,by ,,walter ,,winans ,the ,art of ,revolver ,shooting4 ,royal #hvo4 ,new ,edition1 ,revised and ,enlarged4 ,fully ,illustrated net1 #e4jj ,the ,sporting ,rifle4 ,royal #hvo4 ,fully ,illustrated net1 #e4jj ,automatic ,pistol ,shooting4 #afmo4 ,illustrated net1 #a4jj ,practical ,rifle ,shooting4 #afmo4 ,illustrated net1 #ej cents ,shooting for ,ladies4 #abmo4 #ej cents ,animal ,sculpture4 ,crown #hvo4 ,illustrated net1 #a4ge ,g4 ,p4 ,,putnam',s ,,sons ,,new ,,york ,,london ,illustration3 ,,the ,,author ,photo by ,london ,stereoscopic ,co4 ,the ,modern ,pistol ,and ,how to ,shoot ,it ,by ,walter ,winans ,commander of the ,royal ,spanish ,order of ,isabel la ,catolica2 ,commander of the ,royal ,roumanian ,order of the ,crown2 ,officer of the ,royal ,roumanian ,order of the ,star2 ,chevalier of the ,russian ,order of ,st4 ,stanislaus2 ,the ,royal ,swedish ,medal of the ,olympic ,games2 ,world's ,championship ,gold ,medallist1 ,olympic ,games1 ,london1 #aijh1 for ,double ,rifle ,shooting2 ,vice-,president of the ,national ,rifle ,association of ,great ,britain2 ,life ,member1 ,national ,rifle ,association of the ,united ,states of ,america2 ,life ,member of the ,united ,states ,revolver ,association2 ,member of the ,association of ,american ,international ,riflemen2 ,revolver ,champion for five years of the ,national ,rifle ,association of ,great ,britain2 ,ten years ,revolver ,champion of the ,north ,london ,rifle ,club2 ,seven years ,revolver ,champion of the ,south ,london ,rifle ,club2 ,member of ,le ,pistolet ,club1 ,paris1 etc41 etc4 ,with ,forty-six ,illustrations ,g4 ,p4 ,putnam's ,sons ,new ,york and ,london ,the ,knickerbocker ,press #aiai ,,copyright1 #aiai ,,by ,,walter ,,winans ,the ,knickerbocker ,press1 ,new ,york ,,preface ,my first book on pistol shooting 7,the ,art of ,revolver ,shooting7 was published in #aijj4 ,up to that date there existed no book which contained instruction on pistol shooting1 though several books had appeared describing the different makes of pistols4 ,since that date several books have appeared--some very good ones1 by various revolver experts4 ,unfortunately 7as always happens when something original appears71 others who were not revolver shots took to writing books on the same subject1 largely made up of unacknowledged extracts from my books4 ,not understanding their subject1 they distorted my teaching1 and so any one trying to learn pistol shooting from them gets hopelessly confused4 ,i therefore give this warning2 do not follow the advice of any but an acknowledged expert in pistol shooting1 as books by hack writers1 made up of extracts from other writers1 and illustrations from gunmakers' catalogues1 are not to be taken seriously4 ,moreover1 the revolver is now obsolete1 and there is no use learning to shoot it4 ,my object in writing this book is to give instruction in the modern substitute for the revolver4 ,that is to say1 the automatic pistol1 and incidentally1 to instruct in the single shot or duelling pistol4 ,for those who wish to study revolver shooting1 ,i would refer them to my book ,the ,art of ,revolver ,shooting4 ,the present work might be called volume ii4 of ,the ,art of ,revolver ,shooting1 as it instructs in the form of pistol shooting which has now taken the place of revolver shooting4 ,though the revolver is now obsolete1 my ,art of ,revolver ,shooting is of interest1 as giving details of out-of-date firearms1 and the best-on-record scores made with them4 ,these records will be of the greatest importance for future generations4 ,there are now no records extant of scores made with the long bow1 the cross-bow1 and the various stone-hurling slings and balist4 ,all concerning them is legendary4 ,if we depended only on newspaper articles for what was possible in revolver shooting1 we should get legends similar to those of obsolete arms4 ,i was credited with making a ,world's ,record with a revolver at five hundred yards by a reporter when it should have been fifty yards4 ,he merely added a nought to the figures4 ,as all records are important for historical purposes1 and for comparison with future scores1 ,i give as an appendix in this book those revolver records which cannot now be beaten1 the revolvers and cartridges being now no longer made4 ,it is curious how1 even up to the outbreak of the ,great ,war1 people did not understand that shooting was more important than playing games1 or that shooting had to be learned4 ,i recently read a 8trench anecdote0 which relates that a man who had never fired a shot before he was conscripted was shot in the back1 and whilst dying1 8seized his rifle and dropped an enemy who was running past #bjj yards off40 ,to do this would require a first-class trained rifle shot who specialized in shooting at moving objects1 and even he1 with his back broken1 could not swing1 which is the essence of successful shooting at moving objects4 ,another writer1 a lieutenant1 wrote during the war to one of the daily papers1 advising the purchase of a revolver to be deferred till actually starting for the ,front6 ,i have had several men on leave bring me revolvers and automatic pistols1 asking me to test them1 as they could not hit anything with them at the ,front4 ,with one of these pistols ,i made the highest possible score at thirty yards2 with another ,i made ten out of twelve bulls at twenty yards4 ,none of the pistols was wrong4 ,it was the men's lack of skill4 ,just before the war1 several rifle ranges in ,england were closed1 because they interfered with golf players4 ,it is to be hoped that after this war1 men will spend their spare time in learning rifle and pistol shooting instead of wasting it in games1 and will not close rifle ranges because they interfere with their golf links4 ,the fallacy that games are the best training for military service is exposed by a very interesting article in the ,field newspaper4 ,i maintain that no man who has not the instinct to shoot ingrained in him1 will shoot when under intense excitement and danger4 ,if he is a player of games he will not shoot1 but throw things at his adversary1 or use his rifle as a pike or club4 ,mr4 ,john ,lloyd ,balderston1 writing to the ,field newspaper of ,september #bi1 #aiag1 says3 8,an officer showed me his charges going through a mimic attack--firing rifle volleys instead of hurling bombs or going in with the bayonet2 in these attacks reliance was placed too much on the bayonet and bomb--now we have realized that when the enemy runs away and you run after him he is likely to get away4 ,accordingly we teach the men not to rush wildly along with the sole idea of bayoneting1 but to stop and pump some bullets after him40 ,,walter ,,winans4 ,january #a1 #aiai1 #ag ,,avenue ,,de ,,teroneren1 ,,bruxelles1 ,,belgique4 ,,contents ,,page ,,preface iii ,,chapter ,i4--,,introduction #a ,,ii4--,,sport ,,versus ,,sports #f ,,iii4--,,why ,,pistol ,,shooting ,,is ,,unpopular #ac ,,iv4--,,the ,,wrong ,,way ,,to ,,learn #af ,v4--,,preliminary ,,information #bj ,,vi4--,,how ,,to ,,prevent ,,accidents #bf ,,vii4--,,how ,,to ,,prevent ,,accidents 7,continued7 #cc ,,viii4--,,trigger-,,pull #ch ,,ix4--,,ammunition #dd ,x4--,,first ,,lessons #df ,,xi4--,,learning ,,to ,,shoot #ec ,,xii4--,,sights #fb ,,xiii4--,,targets #ga ,,xiv4--,,practical ,,targets #gg ,,xv4--,,how ,,to ,,hold ,,the ,,pistol #hj ,,xvi4--,,running ,,shots #hf ,,xvii4--,,running ,,shots 7,continued7 #ib ,,xviii4--,,shooting ,,an ,,automatic ,,pistol #ig ,,xix4--,,timing ,,apparatus #ajb ,,xx4--,,snap ,,shooting #ajd ,,xxi4--,,long ,,range ,,shooting #ajh ,,xxii4--,,the ,,automatic ,,pistol #aac ,,xxiii4--,,the ,,mechanism ,,of ,,the ,,automatic ,,pistol #aah ,,xxiv4--,,peculiarities ,,and ,,faults ,,of ,,automatic ,,pistols #abe ,,xxv4--,,final ,,practice #acb ,,xxvi4--,,exhibition ,,shooting #ace ,,xxvii4--,,control ,,of ,,temper #aci ,,xxviii4--,,the ,,effect ,,of ,,alcohol ,,and ,,nicotine ,,on ,,shooting #ade ,,xxix4--,,cleaning ,,and ,,care ,,of ,,the ,,pistol #aeb ,,xxx4--,,practical ,,pistol ,,shooting #aed ,,xxxi4--,,danger ,,of ,,leaving ,,pistols ,,about #afj ,,xxxii4--,,using ,,one',s ,,brains ,,in ,,shooting #afc ,,xxxiii4--,,the ,,perfect ,,target #aff ,,xxxiv4--,,is ,,duelling ,,wrong8 #aga ,,xxxv4--,,remarks ,,on ,,duelling #agf ,,xxxvi4--,,remarks ,,on ,,duelling 7,continued7 #ahj ,,xxxvii4--,,details ,,as ,,to ,,duelling #ahe ,,xxxviii4--,,ought ,,duelling ,,to ,,be ,,abolished8 #ahi ,,xxxix4--,,how ,,to ,,prepare ,a ,,novice ,,in ,,half ,,an ,,hour ,,for ,a ,,duel #aid ,,xl4--,,pistols ,,for ,,self-,,defence #bjj ,,xli4--,,dress #bjg ,,xlii4--,,self-,,defence #bab ,,xliii4--,,protecting ,,the ,,eyes ,,and ,,ears #bae ,,xliv4--,,eyesight #bbb ,,xlv4--,,the ,,weather ,,and ,,shooting #bbf ,,xlvi4--,,military ,,automatic ,,pistols #bca ,,xlvii4--,,recoil #bci ,,xlviii4--,,judging ,,distance #bdc ,,xlix4--,,game ,,shooting #bdi ,l4--,,shooting ,,from ,,horseback #bec ,,li4--,,gallery ,,automatic ,,pistols #bfj ,,lii4--,,shooting ,,gallery #bff ,,liii4--,,the ,,gastinne-,,renette ,,gallery #bgj ,,liv4--,,open ,,air ,,ranges #bgf ,,lv4--,,shooting ,,in ,,literature #bhj ,,lvi4--,,grip #bhe ,,lvii4--,,trick ,,shooting #bia ,,lviii4--,,the ,,devilliers ,,bullet #cjj ,,lix4--,,killing ,,injured ,,animals #cje ,,lx4--,,competitions #cac ,,lxi4--,,police ,,pistols #cag ,,lxii4--,,inventors #cbj ,,lxiii4--,,simplification #cbf ,,appendix ,a #ccc ,,appendix ,b4 ,,the ,,law ,,relating ,,to ,,revolvers ,,and ,,revolver ,,shooting ,,in ,,great ,,britain ,,and ,,ireland #cea ,,appendix ,c4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,carrying ,,weapons ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states #cfj ,,illustrations ,,page ,,the ,,author ,frontispiece ,,breech-,,loading ,,pistols #dg ,,author',s ,,winning ,,score ,,for ,,gastinne-,,renette ,,competition1 ,,april #g1 #aiaj #di ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol1 ,,pocket ,,model1 ,,calibre 4#cb #eb ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol 4#bb ,,target ,,model #ed ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol1 ,,military ,,model1 ,,calibre 4#ch #gj ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol1 ,,military ,,model1 ,,calibre 4#de #gj ,,how ,,to ,,hold ,,the ,,duelling ,,pistol 7#a7 #hb ,,how ,,to ,,hold ,,the ,,duelling ,,pistol ,,with ,,spur 7#b7 #hc ,,colt ,,new ,,safety ,,disconnector ,,automatic ,,pistol1 4#be #abi ,,the ,,gastinne-,,renette #af ,,metres ,,target #afh ,,ornamental ,,duelling ,,pistols ,,by ,,gastinne-,,renette #aha ,,pistols ,,by ,,gastinne-,,renette #ahc ,,colt ,,derringer #bjc ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol 4#be #bje ,,united ,,states ,,army ,,regulation 4#de ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol #bcc ,,united ,,states ,,army ,,regulation 4#de ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol4 ,,sectional ,,view #bcg ,,gastinne-,,renette ,,gallery #bga ,,gastinne-,,renette ,,gallery--,,firing ,,points #bgc ,,shield ,,on ,,duelling ,,pistol ,,with ,,guard ,,for ,,devilliers ,,bullet #cja ,,the ,,greener ,,killer #caj ,,winans' ,,revolver ,,front ,,sights #cbd ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score #ccd ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score #cce ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score #ccf ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score #ccg ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score #cch ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score #cci ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,twenty ,,yards ,,disappearing ,,target #cdj ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,twenty ,,yards ,,disappearing ,,target #cda ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,twenty ,,yards ,,disappearing ,,target #cdb ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,six ,,shots ,,in #ab ,,seconds #cdc ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,for ,,military ,,revolver ,,and ,,sights #cdd ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,twenty ,,yards ,,rapid-,,firing ,,target #cde ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,for #c-;,,inch ,,bull',s-,,eye ,,traversing ,,target1 #bj ,,yards #cdf ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,for #b-;,,inch ,,bull',s-,,eye ,,traversing ,,target1 #bj ,,yards #cdg ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score ,,advancing ,,target #cdh ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score ,,fifty ,,yards ,,target #cdi ,,twelve ,,highest ,,possible ,,scores ,,made ,,by ,,the ,,author ,,in ,,revolver ,,competitions ,,at #bj ,,yards ,,in #ahie #cej ,the ,modern ,pistol and ,how to ,shoot it ,,chapter ,i ,,introduction ,there is now no use learning revolver shooting4 ,that form of pistol is obsolete except in the few instances where it survives for target shooting1 or is carried for self-defence2 just as flintlock muskets even now survive in out-of-the-way parts of the world4 ,if a man tries to defend himself with a revolver against another armed with an automatic pistol he is at a great disadvantage4 ,the automatic is more accurate than a revolver1 as the 8blow-back0 does not vary as much as does the escape of gas past the cylinder in a revolver4 ,the bullet in the revolver has to jump into the cylinder1 whereas in the automatic it is already fitted up against the rifling1 before being fired4 ,the single-shot pistol is the most accurate of any1 there being no escape of gas4 ,the automatic has not only a much longer range than the revolver 7although the popular idea that it can be shot accurately at a thousand yards or more is nonsense7 but it cocks itself instead of having to be cocked by the thumb1 or trigger finger4 ,cocking by trigger-pull is such a strain on1 not only the trigger finger1 but the whole hand1 that1 after a few shots1 good shooting cannot be made4 ,i won all my rapid-firing revolver competitions using the single action and cocking with the thumb1 as this rested my trigger finger4 ,with the automatic1 cocking is unnecessary and1 with its lighter recoil1 good scores in rapid-firing are very much easier to make4 ,the penetration of the nickel-coated automatic bullet propelled by its big charge of nitro powder is very great4 ,a man brought me a 8pistol-proof0 cuirass to test2 ,i put a bullet at twelve yards clean through it and then through two 8bullet proof0 ones1 placed one behind the other4 7,i used a regulation ,u4 ,s4 4#de ,automatic pistol47 ,this was before the war4 ,the inventor was disappointed4 ,he had experimented only with revolvers shooting soft leaden bullets and these his cuirass had stopped4 ,unfortunately1 in its present comparatively imperfect development1 the automatic is the most dangerous firearm of all pistols for a novice to handle4 ,the long barrel of a rifle can be struck aside if a beginner swings it round and points it at the instructor or a nearby spectator1 but the short barrel of a pistol is easily pointed at and with difficulty brushed aside by the unfortunate person standing near a 8brandishing0 and 8flourishing0 man who is learning to shoot4 ,in spite of all warnings even those who ought to know better do this swinging about4 ,in fact1 it is the recognized way of handling a pistol2 according to reporters1 they always say ,so and ,so 8was brandishing a pistol0 if he happens to be armed4 ,you can test the truth of the above remark by asking any one to show how he would shoot a pistol4 ,he will raise his hand above his head and then jerk it down4 ,it is very difficult to get any one to understand the danger and the futility of doing this4 ,euclid tells us the shortest way from one point to another is a straight line4 ,why then1 in order to get the muzzle of your pistol on an object1 move it towards the stars first8 ,never let the muzzle of any firearm1 either loaded or unloaded1 point in the direction where it would do harm unintentionally if discharged4 ,i1 once only1 in all my experience1 found a beginner who did not do this1 and the beginner was a lady6 ,after a few shots with a duelling pistol the wind blew the target down1 the pistol was loaded and at full-cock in her hands4 ,i had seen enough of how she handled a pistol1 to know she had grasped the necessity of never pointing where there is danger4 ,the target blew down as she was beginning to aim at it2 she raised the muzzle vertically and put the pistol at half-cock1 ,i at the same moment going forward to put the target back in place4 ,with any other beginner ,i would have taken the pistol with me when ,i went up to the target4 ,smoking is one of the greatest enemies to good shooting1 even more so than alcohol4 ,a drinking man may1 for a time1 shoot well1 till his nerves are destroyed1 but smoking1 long before it kills1 makes a man unable to shoot well4 ,he has too much twitch in his muscles4 ,it is curious how heavy smokers deceive themselves1 and think it does them no harm4 ,at a dinner1 a man told me that smoking could not possibly interfere with a man's shooting4 ,he said3 8,i can lift a tumbler full of water without spilling a drop40 ,there were plenty of tumblers and a decanter before him1 but he took very good care not to demonstrate his contention4 ,i looked for his hands2 he had one carefully out of sight1 behind him2 the other1 with the eternal cigarette between the fingers1 he was pressing tightly to his waistcoat1 but not tightly enough to prevent my seeing that his hand was trembling as if with the palsy4 ,then1 he added1 to clinch his argument3 ,it is all nonsense to pretend that smokers cannot stop smoking if they want to2 ,i stopped for a whole week and the only thing was that ,i did not sleep and had no appetite2 it was not worth it1 so ,i began smoking again4 ,this is an extreme case1 but all smoking1 from the first whiff1 is cumulative poison1 deteriorating the nerves4 ,if a man gives up smoking and takes to pistol shooting in the open air1 he will find his nerves enormously strengthened and1 as long as he guards his ears from the concussion 7which ,i will deal with later71 his health much improved4 ,for elderly men also there is not the strain on the heart as in golf or tennis4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,sport ,,versus ,,sports ,when ,i wrote my book on revolver shooting1 in #aijj1 ,i caused indignation amongst many1 by saying that the time wasted over games would be better employed in learning to shoot4 ,i was told that1 although pistol shooting might be amusing1 it was 8such a waste of time and of no practical use10 and this by men who waste most of their time over golf6 ,later1 the ,kipling poem on ,flanneled ,fools and ,muddied ,oafs came out1 and there was an outcry as if one of the dogmas of the church had been assailed4 ,if games are so good for the health1 why does one see so many young men with round backs and contracted chests1 and heads poking forward1 in ,england8 ,until the war is forgotten1 shooting men will be considered as making better use of their time than players of games1 and the latter will not consider themselves superior to all others1 and1 figuratively speaking1 carve footballs on the tombs of their heroes 7as the feet were crossed on the tombs of crusaders7 to indicate the greatest deed of the deceased4 ,a great deal of this worship of 8,sports0 is the confusion1 owing to the similarity of the sound and spelling1 between 8sport0 and 8sports40 8,sport0 is the backbone of all manhood4 ,it is the hunting instinct inherent in all healthy1 normal males2 it means the cultivation of skill in shooting and horsemanship1 and men proficient in it are ready to rise in the defence of their country4 ,this is what 8sport0 means4 ,now1 however1 the term 8sportsman0 is employed to mean a man who has never fired a shot or swung his leg over a horse1 but one who is merely a kicker or hitter of balls1 or worse1 one who sits sucking at a cigarette watching others playing games4 ,the things he indulges in are called 8sports10 and it is 8sports0 which1 before the war1 were considered to overshadow all else1 and were taught at schools and colleges4 ,a feeble old man1 past active participation in 8sport0 can be1 of course1 excused if he keeps himself in health by playing golf1 but a healthy young man should shoot or ride4 ,the general public1 not knowing the training necessary before a man can either shoot or ride1 imagines that there is no necessity to learn either4 ,they think that the moment a man puts on a military uniform he can ride in a cavalry charge1 break wild horses1 or hit a man a thousand yards off with either pistol or rifle4 ,besides the absence of skill in shooting1 there is not in such men the instinct to shoot4 ,a shooting man has in him the instinct of shooting1 so innate that he aims and presses the trigger as instinctively as he lifts his foot when stepping off the road on to the curb4 ,he does not have to think at all4 ,if he is crossing a field in which there is a savage bull1 when carrying a gun1 rifle1 or pistol1 his only anxiety is not to be compelled to shoot4 ,it might get him into trouble with the farmer4 ,any danger to himself from the bull he knows does not exist4 ,a man who knows nothing about shooting1 even if given a loaded pistol1 gun1 or rifle1 before crossing the field1 would be more afraid of the firearm going off than of the bull1 and1 if attacked1 would club the gun or rifle to hit the bull with1 or would throw the pistol at it4 ,painters of battle pictures depict soldiers using their rifles as clubs or pikes1 not as shooting with them4 ,as an artist myself1 ,i know one excuse for this4 ,you need a model who is a shooting man1 to pose correctly for a soldier shooting4 ,such a model is expensive1 but you can get any one to pose as a man clubbing with the butt end of his rifle4 ,when ,i say that every able-bodied man should know how to shoot1 and that it is a disgrace if a man cannot both shoot and ride1 ,i am answered3 8,shooting is a gift1 ,i could not learn to shoot if ,i tried all my life40 ,this is nonsense4 ,a man may be more apt for it1 which generally means that he has a liking for it2 and this enables him to learn to shoot sooner and to become a better shot4 ,but any normal man1 and with even moderately good sight1 can learn to shoot well enough to make of himself a very dangerous opponent4 ,it is the way shooting competitions are conducted 7as ,i will explain later71 which makes shooting so uninteresting to the average man4 ,it is to him like having to take a black draught of medicine4 ,i confess the usual shooting gallery has the same effect on me2 ,i always pass by on the other side when ,i see the notice 8,,shooting ,,gallery40 ,the constant paragraphs in the papers announcing a 8did not know it was loaded0 accident bear testimony to how ignorant the public are of even the elementary knowledge 7,i will not say common sense71 not to point a firearm at another in play4 ,the public think that a bullet goes only where the shooter wants it to go1 8,you pull the trigger and the bullet does the rest0 sort of idea4 ,they believe the bullet goes direct of itself to that object and stops there1 when the trigger is pulled4 ,they have no idea that the bullet may miss that object and hit someone beyond4 ,people will stand in the direct line of fire to watch a wounded buck in a park being shot1 and are indignant if asked to move to one side4 ,they think it is absolutely safe to fire into the air1 even in a crowded city4 ,they do not think that the falling bullet may do any injury4 ,as there is only slight danger from falling shot1 this fosters the idea4 ,they do not know the difference between a shotgun or rifle4 ,both are 8sporting rifles0 to them and a military rifle is a 8gun40 ,a man does not put a razor to the throat of another in play1 but he thinks it 8humour0 to take up a firearm1 point it at another and pull the trigger4 ,the extraordinary thing is that if the 8did not know it was loaded0 man were taken to a range and asked to hit a target1 he would miss it every shot1 but he never misses his victim when he is playing at the game of 8,i did not know it was loaded40 ,he kills his victim every time4 ,the reason is that the fool takes very good care to go up to within a few inches of his victim before killing him with his 8,i did not know it was loaded0 joke4 ,some people have no sense of humour4 ,they handle horses in the same way1 but1 fortunately1 animals make allowance for ignorance in human beings but a firearm makes no such allowance4 ,therefore there are fewer accidents to human beings from horses than from firearms1 in proportion to the silly things the humans do4 ,a dog will allow a small child to poke its fingers in its eyes4 ,if a grown person attempted it he would get bitten1 but a pistol makes no such distinction4 ,i was being shown round a remount depot where the horses were picketed out with a hind leg tethered to a peg1 when a sour-looking1 underbred artillery horse1 began kicking at his neighbour4 ,the horse kicked himself free and trotted off to the corner of the field1 where he stood1 sulkily1 with his ears laid back1 a piece of rope wedged between his near hind shoe and the foot4 ,a man was ordered to bring the horse back4 ,he was wearing a pince-nez of very near sighted type4 ,now what he ought to have done was to first catch the horse1 taking care not to get kicked whilst doing so1 then to hold up a fore leg 7so that the horse could not kick71 whilst someone else removed the bit of rope from the hind shoe1 standing to one side4 ,instead1 he walked up straight behind the horse4 ,when he got within a few yards of him1 to my intense horror1 he went down on his hands and knees and began crawling towards the horse's hind legs4 ,the horse had been laying back his ears and showing the whites of his eyes and measuring the distance for a kick at the man4 ,this manuvre on the man's part1 however1 so surprised the horse that he stood quite still1 looking at the man enquiringly4 ,the man crawled up close to the horse's heels1 took out his pocket knife and1 putting his nose within a few inches of the horse's near hind foot1 quietly sawed away at the piece of rope with his blunt pocket knife and jerked the ends out from between the shoe and hoof4 ,the horse stood like an angel all the time4 ,the man to this day has not the least idea he ran any risk or performed an act worthy of the ,v4 ,c4 ,the horse evidently thought such a fool was not worth kicking4 ,there is no fun kicking a man who is not frightened4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,why ,,pistol ,,shooting ,,is ,,unpopular ,games1 or 8sports0 as they are called1 would not be popular if they were conducted on the same lines that pistol shooting usually is4 ,pistol shooting is made as dull and uninteresting as possible1 and then surprise is expressed that hardly any one takes a pistol in his hand1 except when compelled to do so1 and that shooting galleries do not pay4 ,small white squares of cardboard1 a minute black spot in the middle of each1 are put up at various distances4 ,you are told to aim at this spot4 ,if you hit it it counts so much1 if you miss it1 the further from it you perforate the paper1 the less points you score4 ,when you have fired a certain number of shots1 the total is added up and you go on again4 ,occasionally1 you have the mild excitement of being allowed to do this in competition1 and a 8spoon0 is given you if you make top score1 paid for out of your own money less a percentage which the gallery keeps4 ,your skill does not avail you long1 as the next time you shoot1 by however many points you have won1 by that number of points you are handicapped1 so it is possible that if you get very proficient1 you can have the pleasure1 when making all bull's-eyes1 of being beaten by a man who has not made a single bull's-eye1 and beats you by handicap1 and the list of spoon winners appears in the papers with his name on top and yours at the bottom1 and people say1 8,how badly ,x shoots40 ,this is not very encouraging to ,x or conducive to a desire to gain proficiency4 ,however bad a shot you are1 you have an equal chance of winning this spoon4 ,even the possibility of gaining a spoon applies to only a few shooting clubs4 ,the shooting galleries in black cellars1 do not give prizes4 ,you are supposed to be fully compensated1 after being deafened by a man with a full charge revolver or automatic pistol blazing away into the darkness beside you1 by paying for your targets1 ammunition1 and hire of a greasy revolver with a trigger-pull hard enough to break your finger and a report like a cannon1 whilst you strain your eyes to see a black front sight in the darkness4 ,there is no sport1 or comfort1 in all this4 ,under such circumstances nobody can be blamed if he gives up pistol shooting in disgust4 ,i shall describe later1 how a gallery should be built 7see ,plates #ae and #af71 or an open range planned and conducted1 but ,i here merely indicate why pistol shooting in ,england is deservedly unpopular as at present conducted4 ,there should be no handicapping4 ,being able to shoot well should be an incentive1 not a handicap4 ,next1 there should be the excitement and amusement of a game4 ,who would go to look at a game conducted under the following conditions8 ,sit in a room with all the lights out1 with a faint glimmer at the far end4 ,hear incessant1 deafening noises4 ,nothing else but noise for an hour or two1 except occasionally a pause whilst the black spot in the distance disappears and then reappears4 ,finally a man reading from a piece of paper announces3 ,x #dj points1 ,first4 ,y #ci points1 ,second4 ,z #ch points1 ,third4 ,then you go home4 ,some drudgery in learning has to be gone through with1 but it should be in a good light out-of-doors1 and this drudgery is only while learning4 ,it should not be continued all through a man's shooting career1 and be considered 8pistol shooting40 ,as ,i will show1 shooting can be made intensely interesting to both spectators and participants4 ,the present style of shooting competitions leads many sportsmen to say3 8,i love shooting1 but ,i hate target shooting40 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,wrong ,,way ,,to ,,learn ,pistol practice varies in different countries4 ,as duelling is still general on the ,continent1 practice with the pistol is conducted differently to that customary in the ,united ,states or ,england4 ,on the ,continent most men of the upper classes have at least a rudimentary acquaintance with the foil and duelling pistol1 but in the ,english-speaking nations a man has rarely ever handled or even seen a duelling pistol1 or the few who have done pistol shooting have never shot except at a stationary bull's-eye target4 ,at the ,english ,national ,rifle ,association at ,bisley1 the attempt was made to induce men to practise at moving1 rapid-firing1 and disappearing targets1 as well as advancing and retiring ones1 but these had reluctantly one by one to be given up1 owing to there being so few men who cared to shoot in such competitions4 ,in the days when ,i used to compete regularly at ,bisley1 ,i do not think there were more than half a dozen of us who competed at the sliding target1 and even fewer at the rapid-firing one4 ,we1 in those days1 used revolvers and black powder1 which made such shooting very difficult owing to the smoke obscuring the target4 ,i give at the end of this book the best targets1 full size1 made in these competitions which will now remain permanently the best on record1 as the revolver and ammunition are no longer made4 ,they will rank with the 8,high ,wheel0 trotting records as 8,hors ,concours40 ,any one who wishes to compete in revolver-shooting competitions in ,england must modify my teaching in the preceding chapters1 and refer to my ,art of ,revolver ,shooting for details of competition4 ,the duelling pistol is not used in ,england1 but there are many revolvers still in use there2 ,england is the last country to use the revolver in the army1 and is the last refuge of the revolver1 just as ,yellowstone ,park is the last refuge of the buffalo4 ,for competition in ,england1 practising will have to be done with a revolver1 not an automatic pistol1 and a deliberate aim taken at a black bull's-eye on a white target4 ,in the ,united ,states1 the automatic pistol is the sole weapon now4 ,several ,challenge ,trophies1 which ,i modelled and presented to various associations1 have had to have their conditions altered to 8automatic pistols0 from 8revolvers10 and as the automatic inevitably tends to rapid shooting1 the days of stationary target shooting are numbered4 ,many people defend shooting at a stationary target1 on the plea that one must learn one's alphabet before learning to read4 ,this is correct as far as it goes1 but they carefully omit to add that after a boy has learned his alphabet1 he goes on to reading1 and writing4 ,he does not merely repeat his alphabet all his life4 ,just the same argument is used by those who say that blundering through ,greek and ,latin1 with the help of a dictionary1 teaches modern languages2 that these latter are 8so easy after a grounding in ,latin and ,greek40 ,if it is so easy why do they not learn modern languages4 ,they cannot speak a word of any language but their own1 and even the few sentences of ,latin and ,greek they can parrot-like repeat1 no foreigner can understand1 as they pronounce them with the ,english vowel sounds4 ,for the same reason they mispronounce all foreign names4 ,a ,russian who cannot speak ,french and ,german as well as his own language is considered entirely uneducated4 ,a man may be a crack shot at a stationary target and yet be absolutely useless with his pistol in case of having to use it in a hurry at anything in motion4 ,if you want to learn something1 learn it1 do not learn another thing1 so as to be prepared to learn something else later on1 if you care to4 ,if you want to eat a peach do not first drink ten plates of soup1 and eat a leg of mutton1 or you may not have the time or desire to eat the peach4 ,if you want to learn practical pistol shooting1 learn it1 do not waste time learning unpractical shooting4 ,you not only waste your time1 but you spoil your 8timing10 which is the great thing in pistol shooting1 and also your sense of direction4 ,you get into the habit of putting up your pistol and then searching for the bull's-eye1 instead of having it all come by instinct1 like putting your spoon into your mouth4 ,i can tell a man who is not a practical shot1 by the way he first finds his sights1 and then hunts round for the target with them4 ,if it were a live target1 it would have made itself scarce while he was searching for his sights4 ,,chapter ,v ,,preliminary ,,information ,in revolver shooting there was the danger of making a bad shot through a badly fitted or dirty cylinder not turning quite into place1 and causing a shaving of lead to be taken off the bullet as it passed into the barrel4 ,i was once trying a new pattern revolver1 and made a very bad shot1 although ,i knew ,i had let-off well4 ,i opened the revolver1 and a thin shred of lead fell out1 showing the bullet had been deformed as it entered the barrel4 ,a bad shot from such a cause cannot happen to an automatic or a single-shot pistol4 ,a near-sighted man is at more disadvantage in pistol shooting than in rifle shooting4 ,with a rifle the hind sight can be fixed to the barrel nearer1 or further from the eye until it is at just the right distance to suit the shooter4 ,the pistol must be held at the full stretch of the arm1 or else one will get a blow on the nose1 and will not be able to hold steadily4 ,a long-sighted man can continue pistol shooting without having to wear glasses long after he has to use them for reading4 ,a near-sighted man finds the hind sight too far for him to see it clearly1 and then makes the fatal mistake of shooting with a bent arm4 ,this not only prevents accurate shooting1 but he is very apt to get the hind sight into his eye from the recoil of a kicking automatic4 ,the arm should be held straight and extended to full stretch1 so as to point the pistol by sense of direction1 just as a well-fitting shotgun stock enables the shooter to aim without consciously paying any attention to the sights4 ,use the pistol exactly as you would use a shotgun4 ,it is this want of knowledge of shotgun shooting which makes men shoot a pistol as if it were a rifle being used at a stationary target4 ,these men only understand lying down with a rifle1 and poking about with