 ,aim at the top edge of the ball1 so as to break it by a grazing shot near the top2 this is less risky for the watch4 ,do the same with any watches lent by the audience4 ,a man once kept lending me his watch for this trick2 ,i found out afterwards that it would not go1 and he had hoped that ,i would hit it and thus be compelled to give him another6 ,borrow small objects from the audience1 and hit them4 ,stamps on envelopes1 visiting cards1 bits of pencil1 etc41 are suitable2 but do not shoot at anything which will make a bullet glance1 or you may hit some of your audience4 ,thus a walnut is very dangerous1 causing bullets to glance4 ,an orange or an egg explodes beautifully when hit1 but both are rather messy4 ,the coloured balls for ,christmas trees are nice to shoot at2 but a bullet sometimes makes a hole without breaking them4 ,put up the ace of hearts and hit it4 ,it is usual to have a pack composed of only aces of hearts4 ,have several ace cards placed on top of each other1 and when the bullet goes through the group1 have the cards dealt among the audience2 or1 if at a ,charity ,bazaar1 sold singly4 ,put up the six of hearts1 and hit the six pips4 ,this requires some doing to get all six shots neatly in the separate pips4 ,put a card edgeways towards you and cut it in half4 ,this is a pretty trick and brings down the house when well done4 ,it requires the same skill as hitting the vertical pencil lines4 ,if you are not very sure of yourself1 and you succeed on the first shot1 do not risk a second try4 ,this rule applies to all the difficult shots4 ,my best score at this game was five cards out of six shots1 the cards being placed edgewise at a range of fifteen feet4 ,hit a string from which an object is hanging4 ,get string which is weak1 and have the object pretty heavy1 or else you may nick the string without its breaking4 ,berlin wool1 with a weight so heavy that it strains the wool to nearly breaking-point1 breaks with more certainty than string or twine4 ,there is an ingenious1 though scarcely legitimate1 way of making this shot very easy4 ,you merely double a piece of string and tie a knot1 hanging it over two nails1 the distance between which is a fraction under 4#dd inch4 ,two hooks on the ball are the same distance apart1 so that the ball is thus hung by a double string4 ,if you hit between these1 both strings are necessarily cut by a 4#dd bullet1 if your aim be true1 while one is cut even if you hit half an inch out4 ,put a rubber balloon filled with red fluid on top of an empty claret glass2 break the ball1 and the glass will be filled with the fluid4 ,take care the ball fits very loosely1 and rests only slightly in the glass1 or the latter will break also4 ,knock a cork off a bottle2 an ordinary wine bottle or a wooden or metal one is dangerous if hit1 as causing the bullet to glance2 it is better to have a plaster of ,paris bottle1 painted black4 ,put up a bunch of six grapes1 and take them off one at a time4 ,put up candles and snuff them4 ,hit two balls simultaneously1 one swinging past a stationary one1 or both swinging from opposite ways4 ,you have to take them just as one is about to cover the other4 ,have a ball swung round horizontally at great speed centrifugally from a small wheel spun by clockwork4 ,this requires very good timing1 you aiming at a side and pulling when the ball is at the opposite side1 or you will be too late4 ,stand two balls with a steel knife-edge between them1 vertically towards you and rather nearer to you than the balls4 ,hit the knife-edge in such a manner as to split the bullet in two pieces1 which fly off and break the balls4 ,the knife must be securely fastened1 and the precise distance between the back of it and the balls 7which varies according to the distance they are apart7 must be determined by experiment4 ,trick shooters use shot for this instead of a bullet4 ,hitting an object with a paper on the muzzle hiding the mark4 ,cut a round hole1 just big enough to slip over the muzzle1 in a piece of thick paper the size of an ordinary envelope4 ,slip this over the muzzle1 up against the front sight4 ,when taking aim1 it will be found that with the left eye closed the paper hides the object4 ,by keeping both eyes open1 however1 shooting is easy1 the right eye working the sights and the left seeing the object4 ,the paper must not project much to the left1 or it would hide your view with the left eye4 ,fix a nail slightly in a block of soft wood and drive it home with a shot4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,trick ,,shooting ,we now come to the conjurer's style of shooting1 which ,i would not advise any one to practise1 even for a ,charity ,bazaar2 it will ruin his reputation as a shot4 ,however1 ,i will describe hereunder some of the devices in connexion with this trick shooting4 ,the chief apparatus--under different forms--is a lever some twelve inches long4 ,this lever is pivoted in its centre2 one end has a steel disk about a foot in