the sights to find the target after they have put the rifle to their shoulder4 ,some have a lot of incantations first2 they aim at the sky1 bring the rifle down slowly1 and then make a bull's-eye on the wrong target as they naturally cannot know which is theirs of a string of targets1 if they only fish about looking through a pin hole for it2 they know nothing of the possibilities of a rifle or pistol1 unless they are shotgun shooters as well4 ,the public consider 8,i did not know it was loaded0 as ample and full excuse when one man shoots another in a so-called 8accident40 ,not to know if the firearm you are handling is loaded is an unpardonable crime4 ,it is so simple to open the firearm and see for yourself4 ,i never take the owner's word for it if he tells me a firearm is not loaded4 ,before ,i handle it1 ,i examine it for myself4 ,the public think that no one but an expert can possibly know if a firearm is loaded2 that the only way to know is to pull the trigger1 and if any one happens to be shot1 well1 that is unavoidable and nobody is to blame4 ,it is to try to partly remedy this danger 7it is impossible to make any firearm or instruction in its use 8fool-proof07 that ,i ask any one who takes up this book to read the two following chapters1 even if they take no interest in shooting4 ,it may save a life4 ,everything we do is a compromise1 and nothing human can be made perfect in all particulars4 ,i give my ideas of what is wanting in automatics1 not from a mechanic's point of view1 but from that of the one who has to shoot them4 ,few mechanics are shooting experts4 ,they make beautiful pistols from a mechanical point of view1 but which are clumsy and unpractical from the shooter's point of view4 ,early inventors of automatics were not practical shots4 ,the inventor of one of the earliest automatics came to me with his invention4 ,it was utterly impossible to handle or make any good shooting with it4 ,it was like trying to eat soup with a fork4 ,he kept telling me that if ,i 8held it like this0 and 8did this10 ,i should be able to shoot with it1 but it was as if he had told me if ,i sat with my face to the tail of the horse and held on by his hocks1 ,i should be able to ride better than the usual way4 ,besides being of a most unwieldy shape1 to grasp which you had to spread your fingers in all directions1 this pioneer of the automatic pistol had all sorts of levers which must be moved by your different fingers in order to shoot it1 as if you were playing the cornet4 ,inventors1 instead of evolving a pistol from their imagination1 should consult an expert pistol shot1 as to what improvements on existing pistols are required4 ,we are told by writers who use the fashionable word 8imagination10 that to do anything1 from governing a ,nation to destroying submarines1 8,all that is needed is a man with #8,imagination4'0 8,imagination0 may do many things in legend or story but it will not teach a man pistol shooting1 or enable him to invent an automatic pistol4 ,i put experience and technical knowledge before 8imagination0 and theories4 ,in rifles there is the same sort of difficulty4 ,it took me years before ,i found a gunmaker who would try to make a rifle on the lines ,i consider desirable for big-game shooting4 ,big game is shot at short range1 so flat trajectory is of no importance4 ,what is important is to have a rifle which is light and well balanced and yet will knock down an animal with a terrific blow at close range4 ,one does not want the sort of rifle so largely advertised as an ideal rifle for big-game shooting--a rifle which weighs as much as an arm-chair1 balances like a poker1 kicks like a horse1 and is warranted to shoot into a two-inch bull's-eye at four hundred yards1 but is impossible to align on a rapidly moving animal at a few yards off1 owing to its clumsiness and weight4 ,inventors of firearms expect their customers to adapt themselves to their weapons instead of making the weapon to fit their customers1 and answer to their requirements4 ,i stopped a man just in time1 taking a ,lea-,metford to shoot rooks with6 ,i was lecturing on the cruelty and uselessness of docking horses1 amputating the bones and nerves of the horse's tail and searing it with a hot iron1 and what for8 ,a man in the audience stood up and said3 8,if ,i did not dock my horse he would be too long to fit between the shafts of my cart40 ,this is just the inventor's attitude3 ,you must shorten your trigger finger by cutting off the first joint4 ,i cannot alter all the blue prints of my invention just because you find the trigger too far back for your finger4 ,your finger is too long2 my invention is perfect4 ,as a shooting man1 not a gunmaker1 ,i may suggest improvements impracticable to make with present means1 but it was not by saying machines heavier than the air cannot be made to rise that the aeroplane was evolved4 ,it will be found that ,i have modified and even entirely changed some of my ideas since ,i published the ,art of ,revolver ,shooting in #ahij4 ,this is of course inevitable3 one lives and learns1 and ,i have learned much on the subject since then4 ,mechanical improvements have altered and eliminated difficulties which ,i had to teach how to avoid twenty-eight years ago4 ,on the other hand1 new difficulties have arisen which have to be combated4 ,those who cribbed from my former writings made a great mistake1 and instruction which was quite right for revolvers is wrong for automatics4 ,the position of the thumb1 for instance1 or the filing of the sights 7which1 almost without exception1 these compilers of books have taken without acknowledgment from my ,art of ,revolver ,shooting71 are not applicable to modern pistols4 ,the best way to learn pistol shooting is to have an expert stand beside you1 but1 lacking this1 the only way is to read a book by an expert4 ,it is very easy to write and to pose as an expert by the use of scissors1 but it is rather hard on those who wish to learn1 and also on those whose ideas are taken and used without acknowledgment4 ,i do not think any expert could write a book on pistol shooting using quotations1 as each man has his own system4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,how ,,to ,,prevent ,,accidents ,it is no use carrying a pistol in your pocket for self-defence1 and to have it go off and kill yourself1 or much worse1 shoot the person you are trying to save4 ,the first1 foremost1 and last thing is never to point the muzzle towards anywhere you do not want a bullet to go4 ,never mind if the pistol is empty1 treat it as if it were loaded4 8,i did not think it was loaded0 or 8he was cleaning the pistol and it exploded0 are the stock excuses when an accident occurs4 ,firearms to the non-expert 8explode0 at odd moments1 and nobody is to blame2 he thinks it is the nature of a pistol to 8explode0 spontaneously4 ,i cannot myself understand how a man can clean a loaded pistol1 as by cleaning ,i understand getting the fouling1 nickel1 etc41 out of the bore of the pistol1 and the cartridge must first be extracted to do this4 ,but ,i suppose a man not used to a pistol would mean by cleaning1 polishing the outside1 raising the hammer1 and then putting a rag through the trigger guard and pulling it backwards and forwards against the trigger with the butt of the pistol resting on his knee and the barrel against his chest4 ,he of course does not first open the pistol to see if it is loaded2 he leaves it for the inquest to decide 8that he did not know it was loaded40 ,i am not writing for such people2 they are better shot and out of the way1 else they might hurt others4 ,the second thing is never to load the pistol except when necessary4 ,most people buy an automatic1 get the gunmaker to load it for them1 and put it in a drawer or their pocket1 and keep it like that for years1 or worse1 leave it lying about loaded4 ,a pistol must be periodically cleaned4 ,if it is kept loaded for years1 it will probably jamb if any one attempts to fire it4 ,a pistol kept loaded is a constant source of danger to everyone1 including the owner4 ,i knew of a case where a revolver was kept loaded by a bedside for twenty years and thrown into a trunk each time the owner went on a journey4 ,after the owner's death1 ,i was asked to see if the pistol was safe4 ,it was lying in its case beside the bed1 and when ,i opened the case ,i found the barrel was lying so that it pointed at the head of any one sleeping in the bed4 ,i found it loaded in all the chambers1 the hammer let down on one of the caps so that its sharp point1 by constant friction1 had polished and nearly worn through the cap4 ,i took it into the garden and fired that cartridge4 ,the hammer had during all those years rested on this cap and the least tap on the hammer would have fired it4 ,each time it was thrown into the trunk it was a mercy it had not gone off4 ,if it had remained on the cap much longer1 the sharp nose of the hammer would have reached the fulminate and fired the revolver4 ,here was a case of a loaded revolver1 like the sword of ,damocles1 threatening the life of its owner all night long1 every night1 though it was put by the bed as a safeguard4 ,the hammer should have been put down on an empty chamber4 ,however1 to repeat1 never point a pistol under any circumstances at anything you do not want to shoot4 ,never have it loaded except when absolutely necessary4 ,now as to when it is necessary to have it loaded4 ,most people are much safer if they never load it4 ,if you want a pistol to frighten burglars with or to carry in dark lanes at night1 get a brightly plated nickel one4 ,the larger you can carry the better4 ,do not buy any cartridges for it4 ,if you get the gunmaker to render it impossible to fire it1 even if loaded1 so much the better4 ,you can stop any but the most desperate man by 8brandishing0 this at him in approved theatrical style4 ,i know of a jeweller who stopped a highwayman by pointing the nickel plated pump of his bicycle at him4 ,during the war a man took a number of the enemy prisoners by threatening them with his empty revolver4 ,for people who know nothing of firearms it is much the safest plan not to have any cartridges4 ,never allow 8ornaments0 shaped like pistols to lie about4 ,people get so used to playing with these that they at once point a real pistol when they can get hold of it4 ,even when a pistol has to be fired it only needs to be loaded just before being used1 as a rule4 ,when target shooting1 it need only be loaded the moment before getting into position for shooting4 ,if all the shots are not immediately fired from this position it should be at once unloaded4 ,i saw a most disgraceful neglect of this precaution at a shooting meeting1 which if the ,range ,officer had also seen1 the man would have been expelled from all meetings4 ,he was an expert revolver shot too6 ,several of us had made very good scores with the revolver at a stationary target4 ,this man came up carrying a hand bag in which his revolver and cartridges were kept4 8,i have a few minutes to spare before my train goes1 and ,i will have another try to beat you02 so saying he took out his revolver and cartridges1 handed in his ticket1 loaded1 and began a score4 ,he made three bad shots1 swore1 then without taking out his cartridges1 he just opened his bag1 put the revolver in1 shut the bag and went off4 ,never touch an automatic pistol until you are expert with a single-shot pistol4 ,i do not mean expert to make good scores1 but absolutely safe not to point it at any one1 and able to take out the cartridge with safety or to put the pistol at safe or half-cock4 ,we will suppose you have the single-shot pistol and cartridges1 and the target in front of you with a sufficiently large background that it does not matter where your bullet goes if you keep your muzzle always pointed in that direction4 ,it is almost impossible to have a range absolutely safe against an accidental discharge putting the bullet over the butts4 ,a man who swings his pistol over his head is almost sure some day to let off a bullet high over the butts if he does not blow his own brains out first4 ,if the shooter pays attention all the time to keeping the muzzle of his pistol pointed towards the butt he will be safe even if his pistol goes off accidently4 ,the barrel must be aligned towards the butt4 ,most beginners think that1 if they see the muzzle of the pistol against the butt1 it is aimed at the butt4 ,that is not so4 ,you can hold a pistol almost vertical like a candle in its socket1 and think the muzzle covers the centre of the target1 but if it is fired in this position the bullet will go straight in the air4 ,to aim a pistol1 the breech 7the part nearest the butt of the pistol7 must be aligned with the muzzle on the target4 ,keep the pistol lying on a table before you and pointing at the butt1 and when you lift it always keep it thus horizontal or slightly inclining towards the ground but always pointed at the butt4 ,all single-shot breech-loading pistols open by pressing a lever1 whether on top1 at the side1 or underneath the barrel4 ,press this and open the pistol1 look through the barrel to see that there is no cartridge in it and that the barrel is clear1 and then close it4 ,do this constantly for many days1 so that you get into the habit the moment you take the pistol in your hand to look through it to see if it is unloaded1 and no obstruction in it4 ,to fire a pistol which has an obstruction in the barrel may burst the pistol4 ,if any one asks to see the pistol1 first open it in his presence1 of course pointing away from him or any one else1 and look through the barrel before handing it to him4 ,if an automatic1 first take out the magazine and open the barrel as well4 ,unless he is a shooting man do not hand him any cartridges4 ,if he wants to see what your cartridges are like take the pistol back1 open it again and see that it is still empty1 put it away safely1 and then hand him a cartridge to examine4 ,all this may seem super-caution but it is necessary1 especially with an automatic1 and unless you do this by instinct with the safer single-shot pistol1 you may at any moment have a dreadful accident with an automatic for which you will be sorry all your life4 ,now1 standing facing the butt1 open the pistol1 put a cartridge in it 7an empty cartridge case1 not a loaded one74 ,put the pistol1 if it has an outside hammer1 to full-cock1 being very careful to keep it pointed at the butt1 lower the hammer to half-cock1 open the pistol and extract the cartridge1 and close the pistol again2 repeat this many times till you can cock and half-cock without the hammer slipping or falling by accident4 ,if it had a loaded cartridge in it the pistol would go off should you let the hammer slip down1 which is one of the most frequent causes of accidents with pistols having external hammers4 ,some hammer pistols have a rebound1 that is1 when the hammer falls it rebounds to half-cock4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,how ,,to ,,prevent ,,accidents 7,continued7 ,do not forget the hammer has three positions4 ,down on the cartridge1 8half-cock10 and 8full-cock40 ,the latter is when the pistol is ready to be fired1 when at half-cock it cannot be fired by pulling the trigger and is supposed to be safe against accidental discharge1 but it can be fired accidently if1 in raising the hammer to full-cock it slips1 owing to clumsiness or a greasy hammer or thumb1 or the hammer may get caught in something and be raised accidentally4 ,for this reason it is best to have the part of the hammer the thumb presses against in cocking corrugated1 roughed like a file4 ,take the barrel in the left hand1 holding the pistol horizontally pointing at the target4 ,take the grip in your right hand1 put your right thumb on the projection of the cock 7not from straight behind it but slightly from the right side72 this enables you to get a firm grip of the hammer and at the same time of the stock with your other fingers4 ,now1 do not do what all beginners do4 ,do not put your first finger on the trigger when cocking4 ,keep all your fingers outside the trigger guard to avoid any chance of your touching the trigger when cocking4 ,there are two causes of accidental falling of the hammer in cocking and so causing an accidental discharge of the pistol4 ,one is the hammer slipping from the thumb1 or being released by the thumb before it is fully at full-cock4 ,the other is pulling at the trigger at the same time that the pistol is being cocked 7which learners invariably do74 ,the result of pulling the trigger at the same time is that the hammer does not catch into the bent which holds it1 and falls as soon as the thumb is removed4 ,there is a click when the pistol is well at full-cock1 which tells you the pistol is properly cocked1 the hammer or cock goes slightly beyond full-cock and then comes into place by a click4 7,see quotation from ,byron's ,don ,juan on a later page47 ,to put to half-cock is the most ticklish of all and is the cause of most pistol accidents4 ,the thing to do is to let the hammer fall to just below half-cock and then bring it back to half-cock4 ,if it falls too low it fires the pistol1 if it does not click it has not properly got to half-cock4 ,still holding the barrel of the pistol in the left hand and the grip in your right 7keep the pistol carefully pointed at the butt where an accidental discharge would do no harm71 put your right thumb on the hammer4 ,when you have a firm touch of it so that it cannot escape you as it falls1 put your first finger on the trigger and press1 but only for an instant4 ,the hammer will fall but you must keep it from falling fast1 by holding back with your thumb4 ,lower the hammer down to just below half-cock back to half-cock and then release your thumb hold4 ,if the hammer went its full fall it would explode the cartridge4 ,with a rebounding hammer1 the hammer falls and instantly springs back to half-cock4 ,therefore in letting a rebounding lock down from full to half-cock1 if you are able to restrain it well during the first part of its descent1 even if it slips from your thumb before it is quite at half-cock1 the rebound overcomes the downward fall and it rebounds to half-cock without actually exploding the cartridge because it does not quite reach it4 ,half-cock is the safest position for a loaded single-shot pistol but not safe enough to carry in a pocket or holster loaded4 ,for that1 it needs a safety lock to hold it at half-cock4 ,as you gain confidence you will find that1 with a rebounding lock 7such as all duelling pistols of full-size calibre by the best makers have71 it requires very little holding back at the hammer in letting it down to half-cock and the hammer remains at half-cock by itself1 without any click4 ,with an ordinary hammer which remains down when it is fired 7like many single-shot pistols of ,american make or the 4#b bulleted caps of the 8,flobert ,pistol071 the hammer must be kept firmly held until it is below half-cock1 and then brought to half-cock where it will click1 as it also does at full-cock4 ,the great advantage of an automatic pistol is that it does not have this click and so does not give warning to an adversary and is not apt to go off by accident when being put at safe4 ,if the trigger is held back whilst cocking it is as if you were to ask a man to sit down and pull the chair from under him4 ,he falls just like the hammer4 ,almost all modern pistols with visible hammers have rebounding locks so that after the hammer falls1 on the trigger being pressed1 and explodes the cartridge1 then it jumps back to half-cock of itself4 ,this saves time as otherwise the hammer resting on the exploded cartridge would have to be raised by the thumb to half-cock before the exploded cartridge could be extracted and a fresh one put in4 ,now1 practise till you are perfect1 using an empty cartridge4 ,open1 insert cartridge1 close1 put to full-cock1 lower to half-cock1 extract cartridge1 close pistol4 ,do not be satisfied till you can do all this without a hitch or hesitation and without letting the hammer slip4 ,when you do this perfectly you can go on to the next lesson1 but not before4 ,when you have the pistol at full-cock1 it can be fired by pressing the trigger1 but we have not come to that yet4 ,we are only learning how to safely handle a pistol4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,trigger-,,pull ,very few people pay attention to the strength of the trigger-pull of their pistols4 ,they accept whatever trigger-pull it has when they buy it4 ,they do not know that trigger-pull can vary from a hair trigger up to many pounds weight4 ,first-class gunmakers make the 8weight10 as it is called1 of their trigger as light and smooth as possible subject to its being safe to handle4 ,the subject of safe trigger-pull is a variable quantity4 ,an expert shot can be trusted with a trigger-pull so light that in the hands of a less skilful or careful shot there would be great danger of the pistol being discharged accidentally4 ,the automatic pistol is put to full-cock automatically with violence1 by the discharge4 ,therefore the trigger-pull has to be made much heavier than the trigger-pull of a single-shot pistol1 where the shooter cocks it gently with his own hand4 ,a typical example of how men1 even after a lifetime of shooting1 pay no attention to the weight of their trigger-pulls occurs to me4 ,an old gentleman1 belonging to one of the learned professions1 who had been an enthusiastic but very bad shot all his life1 asked me to try his shotgun at some clay pigeons4 ,he was one of those men who always pride themselves on getting things cheaper than any one else4 ,he did not understand that a good gun is expensive2 and that a second-hand gun by a first-class maker is much better value 7and safer to use7 than a cheap new gun4 ,acting on his usual principle1 he had bought a gun very cheap1 8a splendid bargain which ,i have used the last ten years4 ,i am not as strong as ,i once was so ,i bought a featherweight one40 ,to buy a light1 cheap gun is extremely dangerous4 ,only a very first-class maker can reduce the weight of a gun to its limit without risk of a burst1 and the materials must be flawless4 ,when ,i saw the gun ,i was sorry ,i had offered to shoot it4 ,the barrels looked fearfully thin at the breech1 of inferior metal1 and rattled from bad fitting1 when one succeeded in closing the gun4 ,the weakness of the gun1 however1 was made up by the strength of the cartridges1 which were for pigeon shooting1 and loaded with a full #a ounces of shot and an enormous charge of nitro powder4 ,the gun had the proof mark for black powder only6 ,he was delighted with his cartridges and told me he had bought them at a great bargain from the executors of a celebrated pigeon shot recently deceased4 ,i ventured to suggest that it might be dangerous to shoot such a heavy charge of nitro powder out of a very light gun proofed only for black powder4 ,he said3 8,that's nothing1 ,i am not as active as ,i was and ,i was told these cartridges would kill much farther than lighter loaded ones1 and how cheap they are60 ,i1 with many misgivings1 had a clay pigeon thrown1 but the gun refused to go off4 ,i took out the cartridges and tested the trigger-pulls by feel4 ,they were like lifting a coal scuttle4 ,i said to him3 8,do you know what your trigger-pull is80 ,he did not understand what ,i meant4 ,i used a trigger-tester4 ,they were well over nine pounds each4 ,a shotgun generally has #b for front trigger and #b for back trigger4 ,i had another pigeon thrown4 ,i took a hard tug at the trigger and the gun went off with such a recoil that the stock nearly jumped off my shoulder4 ,i do not know where the charge went2 the pigeon was almost out of range before ,i could get the trigger to act4 7,i learned the cartridges had been stored near the kitchen fire6667 ,this was enough for me and fully explained why the old man1 whilst shooting all his life1 had never become expert4 ,first-class gunmakers see to the trigger-pull so as to make a compromise between a nice1 light trigger-pull and one safe to use4 ,military rifles are made with a very heavy trigger-pull in order to make them safe to be handled by men who have rough1 hard hands from manual labour4 ,this1 in my opinion1 is a mistake4 ,a very heavy trigger-pull prevents accurate shooting1 because the rifle is always going off later than you want it to and encourages hanging on to the trigger4 ,the man gets into the habit of pressing on the trigger when he is not shooting4 ,he knows the rifle will not go off unless he gives a tug at the trigger4 ,with a light trigger1 a man knows that he must keep his finger clear of it1 or he will fire his rifle accidentally4 ,when learning the handling of the single-shot pistol 7the automatic must not be touched till the learner is familiar with the single-shot71 blank ammunition may be used4 ,the learner is very apt to discharge his pistol unintentionally1 and the fright caused by firing a blank cartridge by accident will impress on him to be more careful in the future1 before he had a loaded cartridge in the pistol1 which might cause a fatal accident if discharged unintentionally4 ,as the automatic cannot be made with as light a trigger-pull as a single-shot pistol1 it becomes a question as to how light the trigger-pull of your single-shot pistol should be4 ,if you want to make the best possible shooting with it and to make your lessons as pleasant and as easy as possible1 have as light a trigger-pull as your gunmaker 7not an ironmonger who sells firearms7 recommends4 ,if1 however1 it is important that you should learn an automatic pistol well1 and the single-shot pistol is only used for getting familiar with firearms1 then have the trigger-pull adjusted to be as near as possible1 not only of the strength1 but of the character of the automatic pistol you intend to use later4 ,two triggers of the same weight may vary greatly in the feel and sweetness of the pull4 ,one may drag or grate4 ,the other seems to go off at your mere wish4 ,no automatic can have the delicate touch of a single-shot pistol4 ,it has to withstand such rough handling by the mechanical loading of the explosion4 ,a thing to be especially remembered is that one who is not expert1 trying to put the pistol to half-cock1 ruins the trigger-pull and renders it unsafe4 ,the point of the seer can be broken off or distorted by someone fumbling with the trigger and hammer4 ,do not let people touch the hammer or trigger of your pistol1 any more than you would let them jerk your horse's mouth4 ,in the course of your first trials in cocking1 putting to half-cock1 etc41 you will probably injure your trigger-pull more or less1 and should you feel the least alteration or grate in it1 have it examined by a gunmaker before worse mischief occurs4 ,with a hammerless 7i4 e41 pistol with invisible hammer inside the lock7 there is not this danger4 ,cocking is accomplished by the act of closing or opening the pistol which at the same time causes the hammer to be locked at safety4 ,what corresponds to cocking and putting to half-cock is accomplished by sliding the safety bolt to the firing position1 or to 8safe40 ,it is advisable to have the same weight of trigger-pull on all your pistols4 ,if they vary it makes it difficult to shoot equally well with all4 ,the heavier trigger-pull of some will hamper you1 and the lighter trigger-pull on others may make you discharge them before you mean to4 ,as individual fancy in trigger-pull varies1 some makers sell their pistols with intentionally a very heavy trigger-pull1 so that their clients can have it regulated to their requirements4 ,this probably was the reason my old man had such a heavy trigger-pull on his 8greatest bargain ,i ever saw0 gun4 ,before practising for or entering a competition1 see that your trigger-pull complies with the regulations1 as nothing is more annoying than1 after making a winning score1 to find your trigger-pull is too light and your score in consequence is disqualified4 ,it is best to have the trigger-pull well over the minimum so as to allow for its getting lighter during shooting4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,ammunition ,every make of pistol has ammunition which suits it best4 ,in fact1 to shoot what was made for it4 ,in the case of automatic pistols1 they will not work properly unless their own ammunition is used4 ,it is very dangerous to shoot the wrong ammunition out of a pistol4 ,it may burst it4 ,i nearly had such an accident with a revolver when winning a prize given for the best score with a certain make of powder4 ,i found the pistol working very stiff in the revolution of the cylinder1 toward my last shots1 and when ,i had finished ,i looked and saw that the cylinders had become egg shape1 caused by the pressure of the explosion1 which was greater than the powder-charge the pistol was made to withstand4 ,it was only the excellence of the material which caused the cylinder chambers to expand toward their weakest point 7the circumference of the cylinder71 instead of bursting4 ,it was this expansion that had caused the friction in turning the cylinder4 ,as my book is not a gunmaker's catalogue there is no use in giving illustrations of ammunition4 ,such illustrations are neither artistic nor of any interest4 ,many makes of cartridges are long since obsolete and only linger in catalogues because the old blocks happen to still exist and can be used to fill up a catalogue and make it 8fully illustrated40 ,any one conversant with pistols does not even glance at them4 ,when he buys the pistol1 he also buys the cartridge made for it4 ,he does not buy a pistol and then try which make of cartridge will fit into the chamber4 ,a cartridge should fulfil the following conditions3 ,first of all1 it should be safe against accidental explosion1 such as dropping or when feeding through the magazine of an automatic pistol4 ,next1 the case should not split or swell when fired1 so as to make it difficult to extract4 ,next 7this is a matter also of the construction of the pistol71 it should not blow back fire into the eyes of the shooter4 ,this has several times happened to me with cheap makes of rifles and pistols and one is very apt to have such an accident when shooting at bottles at a fair with cheap worn rifles4 ,i asked a woman attending at one of the shooting booths at a fair1 if it was not very dangerous when drunken men came to shoot4 ,she answered3 8,oh no1 when a man looks dangerous ,i load only blank ammunition for him40 ,the chief requisite is accuracy2 and without accuracy a cartridge is useless4 ,,chapter ,x ,,first ,,lessons ,as the automatic pistol is a very dangerous one for a novice to handle1 it is best for the beginner to first thoroughly master a single-shot pistol4 ,there are several styles of single-shot pistols 7see ,plates #b1 #i1 #aj1 and #ag74 ,i will not give a list and description of all makes1 like a gunmaker's catalogue4 ,i will merely describe a few of the typical ones4 ,very many are not only obsolete but of no use1 and ,i do not intend to describe any pistol or ammunition merely to condemn it4 ,all that ,i describe have some merit1 and most of them have great merit4 ,still if there is any ammunition or pistol left out1 you must not at once jump to the conclusion that ,i consider it bad or dangerous2 it may be that it was omitted through an oversight4 ,it is best to have a pistol light in weight and shooting as small a charge as possible1 so that there may be no great weight to hold up and no flinching from the noise or recoil4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #b4 ,,breech-,,loading ,,pistols 7,by ,gastinne-,renette7 ,with a very small charge it is possible to use a very light pistol1 and though this is advisable for a beginner still1 weight in a pistol1 even if it shoots only a very small charge1 is an advantage for accurate holding4 ,the trigger-pull must not be lighter than #b pounds for safety 7especially for a beginner7 and if the pistol weighs less than #b pounds1 it is very difficult to press the trigger without disturbing the aim4 ,lightness in weight of the pistol is also often obtained by shortness of barrel1 and to shoot a pistol with only a two or three inch barrel is the supreme test of skill in pistol shooting and a useless handicap to a learner4 ,at one time ,i thought it impossible for good shooting to be had out of a two inch barrel1 but a friend and ,i tested this at twenty-five metres1 and we both1 after a few trials1 got strings of shots on the chest of a life-sized figure of a man target4 ,but it requires a man who has shot for many years to be able to do this2 even an average shot goes very wide and wild in his shooting with such a short barrel4 ,these very short barrels are therefore useless for the general public for self-protection1 except when the pistol actually touches the opponent4 ,even the short police pistol requires a lot of learning4 ,most people imagine it is merely necessary to buy a little pistol 8which ,i can put in my waistcoat pocket10 to become burglar proof4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #c4 ,author's winning score for ,gastinne-,renette ,competition1 ,april #g1 #aiaj4 ,this sort of thing is worse than useless4 ,if you leave a man alone he will most likely leave you alone1 but if you annoy him by banging at him1 he may lose his temper and hurt you4 ,a reasonably long barrel is therefore necessary for a beginner1 and a reasonably heavy weight4 ,the cartridges may have light loads4 ,unfortunately the easiest pistol of all1 to shoot1 is now impossible to be had except from a dealer in second-hand firearms4 ,i mean the 8,flobert0 duelling pistol1 formerly made in ,france and ,belgium1 shooting bulleted caps of about 4#b calibre4 ,the duelling pistol1 in all its calibres1 is the best balanced and easiest to shoot of all pistols 7see ,plates #b and #e74 ,the stock is at just the right curve and angle1 is large enough for a big hand1 and yet does not feel clumsy in a small hand4 ,by taking the grip of the hand higher or lower1 the same effect is produced as in having a gunstock straighter or more bent2 one can1 therefore1 by altering the grip of the hand1 find a place to hold which makes the pistol come with the sights aligned on raising it1 just as a well-fitting gun 8comes up40 ,next this pistol balances perfectly4 ,the length of the barrel does not make it top heavy1 as the barrel is fluted1 to lighten it forward1 and the stock weighted4 ,most pistols1 automatics especially1 are muzzle heavy4 ,there is really no pistol except the duelling pistol which balances properly1 and the automatic will have to be altered in this respect before it can become the ideal weapon for rapid shooting4 ,the ideal pistol is the ,gastinne-,renette duelling pistol1 which is of 4#dd calibre muzzle loader or shoots a centre fire cartridge1 with ,french 8,poudre ,j0 and a round bullet 7see ,plates #b and #i74 ,this is the most accurate pistol in the world and a number of men have made a score of #ab shots in a bull's-eye the size of a sixpence1 in succession at #af metres 7#ag yards #a foot74 ,this pistol has very little recoil4 ,if the beginner cannot get a 8bulleted cap0 duelling pistol the ordinary 4#dd gallery ammunition duelling pistol will do almost as well4 ,now arises the question of expense1 as these pistols are expensive4 ,if economy is necessary1 then the only way is to get one of the ,american single-shot pistols and add wood to the back of the stock1 so that the grip comes further back and the trigger is thereby further from the hand and allows the trigger finger to be extended4 ,then either cut down the barrel to lighten the pistol forward1 or have flutes made in the barrel to take weight of the metal off1 and put lead in the stock4 ,i have described the ideal way of learning to shoot a pistol but of course any single-shot pistol which does not have too heavy a recoil will do to learn with1 so as to become a fair shot4 ,with the long reach to the trigger of the ,french duelling pistols the trigger finger can be held outside and along the trigger guard 7as with a shotgun when walking up birds74 ,with the trigger so far back1 as it is in ,american single-shot pistols1 it is difficult to introduce the finger into the trigger guard whilst holding the pistol with one hand1 and one gets into the dangerous habit of keeping the finger inside the trigger guard4 ,i will not describe these various single-shot