diameter1 or less1 according to the shooter's skill--of a size he is sure of never missing1--the other end has a steel point at right angles4 ,the lever is placed vertically at such a height that the steel spike is just opposite the middle of the ball which is placed on the assistant's head4 ,the steel disk is some eight inches above the man's head2 the whole of this apparatus is hidden from the audience behind the back-cloth of the scenery4 ,the locality of the disk is indicated to the shooter by something in the scenery1 as a pattern1 or a trophy of flags1 etc4 ,the assistant stands with his back against the back-cloth1 and the ball is on his head so that the steel spike is just clear of the middle of the ball2 the shooter then fires at the trophy of flags1 or what not 7which is eight or more inches above the man's head1 and therefore a practically easy and safe shot72 the bullet hitting the disk1 drives it back2 the other end of the lever with the spike comes forward2 the spike goes through the scenery1 breaks the ball1 and at once returns out of sight4 ,the trick is varied by having the lever inside a dummy figure1 the performer shooting into the figure to break small objects on its head or in its mouth4 ,a bellows is sometimes behind the back-cloth with the nozzle at the flame of a candle which is blown out when the bellows is hit2 and the shooter is supposed to have snuffed the candle4 ,the shooting can be done at quite long range from the back of the gallery to the back of the stage 7for instance7 by lengthening the lever so as to minimize risk to the assistant4 ,another way in which the candle trick is done1 is to have each candle inside a large concave reflector2 the splash from the bullet comes back from the reflector and puts out the candle4 ,shooting at anything moving--swinging balls1 etc4--is done with shot2 the shooting in this case must be done with a back-cloth over the butt1 as the splashes on a naked steel plate would betray the use of shot4 ,this makes very easy what in legitimate shooting requires nice timing4 ,the cartridge is either simply filled with special shot even smaller than dust shot and a wad1 or if the cartridges are likely to be seen they are loaded with hollow wooden black-leaded bullets1 full of shot1 which the rifling of the barrel breaks1 and these are substituted by palming for real bulleted cartridges shown to the audience4 ,shot is sometimes fired out of a smooth bore revolver4 ,two balls are broken with a revolver in each hand1 shot simultaneously4 ,this is always considered very wonderful1 the performer pretending to take a long time over his aim1 etc4 ,one revolver is loaded with shot1 the other with blank ammunition4 ,the one loaded with shot is aimed between the two balls2 the spread of shot breaks both balls4 ,knocking ashes off cigar whilst being smoked by assistant3 ,a long hat-pin is put into the cigar1 the point just reaching up to the ashes4 ,on the shot--a blank cartridge--being fired1 the assistant pushes the knob of the pin with his tongue1 and dislodges the ashes4 ,objects held in the fingers or resting on the shoulders of assistants are shot with cork or ,devilliers bullets1 and the assistant wears hidden steel epaulets and finger-tips4 ,blindfold shooting is done by seeing down the side of the nose on to a looking-glass fixed at an angle behind the hind sight4 ,what is called shooting through a wedding-ring and breaking a ball is done with the lever apparatus2 the bullet does not go through the ring1 but above it4 ,shooting at the trigger of a loaded rifle fixed in a rest1 the shot from the rifle breaking a ball on the shooter's head1 is also another form of the lever apparatus4 ,i think that in stage performances there should be a committee of shooting men appointed by the audience to see that the shooting is genuine and not trick shooting4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,shooting ,,in ,,self-,,defence ,this chapter is written entirely from the technical point of view as a branch of pistol shooting1 while the legal aspect of the question is treated by law experts in the ,appendix of my larger treatise1 ,the ,art of ,revolver ,shooting4 ,fortunately1 however1 in the great majority of cases1 the object of protecting oneself--or1 what is more important1 protecting someone else--is attained without actually shooting4 ,the mere fact of being armed is generally sufficient1 and in many cases wearing the revolver openly or having it in one's hand1 even unloaded1 suffices4 ,as ,polonius says3 ,beware of entrance to a quarrel1 but being in1 bear't that the opposed may beware of thee4 ,but1 if shooting has to be done1 everything depends on getting the first shot4 ,i am not dealing with the ethical aspect of the case2 and1 putting that aside1 if you can take your adversary unawares1 and get the drop on him before he gets it on you1 you have a great advantage4 ,a short-barrelled pistol is best if it has to be concealed1 but of as big a calibre as you