pistols1 as 7in my own case7 ,i find shooting them does not do me any good1 but teaches a cramped style4 ,the pistol which is no longer made1 but can perhaps be picked up1 is a regulation ,french duelling pistol1 full size1 which shoots1 instead of the 4#dd duelling charge1 a bulleted cap of 4#b calibre1 with fulminate only1 and a round bullet1 and is exploded by a cross bar on the hammer which has a flat striking surface4 ,this flat bar strikes across the whole face of the cap1 indents itself into the cap1 and having an undercut surface extracts the empty cap after it is fired1 as the pistol is cocked4 ,the pistol has no recoil and hardly more noise than an air gun4 ,the manufacture would be resumed if there were enough demand for such pistols1 and in my opinion they ought to be made as they are infinitely preferable to modern 4#bb calibre pistols4 ,illustration3 ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol1 ,,pocket ,,model1 ,,calibre 4#cb ,,chapter ,,xi ,,learning ,,to ,,shoot ,having a pistol and ammunition1 the next thing is to find a place to shoot in with safety and comfort4 ,the usual procedure is as follows3 ,a says 8,i want to learn pistol shooting40 8,i know a place10 says ,b4 ,they go off and find a shooting gallery4 ,when they get there they go down a dark staircase1 into a long1 dark cellar with a glimmer of light at the firing point and a glimmer of light at the far end1 illuminating a series of minute white cards with a microscopic black dot on each4 ,men lie down on mats1 to which they have to grope their way1 shooting miniature rifles at these minute spots4 ,why1 when a man wants to learn to shoot1 has he to go into a coal cellar and ruin his eyesight seeing1 as one shooter complained1 8three front sights and two back ones08 ,to shoot one needs all the daylight possible4 ,one sees fine big public buildings1 and is told 8,they have a ,shooting ,range for their employees1 is it not nice of them80 ,you go to it4 ,there is a big bar1 with plenty of daylight1 rooms with plenty of daylight for games1 meals1 etc41 and then the inevitable dark staircase into a black cellar called the shooting-gallery4 ,if you cannot shoot in daylight do not shoot at all2 you will only ruin your eyesight and never learn to shoot properly4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #d4 ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol 4#bb ,,target ,,model ,capacity of magazine3 #aj shots4 ,length of ,barrel3 #f inches4 ,length over all3 #aj inches4 ,weight3 #bh ounces4 ,finish3 full blued2 checked ,english walnut stocks4 ,sights3 bead front sight1 adjustable for elevation2 rear sight with adjusting screw1 adjustable for windage4 ,distance between sights3 #i inches4 ,cartridge3 4#bb long rifle1 rim fire 7greased cartridges only74 ,we strongly recommend the use of either ,lesmok or ,semi-,smokeless4 ,all these artificial-light rifle galleries1 to teach the public to shoot1 are worse than useless4 ,the ,gastinne-,renette ,gallery in ,paris is an ideal gallery 7see ,plates #ae and #af74 ,learning to shoot is surely more worth while than playing bridge or golf1 and who would play bridge or golf in the dark8 ,choose1 if possible1 a range out of doors1 or at least in a well-lighted room 7lighted by daylight1 not artificial light71 but if there has to be artificial light1 let it be at least as light as in a ball-room4 ,next1 there must be a safe butt behind the target2 a butt which will not only stop bullets which hit or go near the target1 but which will stop a bullet which goes wide of the target4 ,it should be so arranged that if the pistol goes off by accident the bullet can do no harm4 ,if there is a narrow stall1 opening towards the target and high enough at the sides and narrow enough to prevent the shooter turning with his arm extended1 it would be a great safeguard1 as it will make it difficult for him to turn round and speak to others with his pistol pointing at them4 ,a thick ceiling will prevent his doing damage if his pistol goes off accidentally into the air1 and soft deal flooring will stop bullets shot too low4 ,a hard floor may cause dangerous ricochets4 ,the beginner is very apt to look only at his front sight and instead of getting it down into the ,v or ,u of the back sight1 fire with his front sight alone on the target1 so great care must be taken to protect against high shots off the target4 ,out of doors1 a butt six feet high is very little protection as the beginner is almost certain to let off shots over the top4 ,with the bulleted caps there is1 of course1 not much danger if a shot goes over the top of a butt1 especially if there is a wood1 or shed without windows1 beyond1 to catch the bullet4 ,another point is to have a table or shelf in front of the shooter1 so that he can lay his pistol and cartridges on it1 and if it is of thick wood1 it prevents his shooting into his own feet4 ,when instructing1 it is best to stand at the beginner's left side and be ready to clutch his pistol if he turns it dangerously4 ,the target should be a white bull's-eye of about five inches diameter on a black ground1 and at six to ten yards' distance4 ,the target should be of cardboard1 so that the bullets will go through and into the butt--a hard target may make the bullets rebound4 ,the duelling pistol has a silver bead front sight1 and a big ,u back sight4 ,the black front sight on most pistols is quite wrong4 ,it prevents quick shooting1 and ,i am in this book teaching quick1 practical shooting only4 ,practice at hitting minute stationary objects with a long aim died out the same as the revolver did4 ,formerly1 much of the revolver shooting was done at stationary black bull's-eyes on white targets1 just like rifle shooting was done4 ,i always protested against this1 claiming that the revolver was meant for quick shooting at moving or suddenly appearing objects1 and that extreme accuracy at stationary targets was not its metier4 ,the war has proved ,i was right1 and now these deliberate shooting exhibitions are used only to show what accuracy a pistol is capable of1 like shooting rifles off a gunmaker's rest4 ,a pistol shot out of a vise can show its capabilities better than any man can hold it4 ,it was this shooting at black bull's-eyes on a white target which caused the front sight to be made black so as to show on the white target1 when sighted at 8#f o'clock0 under the black bull's-eye4 ,this is all wrong4 ,when the black front sight is placed on a dark object1 as a man's coat1 it cannot be seen4 ,the white or silver bead sight on the duelling pistol is instantly seen and is the only practical sight for a pistol4 ,all this goes to show how worse than useless the old method of revolver shooting was1 and ,i do not intend to revert to it in these instructions on shooting its successor1 the automatic pistol4 ,load the pistol1 put it at full-cock1 and take it in your right hand pointing in the direction of the target4 ,put it into the beginner's hand with both yours1 the pistol pointed horizontally at the target4 ,make him grip it with three fingers1 his thumb horizontal and slightly crooked downwards along the stock1 his forefinger fully stretched along the outside of the trigger guard1 and clear of the trigger4 ,tell him he must not put his finger inside the trigger guard till he has the pistol pointed enough towards the target to prevent the bullet going in a dangerous direction in case he fires it accidentally4 ,then show him how to see his front sight1 in the middle of the ,u of the back sight1 and to press the trigger4 ,this preliminary stage ought for safety to be learned with an empty pistol4 ,a person who is used to firearms 7not necessarily one who is a pistol shot7 should stand beside the pupil till the pupil learns the rudiment of safety against accidental discharge1 and in aiming4 ,if there is no such person available then the pupil should be quite alone1 two people ignorant of firearms trying to learn at the same time are very apt to shoot each other4 ,after the beginner can safely load1 aim1 and press the trigger1 then he can begin to learn to shoot4 ,load the pistol1 stand with the arm fully extended1 the pistol resting against the further edge of the table or ledge4 ,fix the eyes on the bull's-eye1 slowly raise the pistol1 the arm fully extended 7keeping the head quite upright74 ,raise the pistol till the right eye looks through the ,u of the back sight and sees the front sight in the ,u at the middle of the bull's-eye and press the trigger4 ,do not stand sideways1 stand almost facing1 only slightly forward with the right shoulder1 the feet slightly apart1 knees straight1 arms straight4 ,nothing is worse than to shoot with a crooked or flabby right arm4 ,you will never learn to shoot in this way1 and a heavy automatic will hit you on the nose with the recoil4 ,stand rigid and upright1 the swing of the arm upwards should continue and the shot go off as you come horizontally to the target4 ,the idea is to fire the shot1 just as you deal cards1 raise and let off when you are horizontal4 ,do not poke with your head to see the sights1 or find the sights and then hunt for the bull's eye with the muzzle of your pistol 7like the rifle target shots do74 ,never let your pistol move an inch further than necessary4 ,to lift it above your head and to lower it is not only dangerous but useless4 ,you ought to raise to the target2 not raise above it merely to come down to it again4 ,that sort of 8flourish0 shooting 7which is the hardest thing to stop in a learner7 is as if1 when you want to go next door to your neighbour you went all the way down the street and then turned back to reach him4 ,open your door1 step to his doorway and go in4 ,the man who swings his pistol 78brandishes it0 as reporters say7 is at the mercy of the man who draws and fires in one movement4 ,you ought1 with practice1 to be able after a few shots to shut your eyes and as the pistol gets level1 fire1 knowing that your aim is right4 ,a fencer raises his foil with a straight arm and lunges4 ,he does not need to aim along the foil4 ,his sense of direction suffices4 ,in the same way if your grip is right you ought to see your sights in line on the bull's-eye without any necessity of correcting your aim as your pistol comes up1 and the whole thing should be done in one movement--raising arm1 sighting1 and pressing the trigger4 ,the action becomes as mechanical as putting your spoon in your mouth when taking soup4 ,this is the whole art of pistol shooting4 ,keep on1 practise1 practise and again practise1 until it becomes mechanical4 ,once acquired you will never lose it4 ,only fire a few shots at a time1 but several times a day4 ,do not worry about cleaning more than once a day if you have not the time4 ,it is worth while spoiling the pistol if you can just get the knack of chucking your shots into the bull1 instantly1 with the minimum of time or movement of the pistol1 like throwing stones into a bowl4 ,a good fencer is known by the small circle his point makes when fencing4 ,in the same way a good pistol shot is known by the small circle his muzzle makes when raising it and firing4 ,i have seen men shoot revolvers at stationary targets1 raise their pistol till it pointed vertically at the sky1 aiming all the time1 and then slowly bring the muzzle down till it was horizontal1 and then begin to fish for the bull's-eye1 straining their eyes for nothing and not learning anything of the very essence of pistol shooting which is 8lightning speed with accuracy40 ,others 8brandish0 or 8flourish0 their pistols and then let off into their friend's feet4 ,i always leave the ground when ,i see men doing this4 ,there is style in every pursuit1 and style in pistol shooting consists in economy of movement and time and especially in timing one's swing1 aim1 and trigger-pull so that they go together and throw the bullet on to the mark4 ,at twenty-five metres 7a shade over twenty-seven yards7 shooting at top speed of #a seconds a shot ,i won the ,duelling ,pistol ,championship at ,gastinne-,renette's in the year #aiaj with two scores1 one a full score for the twelve shots and the other one point short of a full score1 at an invisible bull's-eye of six by four inches 7see ,plate #c74 ,i tell this merely to show what practice will do at this1 the ,alpha and ,omega of pistol shooting4 ,just keep constantly practising at this1 and all other pistol shooting1 with whatever pistol or charge1 is merely a variation of it4 ,i know an extremely feeble old man who for many years each morning has half a dozen shots with a duelling pistol rapid-firing1 and although he comes and goes a tottering1 feeble old man1 he brings up his pistol and hits the bull's-eye instantly1 like a young man1 when shooting4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,sights ,i put this chapter after the preliminary one on learning to shoot as1 although sights are vital for good1 quick1 accurate shooting1 the beginner is too occupied with other matters to pay much attention to what the sights are like4 ,now that the learner can load1 fire1 put his pistol to half-cock1 etc41 with safety to himself and others1 he can begin to learn a little about sights4 ,the sights are to enable him to align the barrel of his pistol accurately4 ,by constant practice a man can learn to point with enough accuracy to hit an object of fair size at close quarters without sights1 by sense of direction4 ,when it gets up to ranges of twenty-five or more yards1 or to hitting a smaller object at closer range1 his sense of direction must be aided by aim4 ,almost all makers of pistols make the sights of their pistols wrong2 the only proper sights are those on ,french duelling pistols 7see ,plates #b and #aj74 ,the reason is obvious2 for duelling a man has to snap shoot4 ,all other pistol shooting1 with very few exceptions1 is very artificial and has been done in deliberate shooting at small black bull's-eyes just as rifle shooting was spoilt4 ,i used to struggle with these minute sights at moving objects and rapid fire1 and ,i am sure my record scores would have been much better if ,i had in those days known of the ,french duelling pistol sights and if1 which is very doubtful1 these sights had been passed as 8military sights0 which was an arbitrary term in ,england1 changing from year to year4 ,the ordinary pistol sights1 as placed even now on the latest patterns of automatics1 are the worst that one can imagine4 ,what one wants is a front sight which shows up instantly against any object2 large so that it is the most prominent object in aiming1 and a back sight with so big a ,u in it that you instantly get the front sight centrally in it4 ,these conditions are fulfilled only by the ,french duelling sights4 ,the front sight is a silver ball without stalk1 as large as and similar to the one on a shotgun4 ,shotgun men found this the best sight and shotgun shooting is snap shooting like pistol shooting is or ought to be4 ,now compare this with the sights on other pistols1 especially military ones4 ,they have a high knife blade1 black front sight4 ,the target pistols have a microscopic black bead on a very thin stalk which gets bent out of position at the least rough usage4 ,for a hind sight there is a minute indentation in the bar of the hind sight4 ,when added to this you are expected to see this microscopic dot1 or a problematic part of the knife edge front sight 7this latter worn to an indistinct grey by friction7 into a slight notch which you would need a magnifying glass to find1 and which is much too small to hold the front sight in1 and to do all this in a black cellar so dark that you have to light a match to look for a cartridge if you drop it you can easily see that men give up pistol shooting in disgust and want some sport where there is light and air1 and in which they do not have to tire their eyes out to look for the front sight and a target at the end of a coal cellar4 ,whatever pistol you use1 have it fitted with a big silver front bead sight placed close to the barrel1 no matter how large it is1 if your eyesight needs it large to see instantly in a bad light4 ,have the back sight with a big ,u in it so that you see daylight all round it when aiming with fully stretched arm4 ,this front sight cannot be altered but the back sight can be made higher or lower to suit your style of aiming4 ,at first you do not know if your bad shots are due to the sights not being suitable for you1 or not being properly adjusted1 or to your wobbly aim4 ,there is no use going further into the matter now1 but later ,i will show you how you can alter the sights to your own individual peculiarities4 ,what ,i want to impress is1 that from the very beginning1 you should not worry yourself with the sights you find on pistols2 get your gunmaker to put on duelling pistol sights before you begin to learn4 ,tell him you want them for taking a full sight in daylight at twenty yards4 ,let him read this chapter and he will understand what you require4 ,always press straight back on your trigger1 do not push it off to the left1 or jerk at it4 ,in rifle shooting the left hand steadies the rifle and prevents this tendency to push off to one side and also in a measure counteracts the effects of snatching or jerking at the trigger4 ,the pistol has no left hand to steady it4 ,the right hand has not only to aim the pistol1 but also to counteract the effect of any jerk1 snatch1 or push to one side from defective trigger pressing4 ,it is as well to put in an empty cartridge case and to practise pressing the trigger and trying to have the pistol still aligned on the object the moment the hammer has fallen4 ,aim and press that trigger at your own eye reflected in a glass and you can see if you pull off your aim4 ,by doing this you can detect any jerk to the right or left1 or up or down4 ,with an automatic there is a tendency to jerk down so that it is very important not to get into this habit in the preliminary practice with a single-shot pistol4 ,when you get to grouping your shots well together1 you can have your back sight altered so as to put this group into the centre of the object you want to hit1 if it does not already go there4 ,the great thing is to make as close a group of shots as you can2 if you group a dozen shots all in a bunch it is good shooting4 ,it does not matter if they are not on the object you want to hit4 ,that is merely a matter of having the back sight raised or lowered to cause the group to go higher or lower accordingly4 ,raising the back sight makes the group higher2 lowering the back sight makes the group lower4 ,putting the back sight over to the right makes the group go to the right2 putting the back sight over to the left makes the group go to the left4 ,you should be cautious however about this lateral adjustment4 ,it is better to correct your tendency to jerk to either side than to make the pistol conform to your bad trigger pressing4 ,when giving instructions on learning to shoot in an early chapter1 ,i took it for granted that the learner is using a pistol he is reliably informed shoots where the sights are pointed4 ,a beginner cannot know himself whether the fault is his or the pistol's when he makes a bad shot1 so he gets into a hopeless tangle when using a pistol wrongly sighted4 ,an expert after a shot or two to find how the pistol is sighted can make allowance for the error in the sights4 ,i saw a man make a marvellous score with a double barrelled rifle4 ,i said to him how well the barrels shot together and he answered1 8,i had to aim two inches higher and to the left with the left barrel than with the right barrel40 ,it was the man who was marvellous not the rifle4 ,when a man begins to become expert he knows when his 8let off0 has been correct and that1 if the bullet goes wide in such a case1 it is not his fault1 but the fault of the pistol4 ,the modern single-shot pistol and automatic pistol are almost invariably very accurate1 so if the bullet goes wrong when the pistol is 8let off0 correctly1 it is the fault of the sights4 ,shots wide to the right or left mean in each case that the sights are not adjusted centrally to the barrel4 ,the front sight1 being a fixture1 is very unlikely to be at fault1 but the back sight may have got moved to one side4 ,the back sight has generally a scratch made from its base onto the barrel1 and if this scratch does not coincide then the sight has shifted and it must be knocked into place4 ,when the back sight is central and the bullets do not group to either side of the mark1 but where you aim1 then fix the back sight permanently and immovable4 ,a movable back sight is a constant annoyance and ,i never understand why makers put it so4 ,you shoot badly and after wasting a lot of shots1 find your back sight has shifted unobserved to one side4 ,i lost a stag recently owing to the back sight of my rifle getting knocked off1 being wedged only in a slot instead of being screwed in4 ,have this back sight absolutely central4 ,if you shoot to one side correct your way of letting off4 ,do not shift the back sight to avoid the trouble of learning to let off properly4 ,if you do1 you will be like a man driving who1 instead of straightening his horse's mouth1 puts one rein at the cheek and the other at the bottom bar and makes the horse go worse and more lopsided every day till the horse is incurably crooked4 ,if you keep on shifting the back sight to counteract your bad let off1 you will end by not being able to let off properly4 ,if you shoot too high all you have to do is to file down the ,u in the hind sight1 a little at a time1 until it is right4 ,if you shoot too low1 you will have to get a higher back sight put in and file that down gradually till you get it right4 ,the place to aim at is exactly where you want the ball to hit1 seeing the whole of the ball of the front sight in the ,u of the back sight4 ,keep on working at the back sight till you arrive at this result4 ,if in target shooting you aim at the bottom edge of the bull's-eye1 you will require a different adjustment of sights for each size of bull's-eye4 ,a two-inch bull's-eye at twenty yards requires the pistol to shoot one inch higher than the aim so as to put the bullet in the centre of the two-inch disc when aimed at its bottom edge1 and if the bull's-eye is four inches the pistol would have to be sighted to shoot two inches higher at the same distance to hit the centre4 ,as natural objects are not at all of the same size1 and you cannot carry twenty pistols shooting to various heights to choose from1 it is best to have the pistol sighted to hit the exact spot you aim at1 and then it does not matter if you are shooting at an elephant or a mouse1 you can hit the spot4 ,the tendency to 8duck0 and flinch at the noise and recoil makes beginners put their shots very low4 ,the revolver used to make men shoot high1 the automatic shoots low as a rule from muzzle heaviness1 the wrong angle the stock is placed at1 and the uneven blow back 7which latter ,i will explain later74 ,single-shot pistols are generally of ,american make and it is very curious what defects they have in comparison with the ,french duelling pistol4 ,to begin with they have a stock too much at right angles to the barrel and much too small and narrow4 ,next1 the trigger is in the wrong place4 ,the proper place for the trigger is so that you can just reach it with the first joint of the outstretched first finger4 ,pressing the trigger with the second finger is a ridiculous habit and1 with an automatic pistol1 results in making the pistol jamb burn the first finger with the ejecting cartridges4 ,the ,american single-shot pistols have the trigger so close to the hand that the trigger finger has to curl around the trigger beyond the second joint4 ,i never could understand how ,chevalier ,ira ,paine1 with his big hand1 managed to shoot ,american single-shot pistols4 ,the trigger being too close not only makes pressing it difficult but makes it so that1 instead of straight back1 it has to be pressed to the left and sends the bullet to the left4 ,illustration3 ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol1 ,,military ,,model1 ,,calibre 4#de ,illustration3 ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol1 ,,military ,,model1 ,,calibre 4#ch ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,targets ,i began my instruction with a white bull's-eye on a black target1 but1 as soon as the pupil becomes a little proficient1 this bull's-eye shooting should be stopped4 ,the pupil should then learn to hit the middle of a large object1 not a small object of different colour1 superimposed on a larger one4 ,the great difficulty beginners have in deer-stalking is that they aim at the stag as a whole1 instead of trying to hit a definite part of him4 ,if you aim at even a large object in the former way1 you are very apt to miss it entirely4 ,in ,france there are man targets of iron1 the natural size of a man in profile1 which can be stood on the ground in front of the butts4 ,these are the best ,i know for shooting at with the small duelling charge4 ,there are divisions incised into this target so that the marker1 when he goes up1 can see the value of the shot1 but these divisions are invisible from where the shooter stands4 ,he must judge as to where to aim and hit4 ,the target is painted over after each series of shots with a mixture of soot and water4 ,be sure not to use any size or varnish1 as this fixes the black so that the bullet does not knock it off1 and so shots are difficult to locate on the figure from the firing point4 ,with soot and water the shots appear almost white on the target at the spot the soft lead bullet has flattened and dropped down1 taking the soot with it4 ,these iron targets are suitable only for soft lead bullets driven at low velocity4 ,with a high-power automatic pistol it would be dangerous1 as bullets would rebound or glance off long distances if the edge of the target were grazed4 ,for shooting with powerful ammunition1 the target must be of wood1 or canvas on a wooden stretcher1 with black paper pasted over it4 ,the bullets go through into the butt1 which latter must be exceptionally thick or else the last of several bullets striking in one place will go through it4 ,the pattern of target we used at the ,olympic ,games at ,stockholm in #aiab1 ,i do not like4 ,it was much too big and the rings 7upright ovals7 too distinct4 ,it was like shooting at an ordinary ring target with visible bull's-eye4 ,it was a good idea1 however1 having upright ovals instead of circles for a man target1 as a miss right or left is important1 whereas a rather high or low shot would still strike a man4 ,for animal targets1 on the ,continent1 these ovals are placed horizontally1 because an animal is longer than it is high2 also for running shots a miss in front or behind the bull's-eye is more excusable than one over or under4 ,the proper distance to practise at is the distance you can hit the invisible bull's-eye twice in three shots4 ,as soon as you can do better than this1 move the target a few feet further off1 or decrease the size of the bull's-eye4 ,the idea is to have a target on which when shooting your very best1 you may just be able to make the highest possible score4 ,this is the principle on which the targets are made in all the ,gastinne-,renette competitions in ,paris4 ,the highest possible score is not beyond the power of the pistols1 if held by a very good shot4 ,for the ,grande ,medal d',or1 the holding has to be nearly as good as if the pistol were fixed in a vise1 but it is possible to make1 as several dozen winning targets made by the crack shots of the world testify4 ,a target impossible to make a full score on discourages the shooter4 ,it rather adds to the interest if a hit breaks something2 if a clay pigeon1 for instance1 is put on a nail for a bull's-eye on a man target painted the same colour1 it is practically an invisible bull and it is a great satisfaction to see the pieces instantly fly at a hit1 instead of having to examine the target to see where your shots are4 ,these clay pigeons1 or soup plates1 or whatever you use1 would not do if put against an iron target1 as the splash of the bullet would break them even if they were not actually hit4 ,one can buy an apparatus in ,paris which fills rubber balls with water1 which make good targets to shoot at either hung up or thrown in the air4 ,to hit them with a pistol with a bullet when thrown in the air is extremely difficult1 and can only be safely tried when shooting out to sea1 or against a high cliff4 ,single barrel pistols of #bh shotgun bore1 #aj-;inch barrels are made to shoot shot1 and these are very good for such shooting and train timing and swing in snap shooting4 ,at eighty live pigeons at twelve yards' rise ,i have got more than half ,i shot at4 ,one has to be quick1 as the pigeon is so soon out of range4 ,no4 #g shot is best for this1 but the pistol only shoots half an ounce of shot1 and makes a very small pattern4 ,i will explain in the next chapter how to shoot so as to compel quick shooting without the cumbersome machinery for making a target appear and disappear4 ,if you count seconds for yourself or have them counted for you1 the time varies and one cannot help dwelling on the counting when a fraction more time is needed for your aim to be correct4 ,the utmost care must be taken1 if you have an assistant to go to and from the target1 not to point in his direction or to load before he has come back4 ,even at otherwise well-managed shooting clubs1 there is too much carelessness in this respect4 ,targets which draw up and down on trolleys are a great nuisance1 and yet almost all shooting galleries are equipped with them1 and their presence is considered the acme of good gallery equipment in ,england4 ,this may be all right for preventing markers being shot1 but ,i prefer an iron man target1 life size1 standing on his feet in a green field with a suitable background4 ,one can shoot so much better than at a figure painted on a flat background4 ,you see a miss by the momentary puff of dust where the bullet hits the ground1 instead of having to look for a bullet hole in the painted background4 ,it would be possible to make a target which drops down and rises again from the impact of the bullet4 ,i have a target in the form of a stag which when you hit his invisible heart1 he half rears1 then bends his hocks and plunges down on his knees1 throwing back his head in the most realistic manner4 ,this stag1 stood amongst long bracken and stalked1 gives a most lifelike performance4 ,he is wound up in various places and the shock of the bullet on a buffer releases the movements in succession with momentary intervals4 ,it was made by a very ingenious target mechanic1 who also makes monkeys which run up a tree when hit1 parrots who turn a somersault on the branch they are sitting on when hit1 a man who takes off his hat and bows to you when you hit him properly1 a chamois who tumbles over a precipice4 ,the maker1 who has a shooting gallery on the ,continent1 makes a good profit out of it1 as the bull's-eyes are very small and difficult to hit1 and people keep on paying to shoot in order to amuse their companions1 and children beg their parents to try to set the automatons in motion4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,practical ,,targets ,the pistol being1 primarily1 a man-shooting weapon1 the target for practice should be the shape of a full-sized man4 ,the man target we used at the ,olympic ,games at ,stockholm in #aiab1 was a coloured paper target of a soldier standing at attention1 full face4 ,this was pasted on a wooden board cut to the same shape4 ,the bull's-eye was an upright oval on the breast1 surrounded by concentric upright ovals4 ,the divisions could be seen from the firing point4 ,competition at it was permitted with 4#bb pistols1 which was ridiculous as they are not duelling pistols1 or suitable for war or self-defence4 ,the regulation ,french ,duelling ,target is made in several ways1 but in all cases it is the figure of a man painted black1 standing in absolute profile 7see ,plate #c74 ,this can be had1 either printed on paper1 to paste on a board cut out to its shape1 in cast iron with a base so that it stands up of itself1 or of steel with an electrical device for registering the shots4 ,the figure is in profile1 which is not correct4 ,a proficient duellist stands as full face as a man shooting a gun4 ,this position is easier to shoot in1 but it is also easier to hit4 ,in the absolute profile target1 the places where misses are usually made are past the small of the waist and under the chin4 ,these would not occur on a man standing full face1 or nearly so4 ,the target of paper pasted on wood has the bullet holes covered by white and black paper pasters4 ,the bullet hole is first pasted over with a white paster1 so as to show its place from the firing point4 ,after the next shot a white paster is put on this fresh shot and the former shot obliterated by a black paster4 ,on this target there is no bull's-eye and all hits1 anywhere1 have an equal value4 ,in competitions1 a row of these figures stand in the field and the marker1 after a shot at each has been fired1 goes down the line and pastes white pasters over the bullet holes and black patches over where he finds a white patch4 ,he need not say anything1 when he has finished1 it is at once seen from the firing point which targets have been hit and where1 and what targets have been missed4 ,the iron target is divided by incised lines into an oblong bull's-eye with various subdivisions as shown in the diagram 7see ,plate #c74 ,the bull's-eye counts four1 the space on each side three1 the space below two1 and the head and the bottom of the frock coat one each4 ,these divisions are invisible from the firing point4 ,when these are painted with soot and water1 or distemper black and water1 the bullet knocks off the black and leaves a distinct lead-coloured mark4 ,when shot at in the open this is all that is necessary1 but if1 instead of a bank behind the figure there is a wall1 this wall is painted white and a second lot of paint 7this time whitewash7 is kept for whitening the wall1 if a shot hits that1 to obliterate it so as to show where misses go4 ,an inexperienced marker is apt to put his brush into the wrong pot1 so that the result is a grey colour4 ,the electric marking target looks exactly like this last and is painted after shots in the same way1 but the various divisions are separate plates which stand on rods with springs behind4 ,when a shot strikes any plate it drives it back1 and the spring returns it to place4 ,the act of driving back makes electric connection1 transmitted by wires1 to a small copy of the target1 like the indicator inside a hotel lift1 and rings a bell4 ,it shows the value of the shot and approximately the place it has struck4 ,the actual spot struck is not indicated4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,how ,,to ,,hold ,,the ,,pistol ,as the revolver had a short stock with an acute curve and was muzzle heavy1 the grip ,i recommend for it is not suitable for the duelling pistol or automatic4 ,i take the duelling pistol first as that has the ideal handle or stock2 the automatic1 except in the ,american ,colt ,regulation 4#de1 being open to great improvement4 ,the duelling pistol is a survival of the old horse pistol in balance and form of stock1 and this has never been improved on4 ,most things undergo constant improvement1 but the pistol stock1 on the contrary1 has steadily deteriorated4 ,the old horse pistol balanced just right1 and the long light barrel was counterpoised by the heavy stock4 ,the angle was right1 and the sights fitted close down to the barrel4 ,in some cases there was no back sight but aim was taken as with a shotgun4 ,the perfect balance almost did away with the need of a back sight4 ,then the revolver came with its front overbalance1 which often needed1 on its short upright stock1 a grip with the little finger under the butt to steady it4 ,as ,i explained in my ,art of ,revolver ,shooting1 it was necessary to get the line of the arm as nearly possible in line with the barrel1 consequently the thumb also had to be extended in line with the barrel4 ,this was possible with the old 8break down0 action revolvers1 but when solid-frame revolvers were made to withstand the stronger pressure of the nitro powders1 the extractor opening lever had to be put in the way of this thumb extension1 so that