can carry without its being too bulky and showing in your pocket4 ,if there is no necessity for concealment1 carry one six inches in the barrel4 ,some prefer a large-bore army revolver1 with the barrel cut down to two inches4 ,i am assuming that the shooting will be done at a distance of only a few feet1 and without aim in the ordinary sense of the word4 ,it is very dangerous to carry an automatic pistol loaded in the pocket1 unless it has a safety bolt4 ,the proper way to carry a revolver 7unless a safety revolver is carried7 is to leave one chamber unloaded1 and lower the hammer on that empty chamber4 ,the revolver here described obviates these risks4 ,this is the ,smith ,wesson 4#ch calibre safety hammerless pocket revolver4 ,this revolver cannot go off accidentally1 even when all the chambers are loaded1 as there is a safety catch which prevents the revolver being discharged unless it is pressed at the same time that the trigger is pulled4 ,any one used to revolver shooting1 who holds this revolver as ,i have described in my instructions for revolver shooting1 and squeezes the trigger1 will be able to shoot without thinking of the safety catch1 for he presses it unconsciously in gripping the stock4 ,a person not accustomed to a revolver cannot1 however1 fire it2 in fact1 if a man not an expert revolver-shot wrested the revolver from you1 it would be harmless in his hands against you4 ,indeed1 the pistol could without danger be given1 loaded1 to a small child to play with1 as it requires a stronger grip than a child's to discharge it4 ,most revolver accidents occur either from the hammer receiving an accidental blow1 slipping from the thumb1 catching in something1 or from the trigger being touched unintentionally1 or the revolver being left at full-cock4 ,in this ,smith ,wesson safety revolver all these causes of accident are impossible1 and it is always ready for instant use4 ,its further advantages are3 #a4 ,there is no external hammer to catch in anything4 #b4 ,pressure on the trigger cannot discharge the revolver unless the stock is properly grasped at the same time4 #c4 ,the revolver cannot be kept at full-cock4 #d4 ,being hammerless1 and having no projections1 it can be drawn more quickly than an ordinary revolver4 #e4 ,it can be carried with absolute safety loaded in the pocket1 with the knowledge that a fall or blow will not discharge it4 ,this revolver is also made in smaller calibre 74#cb71 with both #c in4 and #a-a_/b in4 barrel4 ,in the latter case it is called a bicycle revolver1 and takes up less room in the pocket4 ,this calibre might be better for a lady's use2 but for a man ,i prefer the large calibre1 as being more powerful4 ,the cocking by trigger action in this revolver is so arranged that it can1 with a little practice1 be held at full-cock whilst the aim is taken1 instead of the cocking and firing being a continuous action1 as in other double-action revolvers4 ,as to its accuracy ,i can put all the shots in a man target at twenty-five yards with it4 ,carrying the pistol in the hip pocket is in my opinion a mistake1 as the movement of putting back the hand to draw will instantly put an adversary on his guard and most likely draw his fire4 ,for a case where you are likely to be robbed1 the inside breast-pocket 7where bank-notes are usually carried7 is a good place for the pistol1 as1 when you are asked for your money1 you can appear to be taking it out of this pocket whilst you are really drawing the pistol1 or it can be shot from this pocket without drawing it4 ,usually the right-hand side-pocket of a jacket is the handiest1 or1 rather1 the pocket on the side of the hand you can shoot with best4 ,shooting through the pocket is as quick and unexpected a way as any2 another is to turn partly away1 and in doing so draw and fire from behind your back1 or under your other arm4 ,but1 assuming that you would prefer1 if possible1 to capture your assailant without shooting him1 try whether you cannot unexpectedly get the drop 7i4 e41 an aim7 on him1 and make him hold up his hands before he can draw his revolver4 ,as in fencing and boxing1 the great thing is never to take your eyes off your opponent's for an instant2 and if by any subterfuge you can induce him to take his eyes off you1 or distract his attention to anything else1 then is the time to get the drop on him1 or1 as a last resource1 to shoot4 ,knocking a chair over1 throwing something past or at him1 with your non-shooting hand1 or calling out to some imaginary1 or real1 person behind him may often have the desired effect4 ,if he is a really bad man1 and armed1 the worst thing you can do is to take a pistol in your hand--or even make towards it--unless you mean to shoot instantly2 it will only draw his fire1 or he may unexpectedly disarm you in the way described below4 ,supposing you are unarmed and your adversary has a pistol1 you may be able to render his weapon harmless by ejecting his cartridges4 ,this does not apply to an automatic pistol4 ,the way to do this varies with different makes of revolvers1 but the principle in each case consists in making a downward stroke on the barrel of his revolver with one of your hands1 and in the same movement operating the opening catch or lever with your thumb4 ,if you get an assistant to take an empty revolver and point it at you1 and you practise this trick1 you will find it very simple and effective1 but of course there would be no use in trying it with an adversary who suspected you were about to do so4 ,the ,smith ,wesson ,russian ,model can be rendered harmless by seizing the middle of the barrel with your thumb under the catch1 you being to the left and using your right hand1 or vice versa4 ,simultaneously with seizing the revolver give a quick quarter turn to your wrist to the right1 and all the cartridges will fly out4 ,with the ,webley1 you place your thumb ,,over instead of under1 the catch in seizing the revolver1 and press your thumb towards the palm of your hand in making the wrench4 ,with solid frame revolvers1 like the new ,colt and ,smith ,wesson1 you operate the catch1 and instead of twisting your wrist1 you push out the cylinder with your first and second fingers1 at the same time pushing the extractor plunger with your little finger1 but this make of revolver is much more difficult to disarm suddenly than those ,i have named above4 ,with any hammer automatic pistol or revolver you can make it harmless by slipping your thumb under the hammer1 or1 in the case of a revolver1 if you are strong in the grip1 by holding the cylinder and preventing it revolving after the first shot is fired4 ,i saw a very good suggestion in an article in an ,american paper--the writer's name ,i unfortunately forget--to the effect that it was an excellent thing1 when expecting trouble1 to wear a big revolver ostentatiously and to have a smaller one in your hand1 concealed under a cape1 or otherwise2 your adversary would think himself safe as long as he watched your big revolver and saw that you had not put your hand near it1 whilst all the time you would be ready to hold him up or shoot with the other pistol1 the existence of which he would not suspect4 ,if a burglar is in your house1 do not carry a candle1 as that makes you an easy target in case he should try to shoot at you4 ,the pistol which is sighted by projecting a light would simply give the enemy an easy aim4 ,the iron rails of banisters1 especially if they are wide1 ornamental ones1 are a good protection4 ,a door is of no use 7except for concealment before the man has seen you71 as a bullet with an ordinary charge will go through it4 ,use a light charge revolver 7gallery ammunition by preference7 for house protection2 with an automatic pistol you may shoot some of your family through a thin wall when burglar-potting4 ,out-of-doors1 too1 a lamp-post1 or other narrow object1 will spoil a man's aim by making him try to hit that part of you which shows on either side instead of his having your full width to aim at1 even if it is too narrow or small fully to protect you4 ,it is better not to try to give him a small mark to aim at by standing sideways1 as then1 if he hits you1 he will rake all through your vitals2 whereas1 if you are facing him squarely1 he may put several bullets into you without fatal effect4 ,holding your bent arm across your heart1 and at the same time protecting your temples with the side of your pistol--which duellists do directly they have fired1--may be of some use2 but it is better to depend upon hitting your adversary before he hits you4 ,if he shoots and misses you1 drop at once1 as if hit1 and he will probably pause and give you a chance to shoot4 ,if a man does not look desperate and capable of continuing shooting till he is killed1 if you can break his shooting wrist it may be sufficient2 and if he should try to shift his pistol from the disabled hand to the other1 you can break that also4 ,should you be mounted and your adversary afoot1 jumping off and sheltering yourself behind your horse will protect you from a revolver-shot2 but not an automatic pistol2 also galloping hard at him and shouting may spoil his aim2 but if he is cool he may take an easy shot at you when you are past and before you can turn4 ,if a man is running away from1 or coming at you1 and has no firearm1 you can make him helpless by shooting him in a leg2 a long crossing shot in a bad light would make the leg shot rather doubtful1 unless there be time to have several tries4 ,if a man absolutely has to be killed1 it is better to shoot where the white shirt shows in evening dress4 ,this is a bigger mark than the head1 and he may1 moreover1 duck his head as you pull4 ,the stomach shot is a murderous one1 and would not be justifiable except under very rare circumstances4 ,a charging man at very close range would have the wind knocked out of him1 and be stopped perhaps more effectually by this shot than any other4 ,if your opponent is a bad shot1 you can take