the thumb was crooked to avoid the nail being split by the recoil1 or the catch opened by the thumb striking it from the recoil4 ,the proper way to hold the duelling pistol is not very high up the grip1 because if the hold is taken so high up as to make the barrel in line with the arm1 the back sight is hidden by the hand4 ,this lower hold is not a disadvantage1 as the obtuse slope of the handle and the perfect balance of the pistol have no tendency to drop the muzzle4 ,the thumb is curved downwards just enough to get the best grip4 ,the duelling pistol has a spur at the near end of the trigger guard1 which some shooters put their second finger round 7see ,plate #f74 ,i find that this only gives one a clumsy handful and that it is better to have the second finger with the others together round the stock1 and close under the back of the trigger guard4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #e4 ,,how ,,to ,,hold ,,the ,,duelling ,,pistol 7#a7 ,i am sorry to find that some still cling to the absurd practice of using the second finger to press the trigger1 holding the first finger along the pistol4 ,there is nothing to recommend this and everything to condemn it1 and ,i have never seen it used by a good shot4 ,it is only a fashion1 like the new one of jerking the elbow out at right angles to look at the wrist watch1 or turning up the collar1 and the bottom of the trousers1 on a hot dry day4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #f4 ,,how ,,to ,,hold ,,the ,,duelling ,,pistol ,,with ,,spur 7#b7 ,using the second finger for the trigger deprives the hand of a third of its grip on the stock4 ,it employs a less sensitive finger for the trigger1 as the first finger is always used for sensitive work1 the second being only a gripper4 ,moreover1 the first finger1 if extended along the barrel when shooting an automatic1 not only gets burnt and cut1 as it lies along where the spent cartridge cases and powder gases escape1 but it is apt to get jammed into this opening and stop the action of the pistol4 ,i shot an automatic pistol alternately with another man1 which jammed when my companion shot it but not with me4 ,i found he kept getting his first finger into the mechanism1 as he was using his second for the trigger4 ,now as to holding the stock of an automatic pistol4 ,the ,united ,states ,regulation ,colt 4#de ,automatic has the best grip of any1 and one can hold it1 as ,i have advised for the duelling pistol1 right up hard against the projection over which the recoil slide operates4 ,the smaller ,civilian and ,police ,colt have not quite as good a stock1 rather more upright2 the same applies to the ,savage and the ,smith ,wesson4 ,the ,german ,military ,regulation ,automatic has a nice stock but it is rather too thick4 ,it is well balanced and at the proper angle4 ,the 8,hammer ,head0 stock attachment to the barrel of some automatic pistols ,i find most awkward to hold1 and impossible to get a sense of direction with4 ,one finds oneself far below the object one wants to hit and the muzzle has to be canted up with a most wrist-spraining movement4 ,the recoil comes on the wrist at the same angle as if you put the first joints of your fingers on a table1 and the palm of your hand against a leg of the table whilst keeping the arm horizontal4 ,i can neither hold nor shoot in this position2 it is all so awkward4 ,if a man lowers his head1 he can look along the sights1 but if he keeps his head up as he should and does in shooting any other pistol1 it is very difficult to align the sights except by bending the arm and raising the elbow4 ,in any case ,i cannot shoot with such a stock1 so can give no instruction in its use4 ,in a later chapter ,i will give my ideas of what should be altered in automatic pistols from a shooter's point of view2 the 8,hammer ,head0 or 8right-angle0 stocks being one of these4 ,not knowing how to hold and shoot a pistol1 has given rise to all those inventions of a portable rifle stock to fit on a pistol1 so that the pistol can be shot like a rifle4 ,to begin with1 such a stock puts the sights too close to the eyes1 the noise is deafening and the accuracy very bad1 compared with holding the same pistol at arm's length as it should be held4 ,it is merely the attempt to try and hold it steady by men who cannot shoot a pistol4 ,a moment's thought will show that1 unless a man is as near-sighted as an owl in daylight1 he cannot shoot with the back sight resting on his nose4 ,a pistol fitted with a rifle stock must be used with great caution4 ,you are apt to put the fingers of your left hand over the muzzle1 as the end of the muzzle comes just where one puts one's hand with the fingers round the fore end1 to steady a rifle or shotgun4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,running ,,shots ,the pistol being meant for use at close range at objects one sees only for a moment1 or which are in rapid motion1 ,i do not advise getting too much into the habit of taking long1 deliberate aim at stationary targets4 ,when you can handle the pistol with safety to others and yourself1 it is better to begin to learn shooting rapidly and at moving objects4 ,i think it is well to begin to shoot at moving objects at first1 instead of rapid shooting4 ,you can begin at slowly moving objects1 which does not hurry and flustrate you as shooting against time may do4 ,above all do not attempt to shoot as many people tell you to4 ,the greatest bar to shooting at moving objects with the rifle or pistol is the way most men shoot at them4 ,what they do is to aim at a spot and shoot when the object arrives there4 ,shotgun men do not make this mistake1 but men used only to lying on their faces like a squashed frog in rifle shooting invariably do4 ,wherever you go to a rifle meeting where there is a competition at a moving target1 8,running ,deer10 8,running ,man0 or 8,gliding ,man10 etc41 it is always the same4 ,a few men shoot as they ought to1 and win all the prizes4 ,the bulk of the competitors lie on their faces1 as they were taught to do at stationary targets1 take a deliberate aim at a spot on the background1 and wait till the target gets opposite their aim4 ,then--boom--the dust flies up where the target was a moment before1 but it is now--elsewhere4 ,it is as if you tried to catch a fly by putting a finger on him when he is on the table-cloth4 ,you will put it where he was1 not where he is4 ,the correct principle 7the one with which ,i won the ,rifle ,running-,deer ,world's ,championship at the ,olympic ,games in #aijh7 is to treat the rifle or pistol exactly as if it were a shotgun4 ,assuming you are not familiar with shotgun shooting1 get a man who is a good shot with the shotgun to coach you1 when practising with the pistol at moving objects4 ,if you are a shotgun man you do not need to be told what follows4 ,at a stationary target1 however rapidly you are shooting1 you try to hit that object4 ,in shooting at moving targets you try to make two moving objects 7the target and the bullet7 meet4 ,the target is moving4 ,the bullet also takes time to get where the target will be4 ,you have to get the bullet to arrive simultaneously with the target at the same spot4 ,if you aim at the object1 the bullet will arrive at the spot after the object has gone further on4 ,to give an illustration3 ,an illustrated paper showed an engraving of a man on a motor bicycle going at fifty miles an hour1 at six hundred yards' distance4 ,there was a cross made on the man's chest which1 it was explained1 was the spot to aim at in order to hit him4 ,if the rifle were correctly aimed for this cross1 a man could shoot millions of shots and never hit the motor-cyclist4 ,the bullets would reach the spot where the motorist was a moment before1 but he would be yards further on when the bullet arrived4 ,now the way to overcome this missing behind is to 8swing0 and 8time40 ,these are shotgun men's terms1 never used or understood by pistol or rifle shots1 and this is the reason so few riflemen can hit moving targets1 and chase them with the bayonets instead4 ,suppose you have a shotgun in your hands and a pheasant comes flying across you4 ,the thing is to hit him in the neck with the centre of the charge so as to make a clean kill without a flutter in midair--8neck him10 as we call it4 ,most men try to shoot without moving their position and so hamper and cramp themselves unnecessarily by having to twist the body if the bird is passing them at an awkward angle4 ,turn like a soldier does in 8right about face0 to either side1 so that the bird gives you the easiest crossing shot4 ,whilst doing so1 follow an imaginary point in front of his head with your eyes1 the distance in front varying with the bird's speed and distance from you4 ,whilst doing so bring up your gun 7not looking at the gun71 the gun swinging as your body swings in the direction the bird is travelling4 ,as the gun comes to your shoulder press the trigger4 ,if you look at the bird1 you will shoot at the bird1 and consequently shoot behind where he was at the moment the trigger was pulled4 ,if the bird was forty yards off you will have missed clean behind him4 ,if nearer1 owing to the shot spreading over a thirty-inch circle1 you may have hit him far back in the body1 what is called 8tailored him10 and he will go off and die a lingering death4 ,if you shoot forward enough1 you will either kill him clean or miss him clean 7a miss in front74 ,that is the great thing4 ,if it must be a miss let it be a clean miss1 in front4 ,not shooting far enough forward is the chief cruelty in shooting--wounded animals going off to die in agony4 ,always remember this when shooting at animals and birds4 ,the forward end is the vital end2 hitting it causes sudden1 painless death1 so swing far enough forward4 ,to hit bird after bird1 animal after animal1 too far back1 as one sees some men do1 to an accompaniment of screams of hares and rabbits1 and fluttering birds1 is disgusting4 ,if you shoot well forward1 none of this happens4 ,you may not have so much game down1 but each one of them drops stone dead without a sound4 ,there is no calling out1 8,bring a dog1 ,i have a #8runner4'0 ,i think it would be as well1 before trying moving shots with a pistol1 to do a little shotgun shooting at clay pigeons1 so as to get into the idea of swing and timing1 if you are not a shotgun shot already4 ,when you can swing your gun to an imaginary spot1 in front of a moving object and press the trigger at the moment the sights are aligned1 without stopping your swing1 you can shoot the pistol with success at moving objects1 provided you treat it exactly as if you were using a shotgun4 ,have a moderately large object which the bullet will either break or leave a visible hole through1 arranged to pass you at a slow speed4 ,it can either be dragged by a long string1 run on a trolley 7the trolley shielded behind a bank so that a bullet could not strike it7 or some other slowly moving target4 ,a swinging object is of no use4 ,it makes a difficult curve to follow1 for the beginner1 and its passage lasts too short a time4 ,a swinging object also makes the shooter try the objectionable method of waiting and aiming at the spot the object swings to1 which ,i want to avoid4 ,if your target travels slowly enough1 and is large enough1 and at only some twelve yards' distance1 there will be no necessity to aim in front of it4 ,its forward edge is far enough4 ,fix your eyes on the front part of the target4 ,as it traverses bring your pistol up without looking at the pistol1 as it comes level with your eye and the sights get aligned4 ,keep on swinging your body and pistol and press the trigger1 while still swinging4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,running ,,shots 7,continued7 ,it is best to stand with the feet slightly apart and facing rather where the object is going to1 than from where it comes1 as your shot will go off towards the end of its run4 ,at first bring up the pistol very slowly1 and swing with the object for a moment after your sights get on it4 ,do not first aim at it and then move in front of it4 ,gradually come quicker and try to fire the instant your pistol comes up4 ,speed in coming up does not help you4 ,most men come up in such a hurry that they wobble all over the place4 ,save time by firing the instant your sights are aligned1 not in bringing up your arm4 ,start slowly1 increasing your speed as you raise your arm1 not in abrupt jerky movements like the ,english ,military salute4 ,do not raise it with a jerk4 ,it spoils your aim4 ,a good engine driver starts the train so that you do not feel the start4 ,that is the idea for raising the pistol4 ,the faster the object is moving the faster1 as a rule1 the arm has to be raised4 ,but if the object is coming from a distance1 and will be in sight for some distance as it passes1 this rule does not apply4 ,you can take your time raising your arm1 only your following swing must be fast and of course your 8allowance0 in front of the object greater than at slower moving objects4 ,as you get proficient1 increase the distance you stand from your target and increase its speed4 ,it is a mistake to have a small target for practising4 ,when you miss you cannot see if you have missed behind or in front1 and you get to dwelling on your aim4 ,as to the distance to aim in front1 that is a matter of experience and1 other things being equal1 the man who has this experience can beat another shot who can hold closer on a stationary object1 but does not know how far to aim in front of a moving one1 or how to swing and time4 ,the difference between shooting at an upright man moving and an animal is that1 in the former case1 the most important thing is to judge the proper distance to aim in front2 in the latter case1 to keep one's elevation so as not to miss over or under4 ,when shooting at a running man target1 the man being narrow1 one is very apt to miss just behind the back4 ,at a running deer one cannot1 if at all a decent shot1 miss him behind his tail 7though one may miss past his chest in trying to shoot forward enough71 but it is easy to miss over his withers1 or under his brisket4 ,keep on practising at moving objects1 varying the distance and speed constantly1 and the direction from right to left and left to right1 till you can judge how far in front you must shoot for each case4 ,it is best to always use the same pistol and charge4 ,if you use at one time a 4#bb pistol and then the 4#dd duelling pistol1 you will get confused1 as the 4#bb goes up much faster and consequently needs less allowance in front of the target4 ,as long as you keep to the same pistol1 you need not mind how slowly the bullet goes up4 ,you know how much to aim in front but1 if at one time you must aim an inch in front and next time four inches for the same speed1 you can never learn to judge where to aim4 ,the various rifles ,i have used at the ,running ,deer at ,bisley since the early days vary in allowance in front from four feet down to merely aiming at the point of the shoulder4 ,the faster the bullet goes1 the easier it is to judge how far you must aim in front at moving objects1 but here comes in the inevitable 8compromise40 ,the faster the bullet goes1 the more force it needs to propel it1 which means more recoil and shock to the shooter4 ,you have to make a compromise4 ,if you are strong and have good nerves1 and don't take alcohol or smoke1 you can stand a strong recoil without its spoiling your shooting4 ,if you are not strong1 it is better to have to aim further in front and save your nerves1 by using a lighter load4 ,i am not speaking from theory but from experience4 ,i have specialized and made record scores on the 8,running ,deer0 at the ,national ,rifle ,association of ,england's ,meeting since ,i was a small boy4 ,when ,i first began1 an older man shot a very light charge and kept winning1 although he had to aim an enormous distance in front of the 8deer0 to make up for the slow speed of his bullet4 ,but1 as there was little noise and no recoil to worry his nerves1 he put up wonderfully good scores4 ,i1 knowing no better1 tried to get my bullet up quickly by shooting a tremendously big charge4 ,the bullet went up quickly but the recoil nearly knocked me down1 and in consequence my shooting was very erratic4 ,i have since experimented from very small charges up to the heaviest1 having a velocity of over three thousand feet a second4 ,the year ,i won the ,world's ,championship at the ,olympic ,games1 ,i had arrived at a 8compromise0 between speed of bullet and recoil1 which enabled me to win1 but since then ,i have yet a still better compromise1 which enables me to make highest possible scores4 ,formerly1 in revolvers and pistols1 one had to bear the full recoil4 ,now1 automatic pistols1 which utilize part of the recoil to operate opening1 loading1 ejection1 and reclosing1 have less recoil when shooting heavier charges than revolvers did4 ,the automatic pistol has a softer recoil than a pistol or especially a revolver1 owing to this absorption of recoil4 ,it is more of a push1 less of a blow4 ,therefore1 when you have found the heaviest load you can stand in a single-shot pistol1 you will find you can use a heavier cartridge in an automatic pistol1 without any more discomfort4 ,you will therefore not have to aim so far in front with an automatic pistol when shooting at moving objects1 and not have to take so high an aim at distance objects to allow for the drop of the bullet--as with a revolver4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,shooting ,,an ,,automatic ,,pistol ,before everything else1 be sure you have the right cartridges for the pistol you are using4 ,if you have too strong a cartridge you may have a fatal accident4 ,if too weak a cartridge the mechanism will not operate4 ,a weaker cartridge than that for which the pistol is made will prevent its working properly or1 in fact1 working at all1 unless the closing is assisted by the hand1 and then it ceases to be an automatic pistol4 ,it is best to begin practising single loading4 ,the best way to do this is through the magazine so as to get familiar with the magazine4 ,take out the magazine1 put in only one cartridge1 put back the magazine1 and operate the slide4 ,the pistol is now a single loader1 ready to shoot4 ,do your shooting a few times like this1 till you get used to the pistol4 ,you will find the recoil different from that of a single-shot pistol or a revolver4 ,instead of the recoil coming back directly on you it will be softened and1 even with the best of automatics1 the pistol will have a tendency to wriggle and 8tap10 not recoil back in one clean kick4 ,when practising1 make a point of putting the safety bolt on and off1 using this safety bolt as you would in putting a single-shot pistol to half-cock4 ,there is this difference4 ,whereas1 in ,english makes of guns and sporting rifles1 the safety bolt puts the weapon automatically at safe each time it is reloaded1 having to be taken off before each shot can be fired4 ,military firearms are only at safe when the safety bolt is purposely put on with the thumb4 ,the usual automatic pistol is made on the military idea4 ,the safety once off1 it remains off till the user puts it back at safety1 no matter how many shots he has fired in the meantime4 ,the ,colt automatic pistol1 like the ,smith ,wesson hammerless safety pocket revolver1 remedies this defect by having a second safety which makes the pistol safe1 even if the first safety slide is not at safe4 ,this consists of a lever at the back of the stock which is at safe till the hand presses it in firing and which keeps the weapon safe till the stock is gripped in actual firing4 ,any one who is a pistol shot grips the stock instinctively when shooting1 but ,i have known men unused to firearms1 unable to shoot a pistol having this safety grip1 as they pull the trigger without squeezing the stock4 ,i was asked to give expert opinion as to whether a good revolver-shot had shot a man accidentally or on purpose4 ,the pistol he used was a ,smith ,wesson hammerless safety pocket pistol4 ,the contention was that a man trying to drag the pistol from his hand had caused it to go off accidentally4 ,i said that with an ordinary revolver1 if the man had his finger on the trigger at the time1 it was very probable the pistol would be discharged accidentally1 but that the man would not be likely to do so with a ,smith ,wesson safety pocket pistol4 ,to test it we experimented1 and besides not being able to make me fire the pistol 7empty of course71 when we reversed matters1 my questioner1 although he tried his utmost1 could not fire the pistol whilst ,i pulled at it4 ,the holder pulls against the front of the stock to avoid its being taken from his hand1 he does not squeeze the back of it4 ,the result is that the pistol cannot be discharged1 except by a voluntary effort4 ,he can pull the trigger as much as he likes1 but as long as he does not grip1 but merely uses the front of the stock as a handle to pull against his adversary1 the pistol is safe against accidental discharge4 ,when you have got accustomed to the automatic pistol as a single loader1 fill the magazine and use it as an automatic4 ,for continual rapid-firing1 that is one loaded magazine after another1 do not shoot off the last cartridge of a magazine before inserting a fresh one4 ,otherwise it necessitates dragging back the slide with both hands after each fresh clip is inserted and wastes time4 ,most automatic pistols remain open after the last shot has been fired1 a most necessary thing1 as otherwise you never know if your pistol has another shot available or is empty4 ,to do continuous firing shoot all but one cartridge of the clip load1 press the stop1 and drop the empty clip4 ,the loaded clip1 held in the other hand1 is inserted into the butt and shooting can at once be resumed4 ,the last cartridge left in the barrel1 from the first clip1 when fired1 brings up the first cartridge of the new clip and so on1 indefinitely4 ,you will find slightly different problems to overcome as compared with the single-shot pistol or revolver4 ,rapid-firing is incomparably easier than with a revolver4 ,there is not only gain of time and no fatigue of the trigger finger or thumb from cocking1 but also the hold of the stock does not have to be changed4 ,it is merely a matter of aligning and pressing4 ,the recoil is also deadened and much less severe4 ,you will find a tendency for your shots to be strung out vertically1 owing to varying escape of gas at the breech4 ,you will find lateral variation is much less than with a revolver1 the bullet going from the barrel of the automatic1 not jumping into it from a cylinder1 thus tending to accuracy4 ,the vertical variation is more than from a revolver1 and this vertical deviation is absent from a good single-shot pistol4 ,when shooting an automatic pistol do not be discouraged if your shots are not so good vertically but strung out4 ,it is not your fault but that of the pistol1 and you cannot correct this by your shooting4 ,later ,i will give special practice for automatic pistols1 but if you are a good shot with the single-shot pistol or revolver1 you will have no difficulty in shooting the automatic pistol well1 as soon as you have got used to its characteristics4 ,i used to think the occasional very low shots were due to dropping the muzzle in pulling1 but ,i find it is not this4 ,it is caused by an occasional escape of gas greater than normal at the breach of the automatic pistol1 causing the bullet to have a weaker flight and therefore striking lower4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,timing ,,apparatus ,in order to improve our speed in shooting1 it is important to have a mechanical timing apparatus4 ,trying to judge speed by counting or getting someone else to count half-seconds is very unreliable4 ,where everything depends upon making your last shot a good one the counting is bound to become slower1 in the anxiety not to spoil a good score4 ,with a mechanical timer there is no relenting1 it is ,fate1 and if you cannot make a good shot in time1 your score is spoiled4 ,this trains you properly2 you are not buoyed up by false ideas of your skill which1 when there is real timing1 will prove that your ideas of your skill are vain delusions4 ,in ,england a clock is used1 marking seconds or half-seconds4 ,this is very good for the man who works the targets2 he sees if he is working the time right1 but it does not assist the shooter as he does not hear the time being struck4 ,for the learner1 it is important that he should be able to apportion his time1 take so long for lifting his arm1 so long for aiming1 etc41 so as to learn how to do the best shooting in the time limit allowed1 and judge accordingly4 ,for this purpose there is nothing better than the metronome4 ,the metronome is used by music teachers for instructing their pupils in the right time when playing4 ,music for instruction is marked with the metronome beat proper to it3 all that has to be done is to wind up the metronome1 set it to that number1 and start it beating4 ,a metronome consists of a pyramidical box with clockwork1 which makes an upright pendulum beat at whatever speed it is set4 ,the speed depends on a weight which is moved up and down the rod1 to set marks1 which correspond to numbers engraved on the sides4 ,it is1 in fact1 a clock pendulum reversed4 ,the more elaborate ones have a bell attachment which strikes after any desired number of beats of the pendulum4 ,if you want to practise three minutes' exposure of target1 you set the metronome at half-second beats 7#abj to the minute7 and the ball to strike at every sixth beat4 ,accuracy of course depends for what purpose you are practising1 but to be able to hit an object a foot in diameter1 at ten yards' distance instantly1 is ample for self-defence4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,snap ,,shooting ,when you have become fairly proficient at hitting moving objects1 you will be able1 with a little practice1 to soon pick up the knack of snap shooting4 ,by snap shooting ,i do not mean the sort of competition where you are given three-seconds intervals4 ,that is merely 8fast deliberate aim10 in fact is as slow as allowable for practical shooting1 slower is mere target shooting4 ,snap shooting is when the pistol is fired the instant it is levelled without any dwelling on the aim4 ,use a big target1 at ten or twelve yards4 ,keep your head up1 eyes fixed on the target4 ,as you raise your pistol1 begin squeezing and let the pistol off as it comes horizontal4 ,with practice you can put all your shots close together4 ,it is the most mechanical of all pistol shooting4 ,you get to putting shot after shot in the same place like throwing marbles into a hat4 ,you can test how mechanical it becomes for yourself4 ,after putting a dozen shots close together1 try to put a dozen shots a foot higher on the target4 ,you will find yourself all at sea1 and will have to begin aiming4 ,then you get so mechanical you will find it difficult to hit a foot lower1 which you found so easy before4 ,your arm has got so used to lifting to a certain position1 your trigger finger to squeeze when the arm is raised to exactly the same position1 that the whole thing becomes as mechanical and subconscious as swinging your arms and legs as you walk4 ,your arms swing to exactly the same spot each time4 ,try to take longer or shorter steps1 and to swing your arms further or less far1 and you will see how mechanical your ordinary walk is4 ,if you want to win a prize for snap shooting1 you can1 by practising constantly under identical conditions of distance1 shape1 colour1 height of target1 and lighting1 get so mechanical that it takes an effort not to hit the same spot continually4 ,for this reason1 to learn snap shooting1 not merely forming a habit1 it is best to constantly vary the height of the target you shoot at1 or try to hit various parts alternately4 ,get someone 7if you are shooting at a man target7 to call out 8head0 at the first beat of the metronome 7beating at #abj to the minute71 and try to hit the head before the next beat of the metronome4 ,then he will call 8feet0 and it is ten to one that you will swing too high2 or if it was 8feet0 first you will not be able to get as high as the 8head0 next time4 ,you can put in your shots at great speed if it is always to the same spot1 but if you have to vary and do not know where you are to hit1 till you get the word to go1 it is impossible to shoot quite so fast accurately4 ,for this reason it is well not to think one has mastered snap shooting when one has got into the knack of putting all one's shots on the same spot4 ,snap shooting and shooting at moving objects1 are the two sorts of shooting of real use4 ,shooting long shots 7which ,i will treat of next7 may be useful at times1 but deliberate shooting at minute bull's-eyes is only useful for winning prizes and getting a reputation for being a 8,crack ,revolver-,shot40 ,my world's record snap-shooting score was published in the newspapers with the words under it--8,this is the highest at present1 but it will1 of course1 soon be beaten40 ,naturally1 it was not as pretty a group as the target published next to it1 which had been shot with deliberate aim1 but this latter score has been equalled dozens of times4 ,while my rapid-fire score is unbeaten 7,appendix #aj and #aa74 ,the value of a score can only be judged if the conditions it was shot under are known4 ,if you want to be thought a good shot by the public1 leave rapid1 snap1 and moving object shooting alone1 otherwise your best scores will look so bad beside those of the man who aims1 lowers his pistol1 aims again1 wipes his hands1 and after half an hour of these antics1 scores a bull's-eye4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,long ,,range ,,shooting ,the moment the bullet leaves the muzzle of the pistol1 it begins to fall1 owing to the force of gravity4 ,the faster it is going the further it goes before this drop is sufficient to be noticeable4 ,gravity acts through time1 so if a bullet goes twice as fast as another1 it goes twice as far before it has dropped the same distance as the slower bullet4 ,the big bullet of the duelling pistol has more air resistance than the 4#bb bullet of the ,american pistols1 also it has comparatively a much smaller charge1 so it begins to drop more rapidly and at shorter range4 ,the duelling pistol is sighted for twenty-five metres as that is the duelling distance 7twenty-seven yards1 three inches74 ,it hits where you aim1 therefore1 at that distance1 it shoots practically the same at the nearer distances4 ,beyond the twenty-five metres1 however1 it begins to drop very rapidly4 ,i have watched where the bullet strikes when the man target is missed in an open field4 ,the bullet strikes the ground less than a hundred yards off1 showing that it has dropped the height of a man's shoulder 7say over four feet74 ,the 4#bb hits the ground nearly two hundred yards off under similar circumstances4 ,i had exceptional opportunities to watch this1 as my man target stood out in an open park1 where there was no necessity to have a butt behind it4 ,as it is not usual to shoot a duelling pistol beyond twenty-five yards1 or a 4#bb pistol beyond fifty yards1 there is no necessity to make any alteration in the sighting at that distance1 but if extreme accuracy is desired at any one distance the hind sight can be filed for that special distance4 ,the automatic1 however1 has a very powerful cartridge which shoots accurately several hundred yards4 ,now the way ,i use my 8big game0 rifle is3 when at a distance at which the drop of the bullet would make it fall below the body of the game when ,i aim at it1 ,i judge how much ,i must aim above and shoot accordingly4 ,the advantage of this is that you are ready at any moment to shoot4 ,if the animal is close and therefore dangerous1 you can aim straight at him4 ,if he is far you aim above him4 ,if he suddenly comes close you merely have to aim at him4 ,this is the principle on which the ,united ,states ,army ,automatic is sighted1 one immovable back sight4 ,most rifles and some automatic pistols are sighted differently4 ,they have leaves or other adjustments to the back sight1 so that if you want to shoot at long range you estimate the distance1 look at the hind sight which is marked in distances1 and either raise the leaf marked for that distance1 or else slide or screw up the back sight for that distance4 ,this is all very pretty theoretically1 or for deliberate target shooting1 but in practice it is dangerous4 ,as an instance1 you are out shooting1 and see a stag #bej yards off1 as you estimate4 ,you fix the back sight of your rifle for that distance1 and begin taking a careful aim4 ,at that moment there is a grunt1 you look up and there is an old wild boar 7a solitaire1 very savage7 charging at you from twenty yards off4 ,if you fire at him with your #bej yards' sight up1 you miss him and he has you4 ,but if you are shooting on my principle with a fixed sight for close range1 you would be aiming two feet above the stag when the boar started charging1 and all you would have to do is to shoot at the boar's chest1 and he would drop and you could then fire at the stag1 as he galloped off4 ,a leaf of the back sight may get put up accidentally1 and you do not notice this when firing at short range4 ,the chief danger is from an enemy near you4 ,you ought to have your sights right for him1 the distant one is not so important to hit1 if you forget to aim high for him4 ,how often soldiers are told to put up their sights for a thousand yards' range1 and then have to start shooting at a close enemy and forget to alter their sights4 ,my advice is to have nothing to do with elevating back sights4 ,as the duelling pistol has such an extreme drop1 it will accustom you1 if you shoot it at various distances1 to aim high or low according to the distance4 ,when you come to the automatic you will find1 except for very exceptionally long shots1 you need not alter your elevation of aim at all2 it shoots practically straight up to the furthest you are likely ever to have to use it4 ,less than forty yards and generally at a few feet off is the range for pistols in actual combat4 ,the further the object shot at1 the more accurate the aim must be to hit it4 ,it is difficult to do snap shooting with a pistol at one hundred yards1 though one can do very accurate snap shooting with a rifle at that distance4 ,the reason is that the rifle has a longer barrel1 so that a slight fault in the alignment does not so much matter1 but with the short barrel of a pistol a hundredth of an inch wrong in the sighting1 at one hundred yards1 makes over twelve inches error where the bullet strikes4 ,in other words1 an error of a hundredth of an inch in alignment in an automatic pistol at one hundred yards1 would make the pistol miss a target twelve and a half inches in diameter1 whereas a rifle at the same distance with the same error of alignment would graze the edge of a target two and a half inches in diameter4 ,the pistol is more than four times more difficult to shoot than the rifle at one hundred yards1 owing to its short barrel magnifying the error nearly four to five times more than the long barrel of the rifle4 ,to compare a pistol with a rifle target at one hundred yards1 the rifle target bull's-eye would have to be reduced to a fifth of its diameter1 leaving the bullet holes where they are1 or vice versa1 the pistol target bull's-eye would have to be magnified five diameters1 leaving the bullet holes where they are4 ,this means that in shooting a match at a hundred yards1 the rifle would have to be given a bull's-eye a fifth the diameter of the pistol target1 the outside rings of the target in proportion1 or the pistol must shoot at twenty yards1 against the rifle at one hundred1 both having bull's-eyes the same size4 ,this confirms my experience that to hit a foot diameter bull's-eye with a pistol at a hundred yards1 is about as difficult as to hit a two and a half inch bull's-eye at the same distance with a rifle4 ,of course standing position is meant4 ,with the prone position for the rifle it is too great a handicap on the pistol4 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,the ,,automatic ,,pistol ,now that the pupil has learned how to handle the single-shot pistol with safety to himself and others1 he can be trusted to learn how to shoot the automatic pistol4 7,see ,plates #g and #ac47 ,before giving such instruction1 it is necessary to explain what an automatic pistol is1 and in what it differs from a single-shot pistol4 ,the first pistol1 as the first rifle1 was naturally a single-shot one4 ,the pistol and rifle both proceeded in development along the same lines4 ,first the match-lock1 wheel-lock1 flint-lock1 percussion lock4 ,then through muzzle-loader to rim fire1 pin fire1 to central fire breechloader1 hammer1 hammerless1 and ejector4 ,the double barrel1 and multi-barrel1 and from smooth-bore to rifled bore1 were evolved at the same time4 ,here the pistol and rifle parted company slightly2 though the principle was the same in each case1 it was differently applied4 ,the rifle became a magazine loader1 and it will next be an automatic loader 7though at present automatic loading is principally used in machine guns and low-power rifles74 ,the pistol1 instead of becoming a magazine loader 7in the sense of being loaded by cartridges brought up from a magazine by operating a bolt71 became a revolver--that is1 the cartridges were fired out of the magazine instead of being first inserted into the barrel from a magazine4 ,when cartridges are inserted into the barrel1 there is no escape of gas at the breech when they are fired1 but when fired out of the cylinder of a revolver1 there is an escape of gas at the juncture of the cylinder and barrel1 which varies1 and when such escape of gas occurs it causes weak and low shots4 ,the cylinder cannot be made gas tight1 as that would prevent its revolving1 or coincide absolutely with the calibre of the barrel1 consequently a revolver can never be as accurate as a single-shot pistol4 ,this defect in the revolver was its weak point in comparison with the magazine-loading rifle4 ,just before the war1 ,i shot two makes of military full-charge automatic rifles1 which were very good1 but the war has put an end to their development for the present4 ,undoubtedly the rifle of the future will be an automatic4 ,the principle of an automatic firearm can be best explained by the analogy of the automobile4 ,the revolver1 which is a magazine pistol1 can be fired only after each cartridge is placed in position by the action of cocking the hammer with the thumb1 or by double-action trigger pull4 ,the internal combustion 7the automobile engine7 operates by the explosion operating the various parts4 ,the explosion in the cylinder of the engine drives the piston rod forward1 which turns the crank1 which1 turning the fly-wheel1 drives the piston rod back ready for the next explosion4 ,in the automatic pistol1 the recoil from the explosion drives the working part of the pistol back against a strong spring4 ,as soon as the force of the explosion is spent1 this spring forces the working parts back into place again4 ,these working parts do all the work the shooter does in a single-shot pistol--that is1 it cocks the pistol1 opens the breech1 extracts the spent cartridge1 inserts a fresh cartridge1 and closes the breech4 ,the idea is very simple1 and has occurred to almost everyone who has handled a pistol or a rifle1 but there are mechanical difficulties which are only just beginning to be overcome1 and the automatic pistol1 and still more the automatic rifle1 are yet far from perfect4 ,the chief difficulty is the force of the explosion4 ,in a motor-car engine1 the force of each explosion can be regulated so as to be just sufficient for the work required4 ,in an automatic pistol this cannot be done4 ,the force of the explosion is that which gives the best shooting1 in other words the greatest possible force1 subject to the shooter being able to stand the recoil and the pistol not to burst1 though made light enough to be easily handled4 ,if a pistol were made a ton weight1 it would fire a very much larger charge without bursting1 but the charge of the explosion has to be limited to what a pistol of some two and a half pounds' weight can bear without bursting1 or recoiling too severely on the shooter4 ,the smaller pocket automatic pistols are lighter 7the two-and-a-half pound ones are military pistols74 ,a pistol weighing under two and a half pounds can shoot only a small charge with light recoil1 and so is easier to make4 ,the heavy recoil from a military rifle 7which gives the bullet a speed of some thirty thousand feet a second7 would shatter the recoil mechanism of a small pocket pistol1 though the latter can quite safely operate under the slight recoil of its weak cartridge4 ,with a magazine rifle or revolver1 the shooter uses just sufficient manual force to operate the mechanism1 and even then pistols and rifles may get damaged by a clumsy man using too much force to wrench the weapon open or slam it shut4 ,if1 instead of the intelligently applied strength of a man1 using the minimum force necessary1 you substitute the smashing blow 7several tons' weight to the square inch7 given by the force of gunpowder1 to operate delicate mechanism1 you can realize the difficulty the inventor has to contend with4 ,it is as if you have to invent a firearm which would operate if1 after each shot1 you threw it under a passing railway train4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,the ,,mechanism ,,of ,,the ,,automatic ,,pistol ,what the maker of the automatic pistol has to do is to restrain the sudden smashing blow of the explosion on his mechanism and have it operate gently4 7,see ,plates #ac and #ad47 ,the safety of the shooter depends greatly on the breech of the pistol not being opened till after the force of the explosion is spent4 ,if the breech is opened before the force of the explosion is spent1 it will drive the cartridge out like a bullet1 and the pistol will in fact be shooting from both ends at the same time4 ,now will be seen why a very light-charge rifle or pistol is easier to be made a practical automatic firearm4 ,with a very light charge1 the explosive force is so light that1 as long as it does not instantly blow the breech open 7but retards it ever so slightly71 there is no harm done4 ,rifles and pistols have long been made to shoot light charges that do not need the breech securely locked during the discharge1 and are perfectly safe to use4 ,the original automatic pistol operated as follows3 ,the discharge drives the mechanism back against a spring at the same time that it blows open the breech1 which the recoil spring then closes1 inserting a fresh cartridge4 ,the spent cartridge is blown with some force sideways out of a slot at the side of the mechanism1 so that it may not hit the shooter in the face4 ,in some makes of pistol1 the cartridge is not blown out but merely dropped out4 ,with a suitable charge the breech-closing mechanism can be made heavy enough for its inertia to keep the breech closed sufficiently long after the discharge4 ,when it comes to such heavy charges that it is necessary to keep the breech closed till the force of the explosion is spent1 the difficulty of making a safe automatic firearm begins4 ,with a military full-charge rifle this has hardly yet been arrived at1 hence the delay in its being used for military purposes1 but it seems as if the problem is on the point of being solved4 ,for the comparatively weak recoil of a pistol1 this does not apply4 ,there are several perfectly safe pistols in use1 and there is no danger in using any of the well-known makes4 ,some makes of automatic firearms1 instead of using the recoil for operating the mechanism1 have a small tube alongside the barrel1 which communicates by a minute hole with the bore of the barrel near its muzzle4 ,the breech does not open till the bullet is just passing out of the barrel1 past the hole into the tube1 and therefore the expansion of the gas of the explosion loses its force4 ,a small fraction of this gas rushes through the hole into the tube and operates the mechanism4 ,this has been the principle ,i have always worked on in trying to solve the problem of an automatic firearm4 ,one system uses the recoil1 tempered by a buffer1 to modify its force4 ,the other consists in diverting enough gas from the big explosion to operate the mechanism gently4 ,it is conceivable that by this latter system it would be possible to convert the explosion of a siege cannon into a force just strong enough to break an egg1 and that by two such divisions of the explosion1 one would open the breech and the other close it1 without the necessity of any anti-recoil mechanism at all on the principle of the slide valve of a locomotive steam engine4 7,my grandfather1 ,ross ,winans1 invented the locomotive slide valve1 not ,stevenson47 ,i think ,i am right in saying that this system has not yet been applied to automatic pistols1 and that they all operate on the recoil1 driven back by a compressed spring4 ,a fault in every automatic pistol ,i have yet seen1 is the difficulty of first loading it4 ,the cartridges are carried in a clip1 which is inserted in the butt of the pistol and drops out on pressing a button4 ,most automatic pistols indicate when this magazine is empty and the pistol unloaded4 ,this is very good1 but what ,i complain of is that1 after the magazine is full1 you have to bring the first cartridge into the barrel by hand1 after the first shot the cartridges are fed into the barrel and the empty ones ejected1 automatically4 ,when getting the first cartridge ready to fire in a revolver you accomplish it in cocking the pistol1 and with a magazine rifle by working a bolt or lever4 ,but with an automatic pistol1 if the hands are wet1 cold1 greasy1 or weak 7as a soldier with blood on his hands and weak from a wound71 it is impossible to get the first cartridge into the barrel1 or get the pistol ready to shoot4 ,the operation in automatic pistols begins by taking the pistol in both hands4 7,compare with cocking the revolver with one hand47 ,then you hold the stock firmly with one hand1 and grip the slippery barrel of the pistol with the other hand1 and use considerable force to draw the barrel back against the strong compression spring4 ,your only assistance to get a grip is a slight corrugation on the barrel1 only wide enough for your thumb and forefinger to hold4 ,imagine trying to pull hard with only your forefinger and thumb gripping a smooth and possibly slippery surface1 with a cold1 wet1 or greasy hand4 ,let any one grease the automatic pistol and his hand and see if he can perform this operation4 ,sandow1 no doubt1 could do it1 but not the average man4 ,the magazine rifle is purposely made with a bolt like a door bolt1 so that it can be operated easily under all conditions1 but the automatic pistol1 evidently to give it a neat external appearance1 has no projection to take hold of to drive back the slide1 which1 besides1 takes more strength than is required to operate the bolt of a magazine rifle4 ,the remedy is simple3 have two small projections1 one on each side of the corrugated grip on the barrel1 so that the shooter can get two fingers one over each side of this grip and1 holding the stock in one hand1 draw back the slide with his other hand1 with a perfect grip under all conditions1 like bending a crossbow4 ,as to the shape and angle of the stock1 inventors and shooters are at constant war4 ,the inventor is thinking of his mechanism2 he makes his stock at the best angle1 shape1 and size to suit what he puts inside it4 ,it is much easier to construct apparatus to feed cartridges into the barrel at right angles than at an acute angle4 ,therefore1 the inventor generally gives the shooter a stock unsuitable to do good shooting with4 ,the inventor should work in combination with the shooter4 ,the shape of the pistol externally should first be decided on by the shooter1 so as to be the best possible for shooting4 ,in my opinion this should be the shape of the ,french duelling pistol of the ,gastinne-,renette pattern4 7,plates #b and #i47 ,the inventor should try to design his pistol to fit1 as far as possible1 into this external shape4 ,some points1 as the distance of the trigger from the finger1 and the slope and form of the butt1 cannot be departed from without injury to accurate shooting and quick handling of the pistol1 and yet these are the very things inventors alter4 ,other points the shooter may give way in1 if such modifications are of vital importance from the inventor's point of view4 ,the reverse procedure is1 however1 the rule4 ,an inventor generally has no knowledge of shooting1 or horses1 or whatever else his invention applies to2 he is merely a clever mechanic4 ,he has 8imagination0 and theories4 ,generally1 such theories are most grotesque and childish4 ,i will instance an invention relating to horse-shoes4 ,the inventor showed me a sort of bird-cage of iron and said it was a horse-shoe4 ,he informed me that shoeing horses as at present practised is wrong4 8,it is brutal to nail shoes onto horses' feet4 ,how would you like to have an iron shoe nailed on the sole of your bare foot80 ,i tried to explain to him that the outer horn of a horse's foot has no feeling1 that a horse is hurt only when the farrier is clumsy and drives a nail into the sensitive inner tissues of the foot1 but he was too far absorbed in his theories to listen to me4 ,he then went on to show me that his shoe needs no nailing on1 that it has clamps1 fastened by thumbscrews which clasp the horse's foot and grip it by claws 8just below where the hair grows10 to use his expression4 ,i explained to him that this 7the coronet7 is the most sensitive part of the horse's foot1 to press there would give him great pain and cause him to go lame1 and finally his foot would die and drop off4 ,also1 that these clamps and thumbscrews would strike the horse on the opposite fetlock and throw it down1 and the centrifugal force would cause the shoes to fly off when the horse was going4 ,finally1 that these shoes were hideously ugly and no horseman would care to be the laughing stock of everyone by taking his horse out with such things on4 ,the inventor merely said3 8,all you horsemen are the same4 ,you merely follow each other without any imagination10 and he went out1 to get the same reply from every horseman he met4 ,he was firmly convinced that people who have to do with horses all their lives are fools and never think of what is best for the horse1 but it rests with men like himself who have 8imagination0 to show us horsemen how to shoe and handle horses4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,peculiarities ,,and ,,faults ,,of ,,automatic ,,pistols ,before purchasing an automatic pistol it would be well to try shooting several makes4 ,inventors have not yet arrived at anything like a standard shape4 ,the grip1 angle of stock1 distance of trigger1 etc41 all vary1 and you can decide what suits you best only by actual trial4 ,handling the unloaded pistol is not enough4 ,i was once trying an automatic military rifle and found it balanced and handled very nicely4 ,in order to test it in rapid fire ,i tried it against a magazine rifle to which ,i was accustomed4 ,for merely 8loosed off0 it beat the magazine rifle1 but ,i wished to try it for accuracy and speed combined4 ,the test was to shoot at the 8,running ,deer0 ,bisley1 to empty the magazine at one run of the deer4 ,the deer runs at a speed of fifteen miles an hour during five and a half seconds at a distance of #aaj yards from the firing point1 across the line of fire4 ,with my magazine rifle ,i got off five shots1 making four hits1 wasting much time with the loading4 ,with the automatic rifle there was not an instant wasted in the loading2 the difficulty was in getting the shots to go anywhere near the deer--in fact1 ,i could not hit the deer1 except with the first shot4 ,at each shot the rifle tried to jump out of my hands1 twisted itself round to the right and then suddenly twisted the other way4 ,the tighter ,i gripped the more it wriggled about4 ,instead of the sights coming down back to alignment1 after the recoil1 ,i found they jumped clean off the deer and ,i had to go hunting about to get my aim again4 ,instead of1 as with a well-balanced double rifle1 the muzzle flying up at the first shot and dropping down into place for the second shot1 there was no possibility of alignment without a fresh aim for each shot4 ,it was just as if you have a strong unruly child in your arms trying to set him down on a chair4 ,he wriggles from side to side1 stiffens his back1 and you cannot seat him on the chair4 ,this is just how the rifle acted4 ,it wriggled and struggled and refused to let itself be aligned on the target4 ,the inventor also tried shooting it and missed even with his first shot4 ,the fault lay in the way the recoil was taken up4 ,to make an automatic rifle which will shoot accurately in rapid shooting1 the recoil must be straight back1 not with a twist and wriggle from side to side4 ,when choosing an automatic pistol1 shoot it and find out if it lets you align your sights afresh immediately after you have fired4 ,if you find it cants over or tries to go home into its holster at each shot1 and you have to alter this cant before you can fire again1 do not buy it4 ,get the gunmaker to instruct you thoroughly in the mechanism of any automatic you buy and especially what parts need special attention to prevent its jamming4 ,jamming is the constant bugbear to fight against4 ,the automatic pistol must always be kept in perfect working order and the parts properly cleaned and oiled4 ,the barrel in some is difficult to properly clean internally1 unless taken apart1 and it is difficult to re-assemble4 ,unless all the parts work freely1 a weak cartridge is apt to prevent the pistol closing properly4 ,when you have learnt the mechanism from the gunmaker you can begin practising shooting with the pistol4 ,the principal thing you have to remember is that1 whereas a single-shot pistol1 when you have taken out the cartridge1 is unloaded and safe1 and a revolver when you have emptied the cylinder is also unloaded and safe1 when you have taken out the magazine with its cartridges from an automatic pistol1 the pistol may still remain loaded4 ,with the automatic pistol1 when you have drawn back the slide and thereby loaded a cartridge into the barrel1 that cartridge remains in still when you withdraw the clip full of cartridges4 ,i give herewith a description of the ,colt ,new ,safety which obviates the danger of leaving a cartridge inadvertently in the automatic pistol4 8,figure #a shows the pistol in cocked or firing position1 magazine withdrawn and cartridge in barrel chamber4 8,figure #b indicates position of the magazine when inserted in handle of the pistol1 and position of firing mechanism when safety-disconnector is forced forward by the inserted magazine4 8,when the magazine is removed 7see ,figure #a71 the plunger acted upon by its spring forces the safety-disconnector to the rear4 ,this movement forces the rear end of the connector 7,a7 below the nose of the sear 7,b7 so that should the trigger be pulled1 the connection between trigger and sear being broken1 that is1 the rear end of the connector 7,a7 being below the sear nose 7,b71 the trigger cannot operate the sear1 consequently no discharge of the piece can occur4 8,when the magazine is inserted into the handle of the pistol 7see ,figure #b71 the curved top of the forward portion of the magazine forces the safety-disconnector forward and permits the rear end of the connector 7,a7 to rise in front of the sear nose 7,b7 in the normal position for firing4 ,a pull on the trigger causes the sear to turn upon its pivot so that the firing pin is released and strikes the cartridge40 ,illustration3 ,,plate #g4 ,,colt ,,new ,,safety ,,disconnector ,,automatic ,,pistol1 4#be ,the firing mechanism consists of the trigger with its connector which releases the sear2 the sear which releases the firing pin when the trigger is pulled2 the firing pin 7there is no pivoted hammer in this model71 and the safety-disconnector with its plunger and spring4 ,this disconnector is part of the calibre 4#be only4 ,to unload an automatic pistol1 withdraw the clip of cartridges and then draw back the slide and extract the cartridge remaining in the barrel4 ,till this latter is done the pistol is still loaded and dangerous4 ,the automatic pistol is a very delicate instrument and apt to go wrong at the most critical time4 ,the revolver used to be grumbled at1 but 7if it did not fit too tightly7 even when it jammed1 it could be cocked and worked by using extra strength1 opened by striking it over the thigh1 etc4 ,but an automatic cannot be forced1 it must be operated with knowledge of exactly just what has gone wrong4 ,any one taking up automatic-pistol shooting seriously should go to a gunmaker and learn all about its mechanism so that he will know what is wrong when the pistol refuses to operate4 ,each make of automatic varies1 so ,i cannot give elaborate instructions as to handling4 ,each make may have some point where it is simpler and superior to others though in other respects it may be inferior4 ,in the following remarks ,i mention what ,i consider best from a shooting1 not a mechanical1 point of view4 ,the latter is undergoing constant change1 and the automatic pistol has not yet arrived at a standard type4 ,there are some points in which even the best automatic is at present imperfect1 and some in which it is dangerous to spectators--for instance1 the very strong ejection of the fired cartridge in some makes1 which may destroy the eyes of persons standing near enough to be hit by the spent cartridges as they are ejected4 ,i know of an automatic rifle which ejects its spent cartridges with great force1 and another which merely lifts them out1 as if they were spilt over the edge of the ejector slot1 no force being used4 ,this is the way ejecting should be done4 ,such ejection would be very useful on an automatic pistol2 now1 if near a man shooting them1 they1 even the best1 hit one quite hard with the spent cartridges4 ,this gentle ejection is a patent and is done by a very weak spring in the extractor which tips the cartridge out at the right moment2 the ejection is not caused by the back blast of the powder1 or the drive forward of the carrier1 as in other automatics4 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,,final ,,practice ,what ,i am about to describe is very dangerous1 even for a good1 cool shot1 and should not be attempted by any but an expert4 ,it is practice for instantaneous shooting when taken unawares4 ,put up a full-sized man target at fifteen yards4 ,buckle on your holster1 with the loaded automatic in it1 the safety bolt at 8safe40 ,button the holster4 ,stand with your back to the target1 get your pistol out and put all your shots into the target in the shortest possible time4 ,this practice can be made still more difficult if as many man targets as your magazine holds cartridges are placed at various distances2 hit all of them in the shortest time1 taking them1 not in rotation1 but at random4 ,at 8go0 you turn and in so doing unbutton the holster flap1 drawing the pistol1 taking off the safety1 and firing--all in one movement4 ,occasionally1 instead of firing all the shots1 slip in the safety1 and return the pistol to the holster after one shot4 ,see how quickly you can draw1 shoot1 and return to holster 8all safe40 ,the idea is to make the movement of drawing1 taking off the safety1 firing1 returning the safety1 and putting back in holster1 all one continuous movement1 and as nearly instantaneous as possible4 ,the safety should be off as the pistol gets clear of the holster2 similarly the safety should be on again the instant the shot is fired4 ,if you are using a pistol having the additional safety squeeze in stock1 there is far less danger in this practice1 as this pistol squeeze only occurs as the trigger is pressed4 ,this is the only sort of practice ,i know of where an automatic pistol is safer than a revolver4 ,in drawing a revolver1 if it is a single-action one1 there is danger of its being fired by accident in cocking1 and especially in putting back to half cock1 if only one hand is available to do this4 ,with an automatic the safety can be put on or off without danger of an accidental explosion1 and the ,regulation ,u4 ,s4 4#de ,army ,colt cannot be fired till the grip is squeezed as well4 ,a musician has an advantage in this practice1 as he uses his fingers and thumbs independently of each other4 ,in practising this exercise with a 4#de ,colt ,u4 ,s4 ,army ,automatic1 be sure to draw the pistol without any pressure on the safety at back of stock1 only push the thumb safety and put the pressure on the other release only as you fire4 ,you can practise this with an empty pistol with a pad of rubber to take the blow of the falling hammer so as not to break the mainspring4 ,as you draw1 push the safety off with the thumb1 pulling the pistol out with the fingers against the front of the grip1 so as not to touch the back safety lever1 and squeeze that with your palm in firing4 ,keep in mind that the pistol is safe so long as you do not press the palm of your hand against it1 even when the slide safety is off4 ,in all this practice remember speed is the one object1 as long as you can hit the figure that is all that is necessary4 ,to hit the enemy first is the all important thing1 to hit him after he has hit you1 on account of wasting time in taking a good aim1 is a fatal mistake4 ,for extreme speed you can fire the moment the pistol is in the direction of the target even before you have raised your arm1 continuing the raising of the arm as you fire and getting the next shot in as an aimed one4 ,even if the first shot is a miss it disconcerts the opponent and may prevent his getting in a shot on you before you have time to fire the second shot4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi ,,exhibition ,,shooting ,in my ,art of ,revolver ,shooting ,i did an unintentional wrong to a stage shot4 ,in the book ,i gave details of how to do legitimate stage shooting1 and also exposed the devices of those who perform conjuring tricks1 which the public mistake for genuine shooting4 ,there was a review of my book in one of the daily papers1 in which the reviewer gave extracts of how some of these fake-shooting feats were done4 ,the next day ,i received a most indignant letter from a 8,lady ,champion ,shot0 telling me that when she was giving her exhibition at a music hall1 people in the audience1 after each feat1 shouted to her 8,i know how that's done10 and that she had lost her job in consequence4 ,i do not know the merits of the case1 as ,i never saw her shoot1 but ,i will not explain any more stage tricks1 as ,i do not want 8,stage ,champion ,shots0 to lose engagements4 ,shooting men can see for themselves if any of these shooting exhibitions are genuine1 and if fakes amuse the public1 what does it matter8 ,for hitting small objects with extreme accuracy at short range for exhibition purposes1 ,i find the larger the bullet1 providing it is propelled by a small charge which has no recoil1 the easier to make hits with4 ,the big bullet cuts into say the ace of hearts1 where a smaller bullet would just miss it4 ,six well-placed shots with a 4#dd ,french duelling pistol shot at five yards would make one hole1 whereas six 4#bb bullets hitting exactly the same centres would make six distinct holes1 close together1 but would not be the sensational 8all the shots in one hole0 like the former score1 which audiences talk about afterwards4 ,nowadays1 with the wax bullets driven by fulminate out of a duelling pistol1 shooting off the heads of assistants can be done with very little risk except to the eyes1 whereas with a leaden bullet a bad shot means the death of the assistant unless provided with a steel skull cap under a wig4 ,in spite of the advantage of the big bullet1 most stage shooters use the 4#bb calibre pistol4 ,it may be that they have some contract with the makers to use only their make of pistol1 or it is a tradition because ,chevalier ,ira ,paine used it1 but why any one with a free hand uses it in preference to a 4#dd ,i do not understand4 ,i cannot do as good shooting with a 4#bb as with the larger calibres1 and ,i have1 ,i think1 specimens of all makes of pistols and have shot them all4 ,i was a pupil of ,chevalier ,ira ,paine1 who was an incomparably better shot than any of us at stationary targets1 and unique in that ,i never saw him make a bad shot1 and he has won 7which no other man has succeeded in doing7 both the ,duelling ,pistol and the ,revolver ,grand ,medal at ,gastinne-,renette's ,gallery in ,paris4 ,both are better scores than any ever made before or since4 ,there is also a seven-shot score with all the bullets into a shamrock-shaped hole at sixteen metres1 made by ,ira ,paine1 framed at ,gastinne-,renette's4 ,he was shooting for the ,grand ,medal d',or when he made this seven-shot score4 ,they were such a phenomenal group that he was asked not to continue on that target for fear of spoiling it4 ,as he shot so extremely well with the duelling pistol1 and as ,i know no score of his with the 4#bb to equal his work with the duelling pistol1 ,i do not understand why he did not use the latter for his stage work4 ,one of his most sensational feats was for his assistant to hold a playing card1 the three of hearts1 horizontally4 ,paine hit the outside pip first1 then the middle one1 and finally the one next the fingers1 which were about a third of an inch from it4 ,this1 in artificial light and reserving the most dangerous shot for the last1 required nerve1 and he did this the night before he died1 when he knew his case was hopeless4 ,as ,i said1 he was the only man ,i ever saw who did what heroes of novels do4 ,that is1 he never missed or made a bad shot during all the years ,i saw him shoot4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii ,,control ,,of ,,temper ,pistol shooting is excellent training for control of the temper4 ,boiled down to its essence1 pistol shooting is fighting either in earnest or in competition4 ,whilst therefore self-control is essential in all sport1 in pistol shooting it is vital4 ,when a man loses his temper he is at the mercy of his opponent4 ,temperaments differ3 a word or act which has not the least effect on one man's temper irritates another till he gets beside himself4 ,how often one hears a man say3 8,i don't know what ,i have done1 but ,x4 seems offended with me40 ,some take offence at very little1 while with others nothing can make them lose their temper4 ,i know a man who never has even a shade of annoyance pass over his face whatever happens4 ,he is in constant request for shooting in teams1 and he can be depended on always to shoot up to his form4 ,when his team seems hopelessly beaten he calmly makes a string of bull's-eyes4 ,this is the ideal state of mind1 the control of one's temper all should have1 and nothing trains for this like pistol shooting4 ,in the prone position with a rifle a man may be agitated but his brain still enables him to shoot well1 but when standing up and having to depend on the muscles and nerves of his right hand and arm alone1 self-control is all he has to rely on4 ,self-control becomes second nature to a pistol-shot4 ,control of the temper and nerves is greatly hindered in cases where nicotine1 alcohol1 or other drugs are used4 ,these drugs do not give the nerves and brain a fair chance4 ,loss of temper is considered proper and a sign of authority by some1 and loss of temper has even 7most profanely7 been considered by some as an attribute of their deities4 ,formerly masters of hounds1 if the ,field did anything wrong1 flew into an ungovernable rage and used disgusting language4 ,nothing can be done properly when a man is in this state of mental unbalance1 and many a fox has owed his life to the huntsman having lost his temper with his ,field or his horse4 ,i am told certain games are very trying to the temper4 ,golf1 for instance1 has even led to the reprimand of a churchwarden by the committee of his golf club for using profane language4 ,i have seen very amiable people sit down to play bridge and after they have played for half an hour they exhibited the most vile tempers4 ,a pupil and coach after working hard all one morning decided to take a little relaxation in a game of croquet4 ,the pupil lost his temper and hit the tutor with his mallet4 ,a prize fighter was in the habit of--in doubtful taste 7to use a mild euphemism7--taunting his opponent during his fights in order to make him lose his temper and consequently his judgment4 ,these unpardonable tactics do not1 however1 always succeed4 ,a man may feel angry without losing self-control4 ,in fact 8cold anger0 braces up a man and his nerves become as iron and he becomes as implacable as ,fate4 ,some are extremely nervous and shy4 ,they can shoot very well when by themselves1 but if others are present they cannot do themselves justice1 and they cannot shoot well in a competition4 ,they are too flabby4 ,nervous men should always have people present when practising1 and vary their audiences as often as possible1 so that they will not get 8stage fright40 ,the fault of others is extreme irritability4 ,they shoot well till something annoying happens1 a shot unexpectedly fired near them1 a jamb of the pistol1 the wind blowing the target down1 or other trivial matters which do not trouble any one else4 ,this1 however1 starts them fuming and swearing 7an oath is a sure sign of want of self-control74 ,everything that happens1 the most trivial thing1 adds to their nervement1 as the ,french call it4 ,their nerves get all in a jangle and they cannot shoot4 ,tobacco is often found to be the cause of the above state of mind4 ,it takes a mere nothing to get a heavy smoker unbalanced4 ,the worst form of nerves1 and almost impossible to overcome1 is that when a man fancies people are 8slighting0 or 8insulting0 him4 ,he begins by shooting well and is in a good temper4 ,someone unfortunately makes a perfectly innocent remark or does something which seems quite innocuous to others4 ,but the man at once changes his manner1 thinks he has been 8purposely insulted0 or 8hampered10 but he says nothing4 ,the man who flies out at others is easier to manage1 as you know what he complains of4 ,but this man nurses his wrong and broods over it without letting any one know his grievance4 ,he sulks1 frowns1 does not answer when spoken to1 and his shooting goes to pieces1 and he ruins the pleasure of the others4 ,after all we are shooting for mutual pleasure and sport4 ,there is the flabby man who can win when he has it all his own way1 but cannot make an effort when tackled4 ,he is what is called a 8rogue10 not in the offensive sense but in racing language4 ,the man who surprises others is the quiet easy-going good-natured man who never wishes to hurt or annoy any one1 but only wishes to be left in peace4 ,this is the ,eastern or ,russian temperament3 8,nichevo0 7never mind72 8,sechas0 7presently74 ,some men get into the bad habit of saying what they imagine are 8smart0 things1 but which are really impertinent and hurt others' feelings4 ,this becomes such a habit with them that they do not notice that they are getting themselves hated as much as if they went about flicking people over the shins with a whip4 ,some writers of plays which are supposed to be full of wit make their characters do nothing but say unkind things to each other4 ,this is not wit but stupid1 callous cowardice1 which could not occur in countries where duelling is allowed4 ,to resume1 the good-natured man who is not understood1 whose good nature is mistaken for softness1 sometimes surprises people4 ,his opponent1 either because he is one of the sort who say 8smart0 things1 or because he is losing his temper1 says something which at last wakes up the good-natured man4 ,the latter says nothing1 does not change his expression of good nature4 ,he merely begins to shoot like a machine1 his arm rises like a steel rod1 each shot goes into the middle of the bull's-eye1 there is no hesitation1 dwelling on the aim1 or doubtful bull's-eye4 ,he has1 in becoming angry1 pulled himself together1 his whole mind is concentrated on one sole object1 making the best score and beating his insulter1 and he shoots the best score of his life4 ,to compete against him is like competing against ,fate4 ,after such an incident1 ,i saw a beaten competitor go up to the winner1 and congratulate him4 ,he added1 8,i thought ,i had you beaten that time40 ,the other answered1 8,so you had1 if