a long shot at him from a distance1 say #abj yards1 at which1 if he has a cheap revolver1 he cannot hit you except by a fluke4 ,in fact1 a bad shot armed with a pistol is less dangerous than a strong1 determined man with a knife4 ,it must be remembered that a knife can be thrown some distance1 so it does not do to let a man with one in his hand1 or even suspected of having one1 come too close4 ,a cartridge loaded with salt is a good man-stopper for burglars and has the advantage of not endangering life1 but of course it is of no use against a determined man unless he is shot in the face2 and in that case salt might do even more damage to his eyes than a bullet1 and a bullet would be a more merciful load4 ,the writer of a small pamphlet entitled ,self-,defence says that to put the pistol beside the head of the bed1 or under the pillow1 is to court being disarmed during your sleep1 and recommends having it between the mattresses1 handy to your reach1 or in a padded bag hanging at the side of your bed under the sheets1 the object of the padding being to prevent the pistol making a noise against the bed when you are drawing it4 ,this is all very well if you remember to take out the pistol each morning2 if you forget1 and the housemaid makes up the bed roughly1 there may be trouble4 ,it also advises rolling under a bed or sofa as a precaution when exchanging shots4 ,make sure that nobody can tamper with your pistol or cartridges4 ,i knew of a case in which a muzzle-loading revolver was kept loaded in an unlocked box at the side of the bed4 ,when there was a burglary in the house1 this revolver was found to have been dipped in water and thus rendered useless6 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,shooting ,,in ,,the ,,dark ,there are occasions on which it is necessary to shoot at night1 as for a night-watchman2 or in the case of a wild animal's jumping into camp and carrying off someone2 or in night attacks4 ,for this work1 an exceptionally large dead white front sight 7either a fixed one or an adjustable one on a hinge7 is needful4 ,this sort of sight1 though1 can only be seen if there is moonlight1 or at least some glimmer of light4 ,in pitch-darkness1 a large front sight with both itself and the rib of the barrel coated with luminous paint is useful1 provided the pistol is1 for several hours previous to being used1 exposed to strong sunlight4 ,if it is kept all day in a case or holster1 the paint will not shine at night4 ,also1 in cleaning the pistol1 the paint may be spoilt and may require renewing4 ,i would not advise painting any pistol you care about4 ,the most satisfactory way is to learn to shoot in the dark by the sense of direction1 by pointing your pistol in the direction in which you conjecture the object to be1 not attempting to see your sights or to draw a bead4 ,one can often see an animal on a very dark night by crouching down and getting it against the sky-line2 and yet1 on looking through the sights1 you cannot discern anything4 ,one form of practice is to have a target made of tissue paper1 with a candle behind it to illuminate it4 ,the sights are consequently seen in silhouette against it4 ,this was the principle of the ,owl series of prizes shot for in the early days of ,wimbledon in the evenings4 ,what ,i think better1 so as to teach shooting by sense of direction1 is to have one or more metal targets about a foot square hung by wires 7these will give out a ringing sound when struck1 and the rest of the butt should be of sand1 or sods1 or wood1 so as to make a different sound74 ,have a small sleigh-bell hung behind the middle of each target1 operated by strings held by an assistant standing behind you4 ,now1 let him ring the bells at random1 you firing by sense of direction towards where you hear each bell ring4 ,this practice can also be done in a shooting-gallery at night with all the lights turned down1 and it is perhaps safer there than out-of-doors4 ,you can even have targets behind you1 and swing round and snap at them2 but this1 and in fact all night shooting1 is very dangerous1 unless you can be absolutely certain that the bullets will do no damage1 however wildly they may fly4 ,a man with a good ear can do surprisingly accurate work in this style of shooting4 ,such practice can be done in daylight by being blindfolded2 and then your assistant can notice where your misses go1 and help you to improve your shooting4 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,revolver ,,shooting ,by ,,walter ,,winans ,chevalier of the ,imperial ,order of ,st4 ,stanislas of ,russia ,vice-,president of the ,national ,rifle ,association of ,great ,britain ,with nearly #bjj ,illustrations from ,original ,drawings by the author1 and from ,photographs specially taken for the book4 ,royal #hvo1 handsomely printed1 and bound in cloth extra1 gilt top1 uncut edges4 ,price1 #e4jj net4 ,,mr4 ,,walter ,,winans1 the well-known champion revolver-shot1 has been for many years working out the theory