you had not insulted me40 ,if you make a man 8see red0 whilst still keeping his temper1 that is the most dangerous man in the world to tackle4 ,sir ,henry ,irving portrayed this when acting in the ,corsican ,brothers4 ,i have never seen another actor succeed in doing so4 ,in order not to hamper your adversary in a competition1 it is of the utmost importance to study every one of your words and acts4 ,what does not worry one man may entirely put another off his shooting4 ,moving about whilst he is shooting1 leaving the firing point as he is firing1 is enough to put him off his shot1 and should be strictly avoided4 ,it is best to keep well away from him and only go up for your shot and not address a word to him or speak to any one within his hearing1 until he beats you1 then be the first to congratulate him4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii ,,the ,,effect ,,of ,,alcohol ,,and ,,nicotine ,,on ,,shooting ,in order to obtain the best results in shooting1 a perfect co-ordination between the brain1 nerves1 and muscles is necessary4 ,a man who drinks heavily may for a time be able to shoot well1 but this does not last4 ,he can never be depended on not to 8crack up0 and he collapses at critical moments4 ,very robust health is not necessary as long as the above conditions are fulfilled1 and pistol shooting in the open air may be of benefit to a man who is in too delicate health to be able to play even a gentle game4 ,the old1 evil days when a sportsman was not considered acting as a man unless he drank several bottles of port each evening and had to be carried home in a wheelbarrow are now1 happily1 gone for ever4 ,putting drink before all else used to be a constant annoyance4 ,a drunkard was not content till he had reduced every man near him to the same disgusting mental and physical condition4 ,if others would not drink with him1 he had the utmost contempt for them4 ,called them 8milksops10 8drinkers of slops10 8unsociable10 and 8too proud40 ,i always refused to go out shooting with such people4 ,besides being very dangerous1 they never would do anything but drink4 ,sport was a mere excuse for going out 8on the drink40 ,every occasion was made the excuse for a drink4 ,with such people drink was the great event of the day1 and if a stag was shot1 there was a ceremony to be gone through of everyone drinking whiskey neat to 8more blood40 ,at lunch1 after an interminable time spent in drinking--they eat little--the forester who had been fidgeting to get off1 would come up at last and timidly say1 8,i'm thinking the sooner we go the best1 ,i am seeing a verra heavy beast in yon corrie1 with the glass40 ,the 8sportsman0 would answer1 8,is there8 open the other bottle of champagne and help yourself1 it won't hurt you1 there is not a headache in a dozen bottles40 ,drink used to pose as the twin brother and boon companion of sport4 ,in these days drink is known as the sportsman's deadliest enemy4 ,i consider even minute medicinal doses of alcohol are deleterious to shooting1 entirely apart from drunkenness4 ,admiral ,jellicoe1 speaking at ,gibraltar in #aiaa1 quoted with approval a statement of ,captain ,ogilvy1 the noted gunnery instructor1 to the effect that carefully compiled statistics revealed the fact that the shooting efficiency of the men was thirty per cent4 better before than after the issue of the grog ration 444 one eighth of a pint of rum liberally diluted with water4 ,in ,bavaria the ,minister of ,war carried out tests as to the effect of alcohol on marksmanship during twenty days on twenty marksmen 7shortly before the war71 #hj1jjj shots were fired1 and the trial showed according to the report of ,professor ,d4 ,r4 ,kraeplin1 that the consumption of forty grammes of alcohol1 corresponding to the amount contained in one and three quarters pints of beer1 made an average reduction in marksmanship of three per cent4 ,the effect was most perceptible twenty-five to thirty minutes after absorbing the alcohol4 ,most of the marksmen shot even worse1 some of them from eight to twelve per cent4 worse4 ,the ,professor continues3 8,an amusing feature of the tests was that some of the riflemen insisted not only that they could1 but actually were shooting better after drinking the spirits1 whilst in reality their marksmanship had fallen off as much as ten per cent40 ,the late ,sir ,victor ,horsley permitted me to quote the following from one of his lectures4 ,the cerebral activity of taking alcohol lasts only a few minutes1 then marked slowing sets in1 and for the rest of the time during which alcohol acts1 varying from two to four hours according to the individual1 the cerebral activity is diminished4 ,it took longer for a person who had imbibed small quantities of alcohol to think1 the evidence was overwhelming that alcohol in small quantities had a most deleterious effect on voluntary muscular work4 ,these facts bear out in every particular my own observations in watching others4 ,i find they are not so active in their movements1 especially if they have to turn round suddenly to shoot1 but at the same time they had more confidence in their ability to shoot4 ,who has not seen 7to go to the extreme case7 when a large dose of alcohol has been swallowed and a man is 8under the influence of liquor0 that the 8patient0 is ready to fight all comers1 although he cannot stand on his legs4 ,as ,professor ,kraeplin says1 8the subject experimented on cannot judge--he thinks alcohol makes him shoot better although the actual facts are the other way about40 ,at the ,olympic ,games which take place each four years1 the members of the ,united ,states ,rifle and ,revolver ,teams which compete are water-drinkers and non-smokers1 and they are practically unbeaten to date4 ,major ,smith ,w4 ,brookhart of the ,ordnance ,department1 ,united ,states ,national ,guard1 writing in ,arms and the ,man1 ,may #d1 #aiah1 says3 8,civilization has advanced so much in the past decade1 that it is now almost superfluous to write a caution against the use of stimulants4 ,every rifleman will admit that alcohol is an enemy4 ,total abstinence1 bone dry1 is the only safe rule4 ,tobacco or any other stimulants should also be avoided4 ,they may not be so fatal as alcohol1 but they all tend in the wrong direction4 ,the man who wants to climb into the championship class and stay there must be a normal man4 ,the proper attitude of mind will give every man more pleasure in conquering a habit than in submitting to it4 ,to win over the smoking habit is an achievement of which to be proud and it improves the scores40 ,those who make a moderate use of alcohol and tobacco are gradually reduced as to the quantity they use some weeks or even months before the actual ,games1 until all the members of the teams are non-smokers and water-drinkers4 ,there is this to be said of the smoker1 as long as you do not try to prevent his stifling you with his smoke he does not pester you to imitate his example like a drinker does4 ,he merely pityingly informs you that 8you do not know what you have missed40 ,as the 8joy0 missed consists of chronic sore throat1 palpitating heart1 and shaky nerves1 ,i cannot see that much is missed by the non-smoker4 ,the invariable answer to the question 8what pleasure do you find in smoking0 is 8it soothes the nerves40 ,healthy normal nerves need no soothing4 ,when an automatic function of the body is normal and healthy1 it does not indicate its presence4 ,a man does not feel his heart when it is healthy1 only when it is diseased4 ,in the same way a man who has not injured his nerves by nicotine or alcohol does not know that he has any nerves1 but on the other hand1 nerves being destroyed by narcotics fight back1 and make their agony known4 ,a man would fight against his headache being 8soothed0 by being clubbed over the head4 ,as well might one say a man half insensible from concussion needs 8soothing0 by being knocked completely out4 ,if this soothing of the nerves is persisted in1 a man sinks lower mentally than an animal4 ,a man in the last stage of nicotine poisoning1 when told by his doctor1 8you must either give up smoking or you will die0 answered 8then ,i prefer to die40 ,what a glorious death6 ,how true the dictum of ,sir ,oliver ,lodge that the supreme outcome of #ejj1jjj years of effort by the ,universe has been1 man6 ,the following appeared in the ,daily ,mail of ,september #be1 #aiag4 ,it shows how men risk not only their own lives but hundreds of other lives rather than give up smoking4 ,what a blessing if ,dr4 ,furlong's suggestion of nicotine tablets is adopted4 ,we non-smokers will no longer have to walk the streets1 eat our meals1 sit in theatres1 and travel in railway trains breathing an atmosphere of tobacco1 and burnt paper smoke4 ,,shellworkers' ,,craving ,,to ,,smoke4 ,to the ,editor of the ,daily ,mail3 ,,sir3 ,as some men in munition factories will run the risk of smoking in spite of their liability to fines and as others1 even if they do not smoke during working hours1 carry matches in their pockets1 it is necessary to consider what is best to be done to prevent explosions4 ,i believe that if tablets of nicotine were manufactured1 each one representing the drug value of say one cigarette1 they would constitute a real safeguard against such accidents4 ,one or two of these tablets would remove the craving for a smoke and check the irritability caused by the want of it4 ,i do not wish to convey that nicotine tablets would ever take the place of smoking1 but they would have the advantage of safety1 and no disadvantage that ,i know of except that they are a little slower in action4 ,early in the war ,i advocated the introduction of these tablets for use in special circumstances1 but unfortunately up to the present the idea has not been utilized4 ,,wm4 ,,verner ,,furlong1 ,m4,d4 #af1 ,pembroke ,road1 ,dublin4 ,the smoker does not see the selfishness of his behaviour4 ,he looks on the non-smoker as selfish if he protests against being nauseated4 ,the nicotine tablets will enable the taker to poison himself without also poisoning others4 ,,chapter ,,xxix ,,cleaning ,,and ,,care ,,of ,,the ,,pistol ,in the black powder days cleaning was1 comparatively1 a simple matter4 ,now1 with the smokeless powders1 especially cordite1 incessant care has to be taken to avoid the pistol spoiling by corrosion1 pitting1 and rust4 ,even if you have cleaned the bore most carefully after using--the next morning you may find it in an awful state4 ,the only remedy is to go over the pistol at intervals1 after use1 and even when it appears perfectly right it should be looked after every few days1 to make sure4 ,practice with a single-shot pistol entails less time spent in cleaning2 if you shoot frequently with an automatic pistol it will keep you busy all your time taking it to pieces and looking after it4 ,a single-shot pistol is easy to clean4 ,there is only the inside of the barrel to look to1 and it is easily got at without taking it to pieces2 whereas the moving parts of an automatic all need seeing to4 ,the big bore duelling pistol is much easier kept clean than a 4#bb bore4 ,a man practising with an automatic1 unless he is very enthusiastic1 soon gets tired of the labour and the time it takes to keep it in working order4 ,i shot with an automatic which had been at the front in the war over two years4 ,it shot extremely well1 the owner having taken great care of it during all its rough experiences1 but it constantly failed to completely close4 ,it did not actually jam1 but what came to the same thing1 it occasionally did not quite close and could not be fired unless it had been closed by hand4 ,this shows that in the actual work of war there is a tendency for an automatic pistol to become weak in the closing spring1 and there ought to be some simple device for increasing the tension of the spring1 when necessary4 ,there may have been some such device on the pistol in question1 which its owner and ,i did not discover4 ,to really know your automatic pistol1 it is best to have a few hours with a gunmaker1 taking it to pieces1 and learning the use of each part1 and how to correct any failure of the pistol to function properly4 ,otherwise you may1 when in an out-of-the-way place1 be rendered helpless by a simple fault which could be corrected in a few moments without the use of tools by someone who understands its mechanism4 ,i saw a man who actually buried a loaded automatic pistol deep in the ground1 because it had a jam and he was afraid of it4 ,,chapter ,,xxx ,,practical ,,pistol ,,shooting ,in ,england1 rifle and pistol shooting are conducted on lines different to ,continental usage1 owing to the entirely different point of view adopted4 ,in ,england big game has been practically exterminated4 ,there are a few fallow deer left in parks1 and a few red deer are wild in ,devonshire and ,somersetshire1 and ,scotland1 but these deer are beyond the means of any but rich men to shoot1 and the deer in ,devon and ,somerset are reserved for hunting with hounds4 ,there are a few roe deer in ,scotland1 but these are treated as vermin and killed off with shotguns4 ,rooks and rabbits are shot with miniature rifles but the rooks are shot when young and unable to fly1 sitting on the branches of the trees near their nests1 and the rabbits also when sitting outside their holes4 ,in ,england the general public never shoot rifles in sport1 except those who shoot sitting shots at rooks and rabbits4 ,the idea has therefore arisen that the rifle and pistol are not weapons to use in sport but merely implements at the game of bull's-eye shooting1 and that the shotgun is the sporting firearm4 ,the idea is that a rifle or pistol can be used only at a stationary object4 ,when the above is realized1 it is very easy to understand why in ,england all rifle and pistol clubs shoot only at stationary bull's-eye targets at known distances4 ,the reason they adopted the black front sight probably arose because it is easier to make a small black spot in the middle of a white sheet of paper than to paint the whole sheet black and leave out a white bull's-eye4 ,it was merely a matter of convenience in target-making4 ,once however a black bull's-eye on white paper was decided on2 the colour of the front sight had to be black4 ,to shoot at a minute object1 aim must be at the bottom edge of it 8at six o'clock0 7so called from the analogy of the face of a watch74 ,if the aim is taken in the middle of a small bull's-eye1 the front sight covers most of it and makes seeing the bull's-eye difficult4 ,in order to see the front sight best on a white target below a black bull's-eye1 the front sight must be black2 black against white being the strongest contrast4 ,a white front sight on a white target would be lost4 ,as a result1 all except big game rifles and ,english pistols are made with black front sights4 ,shooters of big game abroad found a white front sight best1 and hunting rifles are now made in ,england with silver or ivory front sights1 but no ,english pistol has any but a black front sight4 ,military rifles of every nation have this conventional black front sight4 ,professional experts test military rifles but they test them on white targets with black bull's-eyes1 therefore a black front sight is necessary for this purpose1 and as the experts are merely expert target shots and not big game shots1 this black front sight is retained4 ,it being customary not to look on a rifle or pistol as of any use except to hit a stationary target1 all ,english rifle and pistol clubs have been formed on this supposition4 ,at the ,english ,national ,rifle ,association ,meetings at ,wimbledon and later at ,bisley1 the 8,running ,deer0 target has been in use from the beginning1 but only a very few of us shoot at it4 ,the bulk of rifle shots have always fought most desperately against any but stationary targets4 ,this is natural4 ,a man who has worked hard all his life to become a 8crack shot0 at a stationary target is not going to risk his reputation by being beaten by a school boy at a moving target4 ,at the revolver ranges1 moving1 disappearing1 and rapid-firing competitions were instituted but had very little support2 a few men shot1 but half a dozen men do not constitute a big enough crowd to warrant the keeping up of competitions which the bulk of shooters do not want4 ,on the ,continent1 shooting under practical conditions has always marked the shooting at rifle and pistol clubs4 ,numerous ,continental sportsmen1 even in humble circumstances1 are able to shoot bears1 wolves1 lynx1 reindeer1 elk1 moufflon1 chamois1 wild boar1 etc41 and above all roe deer4 ,it is the roebuck who trains men to be practical rifle shots on the ,continent4 ,in ,scotland the roe is classed as vermin and exterminated with shotguns4 ,the roebuck is1 to the middle class ,continental sportsman1 his highest sport in rifle shooting4 ,few men in ,england1 even if they have the means1 care for deer-stalking as they know nothing of rifle shooting4 ,they prefer small game shooting with the shotgun which they are more skilful with4 ,on the ,continent the roe is strictly preserved and no does or fawns are ever allowed to be killed4 ,the roebuck must be shot only with a rifle and not during the close season4 ,there are societies which have yearly exhibitions of roebuck heads1 shot by their members during the current year1 and gold1 silver1 and bronze medals given for the best heads4 ,a good roe-head in a public place draws crowds who discuss its good and bad points4 ,i doubt if in ,england one person in a thousand would know what species of deer they belonged to1 but all would know the difference between a tennis1 cricket1 or foot ball4 ,rifle clubs are in existence all over the ,continent to enable members to practice for game shooting4 ,the club members are sportsmen used to game shooting with the rifle1 not men who have never fired a rifle except at a target or ever expect to shoot otherwise1 and who therefore take no interest in rifle shooting except in seeing who can make the closest group of shots on a stationary target and to win spoons and cups4 ,the makers of targets on the ,continent employ good animal painters to make the shooting as like the real thing as possible4 ,i know of a range where you climb steep rocks amongst bracken1 and as you get near the top1 you see a model of a chamois1 life-size and colour above you1 half hidden in foliage1 which you shoot at4 ,at another range1 there are stags1 roe deer1 wild boar1 even hares1 life-size and colour which rush past unexpectedly like clay pigeons in an ,english shotgun shooting school4 8,figure0 targets in the ,united ,states and ,england are very badly drawn 7the running deer at ,wimbledon was an exception1 being drawn by ,sir ,edwin ,landseer74 ,the 8figure0 targets one sees in ,england and in the ,united ,states are drawn by artists of the cubist1 futurist1 and vorticist schools4 ,such drawings1 over which the art critics go into ecstasies1 are too difficult to identify and therefore not suitable for quick rifle shooting practice4 ,the shooter does not know when it is safe to shoot4 ,what he thinks is meant for a wild boar1 or possibly a lynx1 is really meant to be the 8portrait of ,miss ,x41 the beautiful ,musical ,comedy ,actress10 put up as a target owing to the mistake of a workman ignorant of art4 ,it will be noticed that the bull's-eye and concentric rings for scoring bear no relation to the object drawn on it4 ,it is possible to miss what looks like a bottle stopper and score a bull's-eye1 or to hit the bottle stopper and score a miss4 ,i have shown a proof of this last paragraph to a friend who says he understands cubism1 and he tells me the target referred to represents a soldier and is a very fine example by one of the founders of cubism and it ought to be purchased for the ,chantry ,bequest1 but ,i am not sure if my friend is a reliable art critic4 ,i confess ,i do not understand art criticism as ,i am merely a sculptor who exhibits at the ,london ,royal ,academy and ,paris4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi ,,danger ,,of ,,leaving ,,pistols ,,about ,the brainless have one perennial joke4 ,this is to take up a firearm1 aim it at someone1 say 8,i'll shoot you10 and then pull the trigger4 ,even an unloaded pistol should never be left about4 ,someone is sure to 8snap0 it and ruin the lock1 lugging at the hammer and pulling at the trigger at the same time1 just as people rip out the teeth of the gear of an automobile by altering gear without first taking out the clutch4 ,if the pistol is loaded1 someone is sure to get shot by a fool4 ,both the owner who left the loaded pistol about and the man who fired it 8not knowing it was loaded0 are equally to blame4 ,aiming firearms in 8fun0 at people is not empty-headedness solely but a form of hysteria4 ,it is done by the same people who laugh when at a funeral1 or commence to rock a boat in 8fun0 and cause so many drowning accidents4 ,the best thing that can happen to such people is for them to 8clean a pistol not knowing it was loaded0 and shoot themselves4 ,there is a story of a man who wished to kill a monkey4 ,when he noticed the monkey was looking at him1 he took an empty gun1 pointed it at his own head1 and pulled the trigger4 ,this he repeated many times1 propping the butt of the heel plate against a tree and the muzzle against his forehead4 ,then the man loaded the gun1 put it to full cock1 and laid it on the ground and went off4 ,as soon as he was out of sight1 the monkey crept up to the gun and repeated what he had seen the man do4 ,result--monkey's head blown off4 ,this is the exact mentality of the 8did not know it was loaded0 fool4 ,the only difference is that1 as soon as such people kill others on the 8did not know it was loaded0 principle1 there are plenty of others to take their place4 ,as they are always acquitted when they say they 8did not know it was loaded10 others imitate1 knowing there is no danger of their being hung for this murder4 ,but if you shoot another man1 even if you think he is going to murder you1 unless you have let him first have a shot at you1 you run the risk of being hung for it2 if he turns to run away you must not shoot him in the back as he runs away or you get hung for it4 ,parents encourage children in the criminal folly1 aiming at people2 they give them toy pistols and play themselves with the children pretending to be frightened when the child comes round the corner and fires the popgun or pistol with paper detonator at them4 ,when this child grows up1 he always thinks that to point a firearm at any one and pull the trigger is 8humour0 and takes the first opportunity to pick up a firearm and point it at people4 8,want of the sense of humour0 is the unpardonable sin in the opinion of so-called 8,humorous writers10 who consider any one not laughing at their obvious drivel is wanting in a sense of humour1 and if he abuses mothers-in-law or throws bricks at a starving cat1 he considers himself a humorist4 ,surely any one pointing a firearm at others in play should be punished by two years' hard labour4 ,this would soon teach people that they must curb their 8sense of humour40 ,there are plenty of other 8jokes0 left such as pulling a chair from under any one about to sit down1 or putting tin tacks in his boots2 but of course they have the disadvantage of not actually killing him1 and you may be prosecuted for damages1 but the joke of shooting a man on the 8did not know it was loaded0 principle entails no unpleasant consequences on the shooter4 ,he is always acquitted even as when a defendant said 8,i only pulled the trigger to frighten her1 having forgotten to unload my rifle when ,i left the trenches in ,france to come back to ,england40 ,imagine a soldier not unloading and cleaning his rifle when coming out of the trenches1 but leaving it to rust during his leave home in ,england666 ,,chapter ,,xxxii ,,using ,,one',s ,,brains ,,in ,,shooting ,pistol shooting is not merely the mechanical art most people think it is1 a man who does not use his brains and think out things will go on making the same mistakes all his life and never improve or become a good shot4 ,there is no such thing as luck4 ,a bad shot means a fault somewhere1 and the good shot is he who can diagnose the cause of this fault and correct it4 ,i saw a most ridiculous instance of a man not using his brains4 ,a man was practising next me at ,gastinne-,renette's4 ,he shot some two hundred shots1 beautifully grouped but all to the left4 ,i asked a friend if he had noticed this4 ,he answered that he had seen this man shooting constantly1 that he was a regular attendant and had been for years4 ,he always put his shots to the same side of the target1 and had never discovered that if he only aimed a little to the right1 he would hit the target4 ,i saw a man counting stamps at an hotel4 ,he was wetting his finger to turn them over and got the whole lot into one sticky mass4 ,this latter man was perhaps so used to counting paper money by wetting his finger that he was doing it mechanically with these stamps whilst thinking of something else4 ,the former man looked an intelligent man and was so most probably in his business1 but he cannot ever have used his brains in pistol shooting4 ,i put a man right once who was shooting at a black 8man0 figure in competition4 ,he shot very badly4 ,i asked him what was the matter4 ,unlike most men who tell you to mind your own business1 and make you chary of helping any one1 this man asked me if ,i could assist him4 ,he said he could not see his front sight on the target and feared something was wrong with his eyes4 ,i showed him it was not his eyes but the black front sight of his pistol on the black target which was at fault4 ,i put a big blob of ,chinese white on his front sight squeezed from a water colour tube4 ,he won first prize with a highest possible score4 ,like the conventional man with his doctor who has cured him1 he never even thanked me4 ,getting into bad habits in shooting has constantly to be guarded against4 ,a horse is very apt to get carrying his head crooked1 tongue lolling1 hitching1 etc41 unless he is constantly corrected4 ,so must a shooter watch and correct his own faults4 ,it is as well to get a good shot to watch you shooting occasionally and to point out to you undesirable tricks or habits you may be getting into1 without noticing it4 ,some men1 when shotgun shooting1 gradually get into the habit of carrying the muzzle too low so that they sweep others as they walk4 ,this is the result of shooting much alone1 and so getting out of the habit of noticing when they are swinging their guns across others4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii ,,the ,,perfect ,,target ,most targets are very imperfect1 not only from the bull's-eye being a wrong size1 but the scoring on them is very rudimentary1 and does not show the real value of the hits4 ,for instance1 take the usual ,english five hundred yards' target4 ,if a few hundred men have fired at these1 there are a quantity of highest possible scores made which have to be shot off and much time wasted thereby4 ,seven lucky shots just touching the extreme edge of the bull's-eye counts a highest possible4 ,a score consisting of six shots into the very centre of the bull's-eye and one shot just grazing the edge of the bull's-eye counts one point less than the former1 though a much better score4 ,no target except the one ,i am about to describe enables one to know if a bullet has hit the absolute centre of the target4 ,in other targets you have a bull's-eye more or less small1 and any shot in the absolute centre counts no better than one on the edge of the bull's-eye4 ,a perfect target should fulfil the following conditions3 ,bull's-eye right size for aiming at4 ,possibility of judging an absolutely central shot4 ,certainty and ease with which the scoring value of a shot can be ascertained4 ,such a target exists and is illustrated herewith 7see ,plate #h74 ,it is the target in use at ,gastinne-,renette's ,pistol ,gallery1 ,paris1 and is the invention1 ,i believe1 of the ,founder of the firm1 the grandfather of the present proprietor4 ,a perfectly placed bullet is one in the absolute centre of the bull's-eye4 ,apart from the impossibility of aiming at it1 the mathematical 8point0 would be of no use as a bull's-eye4 ,if the bullet hits it1 or hits a pin's point 7which is the smallest practical substitute for the mathematical point71 the point disappears and there is no means of telling if the centre of the bullet struck that point or not4 ,m4 ,gastinne-,renette's solution of this problem is extremely simple4 ,it is to make the bull's-eye of exactly the diameter of the bullet fired at it4 ,if a bullet hits a bull's-eye which is exactly of the same diameter as itself1 and no part of the bull's-eye remains visible at an edge of the bullet hole1 then that bullet has hit absolutely central in the bull's-eye4 ,the next difficulty was that such a small bull's-eye is difficult to aim at with a pistol4 ,this was overcome by enclosing this absolute bull's-eye called the carton1 in a larger bull's-eye1 called the aiming bull's-eye4 ,the carton is left white and the aiming bull's-eye printed black4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #h4 ,,the ,,gastinne-,,renette #af ,,metres ,,target ,this target has a #a-c_/af black4 ,the ring is to facilitate judging ,this aiming bull's-eye is of the diameter of three bullet widths4 ,the target in question was designed for the 4#dd bullet4 ,the carton is therefore 4#dd of an inch diameter1 the black bull's-eye #a4cb in diameter leaving a ring of black round the carton of exactly a bullet width1 i4 e41 4#dd4 ,the reason for having the black bull's-eye three bullet diameters in width is because this leaves a space of exactly one bullet width between the edge of the white carton and the outer edge of the black bull's-eye4 ,this gives a black ring1 a bullet width1 surrounding the bullet diameter carton4 ,therefore when a bullet strikes the black of the bull's-eye it can do one of three things4 ,it can cut partly into the white of the carton1 it can cut partly into the white of the target outside the black bull's-eye1 or cut the black without touching the white on either side of it4 ,to decide if the carton is cut into 7which would score one point higher than if the black of the bull's-eye only was cut7 examine first the edge of the bullet hole nearest the carton4 ,if this is uncertain1 examine the opposite edge of the bullet hole1 next to the white of the rest of the target4 ,if this is cut1 then you know the carton cannot be cut1 as the bullet hole is the exact width of the black4 ,to make assurance doubly sure1 there is a thin line on the target1 just clear of the outer black of the bull's-eye4 ,if the bullet hole touches this thin line1 then it is an absolute certainty that it cannot also cut into the carton4 ,the rest of the target is divided into concentric rings exactly the width of a bullet hole4 ,the same bullet hole therefore cannot cut into two rings1 and if it is doubtful that a certain ring is cut into1 the opposite side of the bullet hole is examined1 and if it cuts into the ring on that side1 then the first ring cannot have been cut into4 ,the whole idea is merely having no divisions of the target either further apart or closer than the exact width of a bullet4 ,then1 given a target of thin1 good cardboard1 in which a bullet makes a clean cut hole1 scoring is an absolutely simple and accurate matter4 ,from the above long1 but necessary1 explanation it will be seen that the ,gastinne-,renette target fulfils all that a perfect target should4 ,the highest possible score which can be made on it is absolute perfection1 and as such is not attainable either by man or the pistol 7even if it is shot from a vise7 the target never can 8get beaten0 as is the case in any other target4 ,the man who can make a highest possible on the ,gastinne-,renette target1 even when shooting at a range of one yard1 does not and cannot ever exist4 ,the target is made on the 4#dd calibre measurements because the 4#dd bullet is the standard for pistol and revolver at the ,gastinne-,renette ,gallery in competing for the ,grand ,medaille d',or but this system can be applied to any size bore1 for pistol or rifle or even cannon4 ,i do not know if it was patented1 but if so1 the patent must have run out years ago4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv ,,is ,,duelling ,,wrong8 ,right and wrong are not1 as some suppose1 clearly defined1 as are black and white4 ,right and wrong so overlap that it is difficult1 except for a clergyman1 to decide which is which4 ,circumstances may turn the balance1 and what is right under some circumstances is very wrong under others4 ,a man may pose as being very good1 whereas he is merely a coward2 he may refuse to fight1 not because he thinks it wrong to kill1 but because he is too cowardly4 ,wrong often poses as right4 ,right and wrong are chiefly a matter of convention1 and vary with different races of men1 and at different periods4 ,what is wrong to-day may be right to-morrow4 ,the list of right and wrong ,i give below1 is only made up to date1 and is subject to revision at any time4 ,probably by the time this book sees the light1 this list may be entirely out-of-date4 ,in early times holy men did things which would land them in prison if they were alive in these days4 ,in the cruel ages when men knew no better1 ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi preached 7like ,buddha7 kindness to every living thing1 and called the birds 8our little brothers40 ,in the present superior age1 ,st4 ,francis would spend his life in prison from inability to pay the fines imposed on him for feeding birds4 ,kindness to animals was never a popular virtue4 ,it is considered 8soppy10 8sickly sentimentality40 ,men have always liked to bully horses to show what good riders they are1 and what 8control0 they have over them4 ,they think it draws forth admiration to be seen knocking a horse about4 ,it shows their mental superiority over a mere brute4 ,small men like to be seen lugging a big good-natured dog along by a chain1 threatening him with a whip4 ,it shows their great brain power over mere matter4 ,the feeding of starving birds in a hard winter and kindness to cats has always been merely tolerated1 even before it became a crime to do so4 ,in the year #aiag1 in ,london1 a poor old woman went off crying bitterly1 unable to pay the fine imposed on her for giving a few crumbs out of her own scanty meal to some birds4 ,but even in less enlightened times1 in the days when birds were pitied1 such doubtful conduct was not much approved of except in the case of old maids or little girls4 ,the former were also allowed to keep cats and parrots4 ,such kindness was 8too mawkish0 for men and boys to stoop to4 ,boys should only stoop to pick up stones to throw at birds and cats4 8,boys will be boys0 and it is a pity to spoil their spirit4 ,such boys are in their element now4 ,a great wave has arisen against mawkish sentimentality4 ,formerly societies were formed to enforce close seasons for birds and animals1 to give them a chance to live in peace during the breeding season1 and to prevent the extinction of fast vanishing species1 and the ,clergy instructed their parishioners in kindness to animals and the 8mawkish0 protection of defenceless rodents during the breeding season4 ,but this is changed in the present superior age4 ,rabbits and hares can now be killed all the year round4 ,a doe rabbit1 dying in a snare or steel trap with a broken leg held by sharp steel teeth1 lies suckling her young which have come to her1 and the young die of starvation when she has died in torture4 ,committees are formed in villages1 the ,vicar as chairman1 which give prizes to the boys who destroy the most birds' nests and kill the parent birds and their young4 ,little girls are given prizes for killing the most butterflies4 ,those children who are too young yet to be able to kill birds are not forgotten4 ,they are given prizes1 which they take home to their proud parents1 for the greatest number of flies they can kill4 ,when ,i was a boy1 in the cruel bad times1 ,i was told ,i would go to a very unpleasant place when ,i died if ,i was so wicked and cruel as to kill flies or pull their wings and legs off whilst they were alive4 ,i understand this game of pulling wings and legs off is also now played by boys with young birds taken out of nests4 ,how otherwise can two boys fairly divide a nestful of young birds if they are of an uneven number8 ,i was at a village fte where such prizes were given and ,i expressed surprise that a boy did not get first prize for a very big heap of dead flies4 ,i was told that he had collected the dead flies found on the window ledges the previous autumn1 and added them to his heap of kills1 so he was not eligible4 ,it is praiseworthy to kill flies1 but wrong to collect those already dead4 ,i must apologize for this long digression1 but it was necessary in order that my following analysis of what is conventionally right and wrong might be properly understood4 ,as right and wrong at present stand1 a man in uniform1 if he meets a man in a different uniform 7a man1 with whom he has no quarrel1 and of whose existence he was ignorant up to that moment71 and he is told to fight that man1 and kills him1 he becomes a hero4 ,the more he kills1 the greater hero he is4 ,if on the other hand1 this man in uniform quarrels with a man in the same uniform as himself1 or who is in civilian dress1 or if he is himself in civilian dress1 and if1 as the result of this quarrel they fight 7even if a fair fight1 with friends of each man present to see that it is a fair fight7 and he kills the man1 then he is a murderer4 ,a murderer must be murdered2 that is his punishment for murdering a man4 ,it might be imagined that if the man who murders another has to be murdered himself by another man1 who thus also becomes a murderer1 it would end by everyone being killed except the last man4 ,this is not so4 ,when a civilian has murdered another in fair fight1 the man appointed to murder this murderer does not become a murderer1 he is an executioner1 and is paid for murdering the other man1 and the incident closes4 ,whatever wrong a man receives from another1 he must not fight him4 ,he must not even slap his face4 ,that is an assault and wrong4 ,he must accept a sum of money considered equivalent to the wrong done him4 ,some men are not satisfied with this4 ,they consider receiving money from their opponent a degradation1 and even the suggestion of such a course1 an insult4 ,in countries where duelling is still allowed1 they have a solution--the duel4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv ,,remarks ,,on ,,duelling ,the mere word duel raises a smile amongst the empty headed4 ,hardly any one thinks for himself2 he takes his thoughts ready made1 like his tea when he gets up in the morning4 ,he opens his paper2 in the paper he reads 8,so-and-so is the wickedest man on earth10 good2 in future1 whenever he hears of anything ,so-and-so's done1 it is wrong2 and if he sees ,so-and-so 8on the pictures10 he hisses with all his might4 ,next1 he reads that 8such a one is the best and cleverest man on earth10 this is enough4 8,such a one0 can do no wrong1 and if he sees 8,such a one0 on the cinematograph screen1 he stamps and shouts with delight4 ,in prehistoric times someone wrote a joke in arrow-head characters about duelling2 as comic subjects are scarce and have to be used over and over again1 duelling became a standard 8joke10 and therefore the sort of people ,i have mentioned grin the moment they hear the word1 as they roar with laughter when they see a 8comic0 actor4 ,it always amuses me when an actor who is a 8comedian0 attempts a serious part4 ,as he walks in with a despairing air1 the audience shriek with laughter 7because he is labelled as 8comic0 in their brains74 ,the actor says in a pathetic way 8my wife went out starving to beg for bread1 and she found the child had fallen in the fire1 and was burnt to death when she returned at length with food40 ,the audience simply roll with laughter1 and gasp 8is he not killing80 ,i merely make this digression to show how difficult it is to make people think for themselves1 especially on the subject of duelling4 ,duelling is a 8comic subject0 to them1 and that is the end of it4 ,just as war is necessary1 so is duelling necessary4 ,duelling is to the individual1 what war is to the nation4 ,the man who laughs at the word duel would not laugh if he were standing before another's pistol1 and knew that within a second of the word 8fire10 he would have a bullet in his breast and be dead4 ,he does not differentiate between the 8advertisement duels0 which sometimes take place on the ,continent1 where neither combatant intends to shoot the other1 but merely wants to get his name in the papers1 and a real duel by which a wronged man seeks redress4 ,in a sword duel a man1 if young and active1 can avoid being fatally injured4 ,he can keep all but his right wrist and knee out of danger1 and as soon as he gets a scratch on them1 give up the fight on the plea of being 8at a disadvantage40 ,but with pistols it is different1 provided the seconds have not 7in order to prevent a fatal termination7 altered the sights or reduced the powder charge4 ,in fact1 if he has an accurate and properly loaded pistol in his hands1 a good shot can make certain of hitting his opponent4 ,when such a one misses his man or hits him in a non-vital part1 it is because he has done so purposely1 not wanting to kill the man4 ,sometimes a man who feels he is in the wrong1 stands up to be shot at1 and either misses his opponent on purpose1 or does not shoot at all4 ,on a recent occasion1 when a duellist had not fired when the word was given1 someone had the bad taste to ask him why he did not shoot4 ,the answer was 8,i forgot40 ,this was the occasion for a stream of jokes2 the writers of these jokes did not of course appreciate the chivalry of not shooting1 and the delicacy of the reply4 ,they made all sorts of silly remarks about 8absentmindedness10 only exposing their own empty-headedness thereby4 ,having now cleared the ground1 ,i will in the next chapter give details of how a pistol duel is conducted1 and how to train for it4 ,in countries where duelling is allowed1 the upper classes know how to fence1 and to shoot the duelling pistol2 they need no teaching if called out4 ,any one who has learnt to shoot from instructions given in this book needs no further teaching4 ,he only needs to be told the rules4 ,there are1 however1 a few points in which duelling differs from the rapid-fire practice ,i have given1 one being the position the pistol is raised from1 and when it is permissible to raise it4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi ,,remarks ,,on ,,duelling 7,continued7 ,the person considering himself aggrieved sends two of his friends as his seconds1 to see his adversary4 ,the latter if he accepts the challenge appoints two of his friends to act as his seconds4 ,these four seconds meet and agree as to the conditions of the duel4 ,if the matter is serious1 the duel is fought till one of the combatants is either killed1 or is so seriously injured that he cannot continue4 ,otherwise the seconds take the first opportunity to declare that their man is unable to continue1 owing to his injury having placed him at a disadvantage4 ,this means1 practically that first blood drawn ends the combat4 ,if the provocation is a very grave one1 the challenger tells his seconds they must insist on the combat continuing to the end4 ,the seconds should be taken into the challenger's confidence1 and he should tell them exactly what he really wants4 ,he cannot interfere after they and the adversary's seconds have arranged the terms1 and he may find himself bound by his seconds to something quite different from what he had intended4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #i4 ,,ornamental ,,duelling ,,pistols ,,by ,,gastinne-,,renette ,the property of the ,author ,he may be let into a fight to a finish over some trivial nonsense1 and have to kill a man he does not want to kill1 in order to save his own skin4 ,or1 wishing to kill a man who has done him an unforgivable wrong1 the duel may end with a flick of cloth cut out of his sleeve and his enemy unscathed4 ,combatants are not allowed to use their own weapons4 ,the pistols of the regulation pattern 7muzzle-loaders shooting a regulation load of smokeless powder and round lead bullet1 see ,plate #i7 are provided by a gunmaker1 are loaded by the gunmaker in the presence of the seconds1 and sealed up in their case4 ,the seals are only broken and the pistols apportioned by lot to the combatants when on the duelling ground1 by the director of the duel chosen by the seconds4 ,in ,paris you are absolutely safe as to your pistols4 ,m4 ,gastinne-,renette generally supplies the pistols1 but in an out of the way place where you do not know the gunmaker1 and do not trust your opponent or his seconds1 it is advisable to instruct your seconds to be very careful what gunmaker is chosen1 and if they are the least bit dubious to insist on ,m4 ,gastinne-,renette being telegraphed to1 asking him to send a representative with pistols4 ,a doctor has to be present at the duel4 ,lots are drawn by the seconds for position4 ,it is very important to have at least one good practical shooting man as second or your seconds may give away advantages to your opponent's seconds1 and place you facing the sun4 ,the distance is twenty-five metres 7#bf yards #a foot #b inches74 ,the opponents stand facing each other and holding the pistol with the butt touching their right thighs4 ,the director of the duel1 after giving the caution attention1 says 8feu1 un1 deux1 trois40 ,after the word 8feu0 the pistol may be raised and fired1 but not fired later than the word 8trois40 ,illustration3 ,,plate #aj4 ,,pistols ,,by ,,gastinne-,,renette #a4 ,shooting ,smith ,wesson1 4#dd cartridge4 #b4 ,modified ,ira ,paine to shoot 4#dd or 4#bb ammunition4 #c4 ,saloon pistol1 4#bb bore1 weighing and balancing like a duelling pistol ,to lift the pistol from touching the thigh before the word 8feu0 or to fire after the word 8trois10 is a very grave offence1 and if your opponent is killed1 it is murder4 ,the seconds draw up a 8,proces ,verbal0 or report1 of the proceedings1 which they and the doctor sign1 and this is at once submitted to the police4 ,if there is any irregularity reported in it1 such as lifting the arm too soon or shooting too late1 it is a very serious matter indeed to the guilty one4 ,if a duellist is killed1 his adversary must stand by the body till the police arrive1 and deliver himself up to them4 ,if all is in order1 he will probably get off1 or at the worst get two years' imprisonment4 ,if he has infringed the regulations----88 ,,chapter ,,xxxvii ,,details ,,as ,,to ,,duelling ,the following remarks on duelling apply only to countries where duelling is permitted4 ,in duelling the challenged has the right to choose what weapons are to be used1 pistols or swords4 ,the pistol is the weapon for any one deeply wronged1 provided he is anything of a pistol shot4 ,in a sword duel the duellist can parry2 in a pistol one1 he cannot parry1 but he can shoot first4 ,if his adversary is a good shot and intends to kill him1 his best chance is to hit him before he can fire4 ,a man who knows he is in the wrong and also knows he has a man in front of him1 determined to kill him1 is very apt to shoot too hurriedly and wildly4 ,suppose ,a4 who is a good pistol shot and an indifferent fencer1 wishes to fight a duel to the death with ,b41 who is a good swordsman but a bad pistol shot4 ,it would be very bad policy for ,a4 to send a challenge to ,b4 ,it would be equally bad policy for ,b4 even if he does not want to fight1 to refuse ,a4's challenge1 if he knows ,a4 wants to kill him4 ,the reason ,a4 makes a mistake in challenging is that ,b4 when challenged1 can choose swords as the weapons1 which gives him the advantage4 ,if ,b4 does not want to fight1 having nothing to gain by killing ,a4 and objecting to have ,a4 try and kill him1 refusing to fight avails him nothing4 ,it puts him in a worse position4 ,a4 has merely to take the opportunity when ,b4 is in a public place to insult ,b4 and compel ,b4 to challenge him else ,b4 is publicly branded as a coward4 ,a4 now being the challenged can select weapons and chooses pistols1 thus signing ,b4's death-warrant4 ,the most important thing of all in a pistol duel1 is not to lift the pistol before the word 8feu40 ,there is very little danger of shooting too late1 each wishing to hit the other first prevents that1 but there is a very serious risk of lifting the pistol before the word 8feu40 ,the best way to avoid this risk is to be determined1 at whatever cost1 never to lift too soon either in practice or competition1 so that in case of having to fight a duel there is no risk of lifting too soon2 it should become so mechanical to wait an appreciable interval before lifting the pistol after the word 8feu10 that there can be no shadow of a doubt that the pistol has not been lifted too soon4 ,it is an unpardonable fault to get into the habit of lifting the pistol too soon in competition4 ,the best way to cure this fault if acquired 7the most difficult of all faults to eradicate1 it being one of nerves7 is to lift just before the word 8un10 not after the word 8feu10 and get into the habit of treating the word 8feu0 as you do attention1 as just an order to get prepared to lift1 not as the order to lift4 ,in time you will entirely lose all desire to lift at the word 8feu40 ,you may be a shade slower in your shots1 but this is counterbalanced by the absence of the dread of being too soon4 ,a man who has been several times disqualified in competition for being too soon1 may get very slow in lifting and wild in his shooting1 as his whole attention is fixed on the words of command instead of on doing good shooting4 ,some men adapt a slightly forward lean in shooting1 like pigeon shots or a runner on the mark4 ,i do not think there is any advantage in this as there is no recoil to stand up against in a duelling pistol as in a pigeon gun4 ,the objection to this position is that it does not give the appearance of absolute ease and confidence1 so necessary in duelling4 ,it looks like anxiety4 ,now half the battle1 as any one who has boxed knows1 is to 8get a healthy funk0 in his adversary before the fight begins4 ,if you draw yourself up slowly to your full height1 plant your feet firmly and look your opponent well over1 it will have much more effect on his nerves1 than if you stand in an eager excited attitude4 ,carpentier has this gift to perfection1 better than any other fighter ,i have seen4 ,he has such an air of perfect reliance in himself and confidence and contempt for his adversary1 that the latter seemed almost to quail before him4 ,when the pistol is handed to you1 you are not allowed to test the trigger-pull1 but you can make a shrewd guess of its strength as you cock it1 if you lift the hammer high and let it drop clean back into the bend4 ,a heavy trigger-pull gives a much louder click in cocking than a light one4 ,i bought ,ira ,paine's hair trigger ,smith ,wesson revolver1 which he used for his dangerous feats on the stage1 and ,i hardly hear any sound in cocking it1--the trigger-pull is so light4 ,byron1 speaking of duelling1 in ,don ,juan1 says3 ,it has a strange quick jar upon the ear1 ,that cocking of a pistol1 when you know ,a moment more will bring the sights to bear ,upon your person1 twelve yards off or so2 ,a gentlemanly distance1 not too near ,if you have got a former friend or foe2 ,but after being fired at once or twice1 ,the ear becomes more ,irish1 and less nice4 ,canto ,,iv43 ,stanza ,,xli4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii ,,ought ,,duelling ,,to ,,be ,,abolished8 ,it is a mistake to think that it is to the universal satisfaction that duelling is no longer allowed in ,england4 ,probably it was abolished1 owing to some agitation by a few cranks1 like that against stag-hunting and ,sunday amusements1 and even at the time of the abolition1 there were many who thought duelling was a necessity and its abolition a mistake4 ,even a judge of the present time doubts if his abolition was not a mistake4 ,on ,may #ag1 #aiaa1 it is reported that at the dinner of the ,union ,society of ,london1 ,lord ,justice ,vaughan ,williams said3 ,in recent years a statement that man is a liar does not bear the weight it used to do4 ,there were times when if one man called another a liar1 that man was called to account for it1 it might be even in a duel4 ,but long since duels came to an end4 ,if a man called an ,englishman a liar in a public place1 that ,englishman had a habit of knocking that man down2 ,i am afraid that habit is dying out4 ,he said he was sorry he had come to that conclusion1 that the 8world in general1 as it was accepted in ,england was coming to think that it did not matter very much if one's neighbour called one a liar or not4 8,one would smile1 meet him in society1 go out and play golf with him1 and shake hands with him4 8,he wished people would resent more this imputation of being liars40 8,vanoc0 in the ,referee newspaper said3 ,for some reasons the abolition of duelling is a mistake4 ,insolent and offensive language is now too frequently indulged in with impunity 444 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 ,over the signature of 8,les ,armes de ,combat10 a writer after referring to 8the deplorable0 inefficiency of the mass of ,english officers with the revolver1 says3 ,the reason ,englishmen take no interest 7as a nation7 in pistol shooting1 whereas pistol shooting is of national interest in countries where pistol duelling still exists1 is because in those countries every man of the upper classes1 soldier or civilian1 has at the back of his mind the possibility that he may be called out4 ,amongst this class therefore1 fencing and pistol-shooting is a national sport1 with a spice of utility behind it4 ,in ,great ,britain this incentive has ceased to exist4 ,whilst duelling is allowed in one country and not in another1 it puts an inhabitant of the latter country in a very unenviable position if he is insulted in the other country4 ,he cannot shield himself behind the plea that duelling is not customary in his own country1 without laying himself open to be called a coward1 and yet he must not fight4 ,at the actual time ,i was writing the above1 an ,english officer was having to submit to the indignity of being tried for murder under circumstances in which1 in a duelling country1 he would have had a perfect right to kill the man4 ,as ,i sat down to resume writing this morning1 the morning papers were brought in4 ,i picked up the nearest1 which happened to be the ,daily ,mirror1 and the first words my eyes fell on were3 ,with the verdict of 8not guilty0 the great love drama trial came to an end at the ,old ,bailey yesterday4 ,scarcely had the foreman of the jury uttered the words which set ,lieut4 ,x---- free1 than frantic cheers rose in ,court1 and were taken up by the enormous crowd1 which1 seething with excitement1 awaited the result in the street outside4 ,can any one doubt what answer this crowd would have given1 if asked if duelling should be made legal in ,england8 ,how the law at present stands1 for citizens of the ,united ,states of ,america and for ,british subjects1 will be found in the supplement of this book 7reprinted from my ,art of ,revolver ,shooting74 ,the ,american law does not apply to the case of a duel fought by a citizen of the ,united ,states outside the geographical limits of that country4 ,according to ,mr4 ,r4 ,newton ,crane 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 combatant1 is in such circumstances1 immaterial4 ,on the other hand1 sending1 knowingly bearing1 or accepting a challenge in ,england or ,america1 renders the sender1 bearer1 or accepter1 liable to punishment by the laws of ,england or ,america1 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 duel1 is1 on the other hand1 the law of the place where the duel is fought1 and that law only1 applies to the offence4 ,provocation1 however great1 is no excuse1 although it might weigh with the court in fixing the punishment4 ,under the ,english law the punishment for sending1 bearing 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 law of ,england4 ,it seems1 therefore1 that a citizen of the ,united ,states of ,america1 can safely fight a duel in a country where duelling is permitted with a man of any nationality1 provided he does not challenge1 accept a challenge1 or fight him on ,american or ,british soil4 ,,chapter ,,xxxix ,,how ,,to ,,prepare ,a ,,novice ,,in ,,half ,,an ,,hour ,,for ,a ,,duel ,a duel takes place only a few hours after the challenge1 generally early next morning1 to prevent interruption4 ,suppose a man has never had a pistol in his hand4 ,how should he be trained in the half-hour at his disposal8 ,this is easy--if he is experienced with the shotgun at game or clay pigeons4 ,show him the hind sight of the pistol2 tell him it is merely to assist him in aligning the pistol4 ,tell him that as there is only one barrel1 it would be difficult to align it without this sight1 pointing out to him that his double barrel shotgun can be aligned without this aid as in that case he looks along the rib4 ,tell him to imagine he is using a shotgun1 and to use his pistol exactly as he would use his gun if shooting at a rabbit which sat up on its hind legs for a moment1 to listen4 ,tell him he must be careful to keep the butt end of his pistol against his thigh1 till he hears the word 8un10 and that he must not fire after the word 8trois02 in fact1 he must not fire a poking shot4 ,on no account1 unless he unfortunately knows it already1 let him know the pistol may be raised after the word 8feu40 ,if he is a good snap shot with a gun1 he is sure to shoot quickly enough4 ,show him that keeping his arm straight corresponds to keeping the left arm well out in shotgun shooting4 ,tell him that 8attention1 feu60 will first be said by the master of the duel1 just as 8,are you ready8 pull60 are said in pigeon shooting1 but that it will be a 8no bird0 if he lifts his pistol before the word 8un10 or if he fires after 8trois10 his adversary being considered 8out of bounds0 at the word 8trois40 ,load the pistol and hand it to him1 and tell him to cock it4 ,see that he is standing with the butt properly against his thigh4 ,say 8attention1 feu60--with a good interval apart1 then sharply 8un1 deux1 trois40 ,he is almost certain to hit the figure1 and well before the word 8trois40 ,say1 8,i knew you would find it very easy10 and take him away at once3 do not on any account let him have another shot4 ,this one successful shot is all that is necessary1 even for an expert duellist before a duel4 ,if your pupil should miss1 explain to him his fault1 and chaff him as to his inability to hit a 8sitter40 ,above all do not let him get to aiming4 ,if he hits next shot1 his lesson is finished4 ,in the very improbable event of his again missing1 then you will have to continue your instruction as for one of the below class of pupil4 ,it is of vital importance to give him absolute confidence in his ability to hit his man4 ,he should on no account be allowed to see others pistol shooting4 ,the most difficult pupil to instruct in half an hour is the man who is an expert pistol shot at a stationary target1 but who has never attempted to shoot rapid-firing or at a moving target4 ,if he has besides never used a shotgun1 his is almost a hopeless case4 ,he is certain not to raise his pistol before the word 8feu10 but it must be drummed into him that if he cannot let off his pistol before the word 8trois0 he must not shoot at all1 or he will be hung for murder4 ,then the half hour can be spent in trying to get him to squeeze and let off in time1 but probably the only result will be terribly wild shots1 and he will finish with a feeling of despair as to his ability to hit his opponent4 ,i think it is best with such men not to let them have any practice but merely to tell them that they must keep the butt of their pistol to their thigh1 till the word 8feu0 and that they will be hung if they fire after the word 8trois40 ,in the actual duel1 they will either miss or1 what is more likely1 lift the pistol well up to the sky1 begin slowly to lower it1 and that will be all1 as they will not have fired before the word 8trois0 is spoken4 ,they will be fortunate if they do not let off involuntarily after the word 8trois10 but if they are of the sort who keep their finger outside the trigger guard till they have had a ten seconds' aim1 there will be no danger of that4 ,i have just been reading a book in which the hero 8aimed for well over thirty seconds before firing straight at the light02 he must have had an arm of steel to be able to fire 8straight at0 it after aiming for over thirty seconds4 ,another type of pupil is one who has shot both shotgun and rifle1 but both on entirely different principles4 ,he is a splendid man with a shotgun1 quick as lightning in snap-shooting1 or a 8tall0 bird coming down wind4 ,he scorns to take advantage of a cantering hare1 or a low bird4 ,but the moment he has a pistol or rifle in his hands1 he alters his method entirely4 ,unless he is an officer who has had 8field firing0 practice1 and a few rounds out of a revolver1 he has only shot a rifle at a stationary bull's-eye target1 or at a stationary stag in ,scotland1 and all his shooting has been done in the prone position4 ,there is a convention in ,scotland that a rifle shall not be fired at a deer unless the deer is absolutely stationary4 ,a man shooting driven deer or deer galloping is according to this convention 8not quite a sportsman10 though he may be a deadly shot at galloping deer4 ,it is called 8not quite cricket40 ,that is not a happy simile2 ,cricketers do not1 ,i am told1 hit at a ball whilst it is stationary1 but when at full speed4 8,not quite golf0 seems to me more appropriate2 in golf the poor little ball is treacherously hit whilst sitting on its little nest1 basely built for it by the very hand that strikes it4 ,a man who is a crack shot with the gun1 and who unfortunately is also a crack shot with the rifle in its restricted conventional sense1 at slow deliberate aim1 can perhaps be prepared for a duel by impressing on him to forget all he knows about rifle-shooting1 and to imagine he is using a shotgun1 but the moment he sees the back sight of his pistol in the actual duel1 he will try to use it for deliberate aim and miss4 ,the habit of a lifetime cannot be altered in half an hour4 ,the shotgun man who has never fired a rifle1 has no need to be told not to 8poke40 ,dwelling on the aim must be entirely drummed out of the target rifle shot1 and he must be again reminded just before he shoots in his duel4 ,the 8shotgun man0 on the contrary has to be told--8,don't pay any attention to the director of the duel1 if he tells you you can fire after the word #8feu4' ,you fire after the word #8un'2 you do not need all day to hit a sitter2 show them what snap-shooting is40 ,it is hopeless to try to instruct in half an hour for a duel1 the utter novice1 the man who has never had firearms in his hands4 ,he is either of those who are frightened at firearms2 are sure 8it will explode0 when 8examined10 or 8when you do not know if it is loaded10 or is of the type who is 8not the least afraid0 of it4 ,he cocks it pointing at you1 turns to speak to you whilst familiarly poking you with the muzzle to emphasize the joke4 ,he is of the type that rides at a five barred gate with spikes on top of it4 ,it is the courage of ignorance1 to use the polite term1 but to put it bluntly--it is because he is 8a d--d fool40 ,all that can be done with such men is to try to prevent their shooting the seconds or themselves1 and 8losing off0 at unexpected and inopportune moments4 ,they may even in an excess of caution 8fire into the air40 ,people are very fond of doing this in crowded neighbourhoods 8merely to frighten a man10 and are very much surprised when someone gets hit4 ,,chapter ,,xl ,,pistols ,,for ,,self-,,defence ,these can be divided into two classes4 ,pistols to be carried on the person and pistols to be kept by the bedside against attacks at night4 ,the pistols to be carried on the person can again be subdivided into pistols carried openly1 and those carried concealed4 ,for a pistol carried openly1 the big army pistols are the best1 my choice being the ,u4 ,s4 4#de ,army ,colt ,automatic 7see ,plates #ac and #ad74 ,such pistols1 it must be remembered1 have great penetration1 and if fired in a room the bullet can go through a closed door or a thick partition1 as if they did not exist4 ,hiding behind a door or closing and locking the door is no protection against a bullet from an automatic pistol1 even the very smallest calibres having great penetration4 ,the only way in which closing a door may protect those on the other side is that the one shooting cannot actually aim at them4 ,as very few men can hit what they aim at with a pistol1 this is not much advantage4 ,in fact1 the person shot at by a bad shot is safer than those at the sides4 ,it is difficult to hit what is desired but something else is sure to be hit however badly the pistol is aimed4 ,a pistol intended to be carried concealed is more difficult to decide on than one to be kept by the bed4 ,take the latter first4 ,the main object of a bedside pistol is to frighten the intruder1 without having to shoot1 the next most important point is1 if it has to be fired1 that no innocent person in another room should be hit4 ,for the first reason1 to frighten the intruder1 the pistol should be as big and formidable looking as possible4 ,a big double-barrelled1 pistol-shooting dust shot would probably answer best1 and need not be loaded2 its looks are enough4 ,it is more formidable than the largest automatic4 ,it can be fired without aim2 even in darkness it is almost sure to hit what it is intended to owing to its spread of shot4 ,if ,no4 #h or less size shot is used and a light charge of powder1 it would not go through a door or partition4 ,it must be remembered that such a charge is very deadly at close range1 more so than a bullet even1 so should be fired only as a last resource1 also it is of no use to fire at one of two people struggling together1 it will hit them both4 ,for a burglar escaping1 if care is taken to let him get well away1 say thirty yards1 before firing1 it would mark him for identification4 ,it is a very ticklish job to shoot at a man running away1 as far as the law is concerned1 and had better be avoided4 ,the other alternative for a bedside pistol is a 4#dd ,smith and ,wesson ,russian model with gallery ammunition1 and in the hands of a good shot this is the best of all1 as he need not shoot to kill unless necessary4 ,they are now no longer made1 but can still be picked up occasionally4 ,now as to a pocket pistol to be carried unobstrusively4 ,it must be borne in mind that if any one is shot with a pistol the shooter may get into more trouble1 and get less sympathy1 than if he carried a pistol openly4 ,one sees advertisements giving illustrations of vest pocket automatic pistols of minute size1 particular stress being laid on their small size4 ,this is not the most important feature to be desired in pocket pistols4 ,a smoker does not complain of the size of his cigarette case1 therefore a pocket pistol need not be smaller than a cigarette case4 ,even these smallest automatic pistols are thicker than a cigarette case and it is thickness which bulges out pockets1 not superficial size4 ,as a rule1 a very small automatic pistol means very small bore2 small bore means inefficiency4 ,a pocket pistol of all pistols must have instant stopping power1 as the shooting is done at a few feet or even inches off4 ,a pistol which does not instantly render the assailant harmless is worse than useless4 ,it makes the assailant angry and desperate2 he also knows that now if he kills his man he can claim self-defence1 having been shot at first4 ,very few wish to kill their man4 ,he can be held off with a pistol which commands respect1 but a little toy is only laughed at4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #aa4 ,,colt ,,derringer 4#da calibre1 rim fire ,these modern small size automatic pistols are built on a mistaken idea that they are the modern prototype of the old ,derringer pistol1 which was the most deadly pistol in existence1 and the weapon used most frequently in old-time saloon shooting quarrels4 ,the ,derringer was a vest pocket pistol smaller and more compact than most vest pocket automatic pistols1 but it was not a small bore pistol4 7,see ,plate #aa74 ,it was just the essential parts of a big powerful pistol1 shooting a big powerful cartridge4 ,the want it fulfilled was a pistol having great power in a small compass2 one shot was all that was required1 as the shot was fired at very close range4 ,some ,derringers had a second barrel below the other1 but the typical ,derringer was a one shot pistol4 ,now if you take a big single shot pistol1 how would you reduce it in size to fit the waistcoat pocket8 ,first you would cut off the barrel except the actual chamber in which the cartridge lies4 ,then you would take off as much of the hammer as is compatible with leaving enough grip for the thumb in cocking4 ,then you would whittle away all the stock till only the lock mechanism remained2 and this was practically what the ,derringer was4 ,this could be still further improved upon by making it 8hammerless02 that is with an internal hammer4 ,the ,derringer was a rim-shot fire cartridge4 ,my pistol would shoot a central fire shot4 ,for those who desire to be able to shoot several shots rapidly and who do not care to carry two ,derringers1 an automatic pistol built on the ,derringer principle might suit them4 ,the difficulty is that the reciprocating mechanism takes up room4 ,it is attempted to overcome this by making the pistol shaped like a hammer1 the stock coming at right angles out from under the middle of the barrel1 but this is awkward to hold1 and to shoot4 ,one good shot1 well directed1 is worth a whole pistol full of shots blazed away4 ,this is not the popular opinion1 for1 as long as a constant fire is kept up1 and plenty of smoke and noise1 people think great things are being done4 ,it is only after all is over and there is no result that they begin to wonder what it was all about4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ab4 ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol 4#be ,capacity of magazine1 #f shots4 ,length of barrel1 #b inches4 ,finish1 full blued1 with case-hardened trigger1 slide lock safety and grip safety1 or full nickel plated2 rubber stocks4 ,weight1 #ac ounces4 ,length over all1 #d inches4 ,cartridge1 cal4 4#be1 rimless2 smokeless2 metal patched bullet4 ,the typical ,air ,raid newspaper report says1 8,he fired at least three tray loads of cartridges1 the stream of smoke could be distinctly noticed02 and the reporter is in ecstasies1 and the unimportant detail that all this 8losing off0 resulted in nothing does not occur to him4 ,it is the noise1 not the results of shooting1 that impresses and frightens people4 ,if noiseless firearms were invented nobody would pay the least attention to an air raid except the people actually struck4 ,a woman was taken to an asylum a raving lunatic after an air raid4 ,she was near some anti-aircraft guns which had been firing1 no bombs were dropped near where she was4 ,it was the mere noise of firing that frightened her4 ,it is the noise that frightens game2 ,i have shot one bird after another out of a covey of black game on the ground4 ,the rest did not fly off at the shots because ,i was hidden and was using a 84#bb short0 rifle and the noise of a waterfall drowned reports4 ,if ,i had fired a shotgun at one1 the rest of the covey would have been off at once4 ,for actual protection in a house at night without endangering any one1 a big pistol loaded with blank ammunition 7black powder so as to make plenty of smoke and a little 8red fire0 powder added to make plenty of flash7 would drive off almost any burglar4 ,i think this is the best house protection for a houseful of women to have by their beds at night4 ,the only thing is to avoid burning peoples eyes or setting things on fire when 8losing off40 8,a stern chaser0 of coarse salt is a good man stopper without being fatal and the pain makes the victim think he is mortally wounded4 ,,chapter ,,xli ,,dress ,the dress one can wear when pistol shooting is limited to what the company present is wearing at the time4 ,the ideal dress on a warm day would be that of a rowing man with the addition of a sombrero