and practice of revolver-shooting1 and this is the first occasion of his publishing the collected results of his close study of the weapon4 ,although several chapters of the book give minute instructions as to how to shoot in order to win prizes at the ,bisley meeting1 the author has not neglected the more general and practical side of the subject1 and even such matters 7hitherto regarded in the light of professional secrets7 as trick- and stage-shooting1 shooting in the dark1 etc41 are treated in detail not previously attempted1 while a chapter on how to use the revolver 7as distinct from target shooting7 in warfare1 has a present interest that must appeal to many4 ,by ,walter ,winans ,hints on ,revolver ,shooting ,with #bj ,illustrations specially prepared for the book4 #abo4 ,cloth4 #a4jj net4 ,by mail1 #a4ae ,a thoroughly practical and helpful book1 apparently written with the idea of imparting to those who aspire to excel with the revolver the knowledge that the author has gained with long experience4 ,a perusal of its pages convinces one that he has succeeded in his endeavors and has produced a book of standard value4--,shooting and ,fishing4 ,practical ,rifle ,shooting ,with ,frontispiece4 #abo4 ,cloth4 #ej cents net4 ,by mail1 #fj cents ,mr4 ,winans is one of the world's most expert marksmen1 and he tells in the most concise and lucid way how the veriest tyro may make himself proficient as a rifle shot4--,lloyd's ,weekly ,news4 ,it is short and well to the point2 for the soundness of the advice offered the author's name is ample warrant4--,oxford ,magazine4 ,shooting for ,ladies ,with #ae ,illustrations4 #abo4 ,cloth4 #ej cents4 ,by mail1 #fj cents ,mr4 ,winans1 who is the world's champion double-rifle shot1 believes that with light modern rifles and revolvers ladies can make excellent scores in target shooting without fatigue or danger of injury4 ,this volume is addressed to beginners as well as to expert shots4 ,the ,art of ,revolver ,shooting ,together with all ,information ,concerning the ,automatic and the ,single-,shot ,pistol and ,how to ,handle them to the ,best ,advantage ,new ,edition ,revised and ,enlarged ,very fully ,illustrated from ,original ,photographs by ,rouch1 ,fry1 ,purdey1 ,penfold and ,others1 and ,head- and ,tail-pieces from ,drawings by the author4 ,royal #ho1 handsomely printed1 and bound in cloth extra1 gilt top1 uncut edges4 #e4jj net4 ,carriage #dj cents4 ,it is impossible to speak too highly of this admirably written and beautifully illustrated work4 ,the author explains everything that there is to tell about revolvers and revolver shooting1 and the artistic as well as the instructional merits of the full-page and other illustrations are quite exceptional4 ,the volume has only to be seen in order to be desired by all who are interested in the subject with which it deals4 ,united ,service ,magazine4 ,the ,sporting ,rifle ,the ,shooting of ,big and ,little ,game ,together with a ,description of the ,principal ,classes of ,sporting ,weapons ,with about #abe ,illustrations from ,original ,drawings by the ,author1 and from ,photographs specially taken for the book4 ,royal #ho1 handsomely printed1 and bound in cloth extra1 gilt top1 uncut edges4 #e4jj net4 ,carriage1 #dj cents4 ,mr4 ,winans has earned for himself an international reputation on the art of rifle- and revolver-shooting1 and his earlier works on the subject have been accepted as standards4 ,the present work is profusely illustrated1 both by the author1 ,t4 ,blinks1 and other well-known artists1 and gives the fullest details with diagrams as to how to handle the rifle for all sorts of game shooting1 and also for winning prizes in shooting competitions at moving targets4 ,besides illustrating the various makes of rifles1 there is a unique set of working drawings showing in minute detail how to construct ,running ,deer and disappearing targets4 ,maps and plans giving directions how to post the guns for ,deer ,driving1 and how to manoeuvre the beaters is also featured in this important work4 ,the natural history is illustrated by a series of photographs taken from life by ,h4 ,penfold4 ,animal ,sculpture ,suggestions for ,greater ,realism in ,modeling ,by ,walter ,winans ,gold ,medallist for ,sculpture1 ,fifth ,olympiad1 ,stockholm1 #aiab4 ,grand ,prix for ,sculpture1 ,milan1 #aiab4 ,grand ,prix for ,sculpture1 ,barcelona1 #aiab4 ,silver ,medal for ,sculpture1 ,paris1 #aijj4 #ho4 #bf ,illustrations4 #a4ge net ,although perhaps better known as a rifle and revolver shot and as the author of many informing books on different kinds of shooting1 ,mr4 ,winans is a sculptor of distinction1 having been awarded gold and silver medals for his statues of horses4 ,in the present volume ,mr4 ,winans reproduces illustrations of many familiar masterpieces of animal sculpture1 showing that many of them1 although superficially effective1 are marred by serious faults of conception and execution4 ,g4 ,p4 ,putnam's ,sons ,new ,york ,london