and nailed shoes1 but of course this is inadmissible4 ,the absolute essentials are to have the right arm1 shoulder1 and neck free1 and a firm grip of the ground with the feet4 ,a soft front shirt is not so necessary in pistol shooting as in rifle or shotgun shooting4 ,with the two latter the stock does not get properly imbedded into the shoulder when wearing a stiff shirt1 but in pistol shooting as long as the neck and right shoulder are not interfered with1 a stiff shirt does not hamper4 ,moderately tight clothes1 if the right shoulder is free 7sleeves cut well out underneath71 help to keep the body rigid4 ,an overcoat is inadvisable4 ,the sleeve not only hampers the movement of the right arm but its weight on the outstretched arm is a great handicap4 ,an ,inverness cape1 even if thrown or buttoned back1 is also inadmissible2 it hampers the right shoulder4 ,as having the body rather tightly buttoned up is an advantage1 a tight fitting frock coat is permissible4 ,it is better buttoned than open as otherwise the skirts are in the way4 ,a lamb's wool vest1 or a second waistcoat may be worn when shooting out-of-doors in cold weather4 ,i prefer a thin leather ,swedish sleeveless waistcoat under my coat instead of the usual waistcoat4 ,in wearing the leather waistcoat it need not show4 ,the coat can be buttoned over it4 ,there is a shooting coat1 ,i believe the invention of the late ,mr4 ,cholmondely ,pennell1 which has a waistcoat of thick material to wear over1 instead of under1 a thin coat4 ,this keeps the body warm whilst the arms are light and free4 ,boots or shoes with corrugated rubber soles or nailed boots should be worn if the ground is heavy1 wet1 or slippery4 ,as nailed or rubber soled boots cannot be worn when in formal dress it is best to make sure of your foothold when wearing ordinary boots or shoes4 ,the heel can be stamped into the ground a few times to get a firm stand or the soles rubbed on gritty sand4 ,out-of-doors it is best to wear a hat1 as one can see much better when the eyes are shaded4 ,have a hat that holds well on your head4 ,do not wear the hats made of hard straw with low crowns and narrow brims4 ,they fly off at the least provocation and the mere fact of your hat feeling like a partridge who is on tiptoes about to take wing will upset you and spoil your shooting4 ,i took a man who had never been to a shooting range before to see the finish for the ,king's ,prize at ,bisley4 ,there was a puffy breeze blowing up the range4 ,he was wearing one of these hard flat straw hats with his college ribbon on it4 ,i told him he had better be careful that his hat did not blow off and interfere with the shooting4 ,we stood behind the two men who had tied for the ,gold ,medal1 and were shooting off the tie4 ,he had just begun to say 8my hat never blows off10--when his hat soared off his head like a clay pigeon out of a trap1 and landed just in front of the man who was aiming4 ,my companion was a 8hat worshipper10 one to whom his hat is everything4 ,they hold it on when on a runaway horse4 ,if it blows off they will dive under a train in motion after it1 or do things to save their hat which would gain them the ,victoria ,cross in battle4 ,he at once started to jump over the prone shooter after the hat1 but ,i held him back4 ,all interest in the match was gone1 he had eyes only to watch his hat4 ,i finally got him a little calmer by explaining that though the shooters were most probably wishing the hat in a place where straw would soon kindle1 they would not shoot through his hat 7,i am not talking thus1 only slightly exaggerating74 ,men who worship their hats do not like trotters because they splash them4 ,there was one of the rare winters in ,england when one could get a few days' sleigh driving4 ,a man had long worried me to let him take some photographs of my trotters in a sleigh4 ,i telegraphed him to come at once and ,i would take him out in a sleigh and he could take snow photos4 ,i met him at the station with a pair of trotters1 both able to trot below #b3ah1 hitched to a light two-man cutter sleigh4 ,he was delighted1 got tucked in beside me with his camera and said he would take one or two photos of the horses from where he sat4 ,i told him not to begin before we got clear of the town1 on to the big open straight road4 ,now some men will go out in a cranky boat1 or rush a motor car round a corner through a crowd of children without a tremor1 but are frightened to death of a trotter1 especially a keen one who takes hold4 ,now my mares had often raced against each other and when together as a pair had racing in their minds4 ,they were fresh1 the day cold1 there had been a thaw and then a frost2 the road was just right and the horses shod with new steel spikes1 sharp as chisels4 ,i let them step along1 the snow came back in a shower of balls on us1 varied by a sharp sliver of ice1 which cut like a knife4 ,the horses and ,i were enjoying ourselves1 and then ,i remembered my companion4 ,i called out 8,take them now10 as the mares were squaring away racing against each other4 ,i only heard1 8,wow--,oh0 as each snowball hit him4 ,fortunately he was holding on to his 8sacred0 hat with one hand and to the side of the sleigh with the other1 so he had no hand to spare to snatch a rein to upset the sleigh1 he was only able to groan1 8,stop1 ,stop60 ,he scrambled out and took the photos from the safety of the side of the road1 and said he preferred to walk back to the station1 and the last ,i saw of him was with his camera in one hand holding on his sacred 7in the ,french meaning of the word7 hat with the other4 ,,chapter ,,xlii ,,self-,,defence ,if a man is found in the house at night1 he can be generally captured by getting the drop on him1 that is to say1 getting an aim on him before he aims at you1 and make him hold up his hands4 ,but there are cases when1 in order to save another or yourself1 to attempt this is merely to get killed4 ,if a man is rushing on you it is no use calling 8hands up40 ,shoot instead of talking4 ,this especially applies to a man rushing on with a knife4 ,he most probably will throw it into you if you are not quick4 ,with an automatic pistol there is little in a room to hide behind which gives protection and it only gives the opponent courage and time to take a deliberate shot through the obstacle1 if you try to shelter yourself4 ,if he tries to take shelter behind something impenetrable1 if you fire into what he is sheltered behind it often brings him out and enables you to get a shot at him4 ,if he is behind a small tree the big bullet of a 4#de ,army ,automatic would probably go through and hit him and1 even if it did not go through1 it would frighten him so that he would show himself and give you the opportunity to shoot him4 ,a big-game shooter knows of many dodges to induce a dangerous animal who has hidden1 to show himself1 or charge4 ,calling to an imaginary person behind the attacker as 8,look out ,tom1 he's coming your way1 shoot10 will perhaps make a man1 expecting an attack from his rear1 expose himself to you in front4 ,throwing something towards him may make him move4 ,the great thing is to keep him moving and prevent his shooting back4 ,if attacked by several men at the same time1 take a fresh one for every shot1 hit or miss1 and then you can begin to take only those not already hit4 ,this is the only way to keep the lot off and prevent being attacked by the rest while you are fighting one4 ,get your back against a wall or something if possible so that they can only get at you from in front4 ,taking a fresh one for each shot is my experience in big-game shooting when you come on a lot which are all shootable4 ,if you pick out one and he does not drop to your shot and you pump several more shots into him till he does drop1 you may find afterwards that you have wasted shots on an already dying animal1 and let others within range escape4 ,as an instance of doing everything wrong and being praised for it1 the following quotation from a daily paper is hard to beat4 ,the writer of the article evidently approves greatly of a woman firing at random into the darkness when she hears a suspicious noise4 ,even if the noise was made by burglars outside1 she was just in the best position in the lighted window1 to get killed4 ,an innocent man might plead he was shooting her in self-defence4 ,a pleasant neighbourhood to live in when a woman shoots at random into the night when she hears a noise6 ,below is the article in question omitting names4 ,the passers-by as well as the lady must have had an 8exciting experience40 ,,shots ,,in ,,the ,,dark ,lady's ,midnight ,encounter with ,burglars ,mrs4 ,x4 had an exciting experience just after midnight on ,saturday4 ,she was in her bedroom1 which is on a level with the lawn1 when she heard noises in the shrubbery4 ,as she thought that men were there she procured a revolver1 and1 standing in the lighted window1 called out1 8,if you do not leave ,i'll shoot40 ,there was no answer1 so she fired1 and there was a scurrying of feet to another clump of trees4 ,again she called out and as there was no reply she fired a second and a third time1 and then the figures of several men were seen running off as fast as they could4 ,and no wonder6 ,,chapter ,,xliii ,,protecting ,,the ,,eyes ,,and ,,ears ,there is no direct danger to the eyes in pistol shooting1 that is to say1 with a good pistol there is no chance of a blow back of fire into the eyes1 as there is in a cheap1 rim fire rifle4 ,the eyes are apt1 however1 to get bloodshot and sore from powder smoke blown back into them in a head wind1 especially from the ejecting cartridge of an automatic pistol4 ,when doing much shooting daily out-of-doors it is well to wear a pair of big diameter spectacles fitting well behind the ears so that they do not shift4 ,the spectacles may be of plain white glass1 or else of a colour to suit the state of the sunlight4 ,blue or grey used to be the usual colours2 lately yellow-green seems to be the colour most recommended by oculists4 ,i found such yellow-green glasses a great relief to the eyes when bear shooting in the glare of sunlight on snow4 ,i am referring to men who have normal eyesight1 not to those who have already to wear glasses to correct vision4 ,it is important to protect the ears1 perhaps even more important than the eyes4 ,there is very little danger to the eyes but the ears are in very real danger when shooting4 ,even the comparatively slight noise when shooting the gallery 4#dd ammunition or the short rifle 4#bb1 from constant pounding on the same note1 affects the ears unless they are protected4 ,a concert pianist1 one would think1 by the noise he makes on the piano1 would injure his ears even more than a pistol shot does1 as the noise he makes is much louder4 ,perhaps he does injure his ears and that is the reason he has to pound so hard and breaks the piano strings in his efforts to hear his own music4 ,be that as it may1 playing a variety of notes saves his ears as he does not have the constant hit on the one note and with the same intensity4 ,the ear is the least known of the various organs and is the one least successfully treated4 ,the usual medical man has the following treatment3 ,pour warm oil into the ear1 then wash out with warm water 7a very successful way to introduce hurtful microbes into the ear74 ,when this fails the ,eustachian tubes are blown out with a 8,politzer ,bag40 ,when this also fails some have a little instrument which buzzes like a bumble bee or sings like a mosquito which the patient has to listen to4 ,if even this treatment fails then the patient is bowed out as incurable4 ,prevention is better than non-cure1 so protect your ears when shooting4 ,a pistol is unlikely to burst the ear drum unless fired with a full charge in a small room or close to the ear1 but pistol-fire seems to have a worse effect on the ears than the louder report from a rifle or shotgun1 owing probably to the shortness of the pistol barrel bringing the discharge nearer to the ear4 ,the worst of all for the ears is when a man shoots past another's head from close behind4 ,gout or catarrh aggravates this evil and a man who never shoots may get 8hard of hearing0 and have constant singing in his ears from these diseases alone4 ,there is the later stage of attacks of vertigo when the semicircular canals are involved4 ,few aurists are successful in curing this4 ,there is only one ear protector which ,i have found of any use and ,i have tried all that have come out4 ,it is called the ,elliott ,ear ,protector and is made by ,j4 ,a4 ,r4 ,elliott1 ,box #bja1 ,new ,york ,city1 ,u4 ,s4 ,a4 ,savory ,moore of #adc ,new ,bond ,street1 ,london and ,gieve1 ,mathews ,seagrove1 ,portsmouth1 ,england have them in stock4 ,most other ear protectors act on the wrong principle and are painful to wear and they bring on giddiness4 ,to stuff the ears with cotton wool makes the pressure of air on the outside of the drum differ from the air coming through the ,eustachian tube if this latter is blocked more or less by catarrh 7as it is in nine out of ten persons1 especially smokers or residents in damp climates74 ,this inequality is increased and harm is done to the ear4 ,when a cold is supposed to be cured1 it often is not but has gone from the early1 through the acute1 and on to the chronic stage4 ,it then lies dormant1 to wake up every time a fresh cold is caught1 and then takes a deeper hold in the outer1 middle1 and inner ear4 ,often what is put down to gun deafness is really chronic catarrh and gout4 ,people who have never fired a shot suffer from gun deafness and noises in the head4 ,as soon as a cold has ceased 8to run0 people think it is cured4 ,they neglect to drive it entirely out of the system and it lies smouldering to take the earliest opportunity to flare up again1 like a banked-up fire4 ,some recommend wool mixture with modelling wax forced into the outer ear4 ,this not only has the defects of plain cotton wool but it is a compound impossible to fully take out again4 ,the modelling composition sticks and remains in all the crevices of the ear and if forced repeatedly in dislocates the outer ear passage4 ,i use modelling wax for sculpture1 and it is impossible to clean it out of the nails even with manicure instruments4 ,it has to be dissolved with turpentine and peroxide which would ruin ears if used for them4 ,the ,elliott ,ear ,protector acts on an entirely different principle and it reduces the noise of a heavy express rifle to a mere thump1 like striking the fist on a wooden table4 ,it takes all the sting out of the shot4 ,a man who was a gunner at the front during the war tells me that his ears are quite right owing to his having used the ,elliott ,ear ,protectors1 whereas a man standing next to him had an ear drum burst after a few shots4 ,the principle of this protector is to let the sound strike the side of the tube of the outer ear1 instead of directly on the ear drum4 ,the protector closes the ear tube so that only a very minute1 hair-like passage remains1 through which a whisper can come1 but any big volume of sound is checked1 like a crowd trying to push through a narrow door and allowed only to dribble in one at a time4 ,even the small amount of sound which does get through is impinged on to the sides of the outer ear passage4 ,none reaches the drum of the ear direct1 but indirectly by the action of a rubber diaphragm4 ,the result is arrived at as follows3 ,a short celluloid rod has a hair thin hole running down it1 but not quite reaching the far end4 ,it enters a hole of the same size running across the tube4 ,there is a soft ,india rubber disc at each end of the rod1 the transverse hole being between the two discs4 ,in use this rod is inserted into the ear till the uppermost disc just closes the passage into the external ear1 and the lower disc cuts off access to the ear drum4 ,any sound reaching the ear can therefore only pass down this hair thin passage in the rod and into the space between these two rubber diaphragms4 ,the sound cannot reach the ear drum4 ,it passes through the transverse hole into the space between the two discs4 ,no sound reaches the ear directly4 ,it only hears the vibration of the inner rubber diaphragm and the diaphragm receives only a very minute part of the original sound which reaches the ear4 ,the minute hole in the rod allows of the entry and escape of the outer air4 ,thus each side of the ear drum receives an equal pressure of the external atmosphere4 ,when very heavy gunfire has to be withstood1 care must be taken that the outer disc fits airtight into the tube of the ear4 ,a little vaseline or other antiseptic ointment round the edge of this disc makes an airtight joint1 or a third rubber disc is added1 but the two discs are ample for pistol shooting4 ,the ear protector is easily kept clean and antiseptic by washing occasionally in a weak antiseptic solution4 ,there is no inconvenience in wearing these ear protectors and they are not very noticeable4 ,with some other forms of protectors1 made of hard vulcanite which are forced in to make an airtight closure1 pain and soreness arise if they are worn for any length of time and this unyielding vulcanite may displace the anvil and bones of the middle ear1 or a sore may be caused and set up grave inflammation4 ,any ear plug which requires forcing or stretching the ear passage is dangerous or painful to wear4 ,,chapter ,,xliv ,,eyesight ,the back sight of a revolver is held further from the eye1 as compared with a rifle back sight1 and the object to be hit is under fifty yards' distance4 ,the eyes best suited for pistol shooting therefore are those of moderately long sight1 the normal eye in fact4 ,a near-sighted man1 without glasses1 has difficulty in seeing the back sight although the range1 twenty to fifty yards1 would suit his eyes better than rifle shooting at long ranges of eight hundred and one thousand yards4 ,if a near-sighted man wears glasses the difficulty of seeing equally well at varying distances comes in4 ,men who have worn glasses all their lives cannot be made to realize that they cannot adjust their focus4 ,they1 unfortunately1 have never experienced the blessing of being able to see a thing close and at a distance with equal distinctness4 ,most of them can read without glasses1 in fact they take off their glasses if they want to examine anything minutely which they hold in their hands4 ,for seeing anything further off they wear glasses 7but glasses are only a compromise74 ,the glasses are made to enable them to see objects clearly across the street1 or to see a motor car before it runs them down4 ,anything further is more or less blurred1 the further it is the more blurred it looks4 ,if their glasses were correct for one thousand yards they would butt their heads into everything at fifteen yards off4 ,it is always best when driving to treat any one wearing glasses very carefully1 to remember he can only see in front of him2 sideways of his direct vision he may be as blind as a bat or a horse with blinkers on4 ,it is on account of this that so many people wearing glasses are run over4 ,when in addition to this they cross a road holding an umbrella well before their glasses1 it is best to stop the horse and wait till they are across4 ,this adjusting of a glass for a fixed distance can be seen with deer-stalking telescopes and ,zeiss glasses4 ,when spying for a deer one makes a mark on the draw tube to suit one's usual spying distance1 which is about one thousand yards4 ,one can see deer clearly with this adjustment from the one thousand back to about three hundred yards1 but for a closer view you have to readjust the focus4 ,if with the focus correct for the one thousand yards you attempt to look at an object only as far off as your back sight or even your front sight1 you will see only an indistinct blur4 ,a near-sighted man1 shooting a pistol full arm stretch1 without his glasses1 sees his back sight a blur and his front probably not at all1 and the target like a post impressionist picture4 ,if he puts on glasses to see his hind sight properly1 his front sight will not be distinct1 and the target still more indistinct4 ,i think for a near-sighted man it is best to have glasses made so that he can see his front sight very clearly4 ,then he would see the man target at twenty-five meters quite well enough to be able to hit it4 ,it is not necessary for him to see his back sight distinctly4 ,a good pistol-shot does not focus his eyes on his back sight4 ,that comes in line by itself when he gets into the mechanical lift of his arm4 ,as ,i have already mentioned a long-sighted man can continue pistol shooting without wearing glasses after he needs them for reading4 ,but a long-sighted man is apt1 when he finds he begins to see the hind sight of his rifle not as clearly as formerly1 to use glasses4 ,then he has all the insurmountable imperfections of a glass which cannot accommodate itself to varying distances like the eye can4 ,instead of wearing glasses all he needs to do is to shift his hind sight forward on the barrel till he can see it distinctly4 ,the long-sighted pistol-shot does not have this difficulty4 ,he holds his pistol so far from the eye that the back sight is right for his long sight4 ,it is a most extraordinary thing that men who have such bad eyesight that they have to wear very strong glasses and even then blink and are half-blind in the sunlight1 can shoot very well in those dark coal cellar shooting galleries4 ,a clerk who1 when writing1 puts his nose right down on the paper1 holding his head on one side1 in fact a man semi-blind and suffering with extreme myopia made extraordinary good scores with a miniature rifle in a coal cellar shooting gallery1 at a minute stationary bull's-eye4 ,a cellar in which a normal-eyed man would not be able to shoot or to see his sights6 ,he is longing to get to the open air ranges with a full charge rifle1 but ,i discourage him all ,i can as ,i know he will be painfully disillusioned of his skill in rifle shooting4 ,it is the abnormal conditions of a coal cellar gallery which suits his abnormal vision4 ,a normal sighted person would only blind himself by trying to imitate him4 ,,chapter ,,xlv ,,the ,,weather ,,and ,,shooting ,rain1 as far as the actual shooting goes1 does no harm to shooting4 ,in fact1 if your adversary has to wear glasses it gives you a great advantage over him as his glasses get covered with a film of water4 ,a dull drizzle is often accompanied by a dead calm and better shooting light1 than a sunshiny day4 ,wind is the great enemy to pistol shooting4 ,in rifle shooting1 in the prone position1 the wind not only lends interest to the shooting1 but brings out the best shot1 the one who can calculate how to aim to compensate for the wind's action on his bullet4 ,the pistol-shot1 on the other hand has to stand against the wind and hold his pistol with one hand and wrestle with the wind which blows his arm about4 ,it is not a question of calculating how much of the bull's-eye you must aim at to compensate for the force of the wind from the side2 but it is a matter of mere physical strength to try and hold the pistol steady whilst being buffeted by the wind4 ,it is as if you were trying to draw a straight line whilst someone twitches at your sleeve4 ,no amount of practice will make you able to draw a straight line or shoot a pistol under such circumstances4 ,it only discourages you and wastes time and ammunition4 ,it gets you into timing and letting off wrong4 ,if in a shooting competition there is a wind and you are shooting at deliberate aiming1 then wait for lulls between gusts1 and snap shoot during the lull4 ,if you are doing shooting 8,au ,commandmant10 or rapid-firing1 you have to take the wind as it comes4 ,bringing up with a very stiff arm1 rapidly1 is the best defence against your arm being blown about4 ,in ,england all open air pistol ranges have the firing points unprotected4 ,from a financial point of view this is a mistake4 ,it is better to spend money on making the range usable in all weathers4 ,otherwise it is often deserted as nobody cares to shoot in a high wind4 ,from the point of view of health it is not wise to shoot in the rain as there is no walking about to make the blood circulate4 ,if you keep moving and get into a perspiration and keep so all the time and take a hot bath and a change of clothing directly you get home1 rain will not hurt you4 ,getting chilled after perspiring1 or sitting about having afternoon tea by a hot fire before changing your damp things1 does the mischief4 ,even if there has been no rain it is much better to change your things at once and have afternoon tea afterwards4 ,if you get wet and cannot change your things on the spot it is much better to walk home fast than drive home and feel cold all the way4 ,i broke through ice in intense frost when wild boar shooting at ,couvain1 ,ardennes ,belges1 and got my boots full of icy cold water 7long boots over the knee74 ,i walked four miles to the lodge and felt all in a glow the whole way1 took a hot bath1 had dinner in bed1 and felt none the worse for it4 ,the others being dry drove home1 but if ,i had done so1 ,i should most likely have had a dangerous illness4 ,it is a very great mistake1 when overtaken in summer by a thunder shower1 to take shelter when you are in a perspiration2 you will get chilled for a certainty4 ,walk home fast1 even if you get wet to the skin in so doing4 ,keep on walking1 or if you are on a horse1 keep on trotting and cantering alternately1 till you get home4 ,if your horse is tired after a hard day's hunting and it is a cold wet evening1 keep him moving for his own sake as well as your own4 ,i had ridden fifty miles during the day 7a run with stag hounds which had taken me twenty-seven miles from home74 ,the mare was getting leg weary1 so ,i unwisely stopped at an inn1 six miles from home1 and put her in the stable to give her warm gruel with beer in it4 ,when ,i started half an hour later to lead her home she was unable to move4 ,i had to leave her for the night at the inn and after making her as comfortable as possible and rubbing her legs with brandy ,i walked home by myself4 ,if ,i had taken her straight home without stopping to gruel her she would have reached home all right1 and had her gruel there and laid down comfortably4 ,keep moving when cold and wet1 take a hot bath and change the moment you get home4 ,if you feel at all as if you had a chill1 go to bed after the bath1 put a hot bottle to your feet1 pile the eider-down on top of you1 drink dried raspberry tea1 go to sleep1 and perspire4 ,dried raspberries1 a ,russian peasant's remedy1 are the best sudorific ,i know4 ,the raspberries are dried and then used just as if they were tea leaves1 and the tea thus made drunk very hot1 with sugar to taste4 ,the leather ,swedish waistcoat which ,i mentioned in my chapter on dress should always be worn if there is the least wind when pistol shooting4 ,it can be worn on the hottest day as it keeps the sun out also and as long as one stands still it does not make one perspire1 and wind or rain cannot get through4 ,a thin mackintosh does not hamper much in pistol shooting4 ,an umbrella is worse than useless against rain but may be used to keep the sun off4 ,of course a hat worshipper invariably carries an umbrella4 ,in rain an umbrella protects only the hat and it drops the water on your shoulders1 the worst place you could get wet4 ,people run into others and drip the water onto other people1 in fact there ought to be a tax on umbrellas like there is on pistols4 ,as to snow1 ,i cannot understand any one wanting to hold up an umbrella when it snows4 ,one never sees people do that in a country where snow lies half the year any more than does one see people turn up their collars in really cold countries4 ,they have their coats fit properly up to the neck1 not with lapels turned back exposing the chest4 ,it always amuses me to see a man with a big fur coat turned far back on the chest so as to show the rabbit skin1 dyed to represent sable4 ,a ,russian has his fur 8,shuba0 double-breasted and buttoned up right under his chin4 ,his deep collar protects his shoulders1 but he does not turn up his collar about his ears at the least zephyr of air4 ,,chapter ,,xlvi ,,military ,,automatic ,,pistols ,it is the military use of pistols which has doomed the revolver4 ,during the war1 ,england was the only country which still retained the revolver as regulation4 ,every other country had adopted the automatic pistol in its place4 ,there are two opinions as to the proper calibre for a military pistol4 ,england1 having to fight savage tribes1 had always preferred a large bore pistol with stopping power4 ,fanatics who do not value their lives can do a lot of mischief1 even if wounded fatally1 by a small calibre bullet1 before they die4 ,on the ,continent a much smaller calibre is deemed sufficient2 a 4#cb or 4#ch or a #g millimetre1 whereas ,england and the ,united ,states consider 4#de or 4#dee the best size4 ,in my opinion the ,united ,states 4#de ,regulation ,colt ,automatic pistol is the best of all army pistols4 7,see ,plates #ac and #ad47 ,the way it was chosen should guarantee this4 ,it was first chosen because it passed all the military tests such as sand1 rust1 and freedom from jamming under rough usage4 ,then it was put into the hands of all the best pistol shots in the ,united ,states and their reports examined4 ,it has1 therefore1 not only passed military but expert shooters' tests1 and alterations were made in accordance with their reports4 ,it may seem a great presumption on my part therefore to suggest an improvement1 but ,i have been a big-game shot all my life and used ivory front sights1 and ,i think a black front sight is a mistake4 ,i am sure a white or silver front sight is the only practical one4 ,this morning ,i went out before daylight after deer4 ,it was very misty and ,i saw a stag eighty yards off1 hardly distinguishable in the mist and darkness4 ,my white front sight shone like a star on his shoulder when ,i took aim and ,i had no difficulty in taking the shot4 ,a black front sight would have been so indistinct that ,i should have missed or rather not fired at all1 as ,i do not like making a mess of a shot and letting an animal go off wounded4 ,it is self-evident that if you want anything to be as visible as possible you paint it white4 ,white reflects light better than any colour4 ,if you distribute twenty white1 thirty yellow1 fifty red1 and eighty blue spots over a piece of black paper they look to the eye as being of equal numbers1 owing to the blue being so inconspicuous compared with the red1 the red compared with yellow1 and the yellow compared with the white4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ac4 ,,united ,,states ,,army ,,regulation 4#de ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol ,capacity of magazine1 #g shots4 ,length of barrel1 #e inches only4 ,length over all1 #h inches4 ,weight1 #ci ounces4 ,finish1 full blued1 checked walnut stocks4 ,illustration ,cartridges4 ,calibre 4#de ,u4 ,s4 ,government1 #bcj grain bullet4 ,calibre 4#de ,colt ,automatic1 #bjj grain bullet4 7,both rimless2 smokeless powder2 full jacketed bullet47 ,white being the most conspicuous of all it takes fewer spots of white to dominate4 ,as these spots are on a black sheet of paper very few spots of white would draw attention from all the colours4 ,as ivory is fragile1 a big silver or plated bead front sight is better for a military automatic pistol or rifle4 ,the first thing ,i did when ,i got my ,united ,states 4#de ,colt ,automatic pistol was to put on it a white silver bead front sight1 first removing the regulation black knife edge front sight4 ,i then made the ,u in the hind sight very big4 ,this pistol has been carried through the war by my chauffeur1 ,w4 ,francis1 who entered the ,russian ,army as a volunteer and has gained the ,st4 ,george's cross for bravery and he is delighted with the sighting of the pistol1 and can do very rapid shooting with it4 ,for practical use of the pistol in war1 self-defence1 or duelling1 what is needed is a strong set of sights which can hardly be injured under the roughest usage2 sights which can be seen instantly in a very dim1 as well as strong light4 ,the best sights for such purpose are those which are used on duelling pistols4 ,it is most extraordinary that all pistol sights except the ,french duelling ones are so very unsuitable4 ,the military front sight consists of an upright narrow rod as seen when aiming4 ,this is very thin and high and is black1 with the top1 when it has been used for any time1 polished a dull grey1 from use4 ,the hind sight has a very minute notch in it4 ,the result in aiming is as follows3 ,you faintly see a very thin black rod with a hazy top against the dark object you are trying to shoot4 ,by searching for it very carefully you see a microscopic notch in the hind sight1 much too small to enclose this rod when aiming4 ,you cannot keep your elevation in shooting4 ,as soon as you try to take the top of this front sight in your minute notch you lose sight of it altogether4 ,the rod so blocks the notch that you do not know if you have the front sight centrally in the notch or at one side4 ,in fact if ,i was asked to devise a set of sights to prevent a man being able to shoot well1 the regulation military sights are what ,i would choose4 ,if strong enough the ivory ball would be the ideal colour for a front sight1 as it is a dull white1 instead of the reflection which sometimes comes from silver highly polished4 ,what is called 8frosted0 silver would be a good surface for the silver front sight if it did not tarnish4 ,the back sight should be just high enough above the barrel to avoid blur when the barrel gets hot1 but otherwise the lower it is the better1 having a big ,u-shaped notch large enough to enable the white front sight to be seen in the notch when showing a slight ring of daylight all round it2 both sights as low on the barrel and as far apart as possible4 ,this combination of sights is seen instantly without any searching or eye strain4 ,all you have to do is to look at the object you want to hit1 paying no attention to sights1 till your fully-outstretched arm1 coming up by sense of direction1 points the pistol at the object1 and you see before your eyes this silver ball in the middle of the ,u of the back sight4 ,snap-shooting is made more difficult with military sights on a pistol and accounts for many men being blamed for being bad pistol shots1 whereas1 it is really the fault of the sights4 ,i cannot make good shooting even at a stationary target with such sights and for rapid firing or at moving targets my shooting is much inferior to that with the same pistol1 when fitted with duelling sights4 ,i can understand the ,english-speaking nations not using duelling sights1 as very few ever shoot a duelling pistol1 but that the ,continental nations1 with their knowledge of duelling1 have not adopted duelling sights is to me very strange4 ,the same remark applies to military rifle sights which are such as no big-game shooter would dream of using4 ,,method ,,of ,,operation ,a loaded magazine is placed in the handle1 and the slide drawn fully back and released1 thus bringing the first cartridge into the chamber1 leaving the hammer cocked and the pistol ready for firing4 ,if it is desired to carry the pistol fully cocked1 the safety lock may be pressed upward1 thus positively locking hammer and slide4 ,the safety lock is located within easy reach of the thumb of the hand holding the pistol and may be instantly pressed down when raising the pistol to the firing position4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ad4 ,,united ,,states ,,army ,,regulation 4#de ,,colt ,,automatic ,,pistol4 ,,sectional ,,view ,to lower the cocked hammer1 draw it back with the thumb until it forces the grip safety in flush with the frame2 at the same time pull the trigger1 then lower the hammer with thumb4 ,,safety ,,devices ,it is impossible for the firing pin to discharge or even touch the primer1 except on receiving the full blow of the hammer4 ,the pistol is provided with two automatic safety devices3 ,the automatic disconnector which positively prevents the release of the hammer unless the slide and barrel are in the forward position and safely interlocked2 this device also controls the firing and prevents more than one shot from following each pull of the trigger4 ,the automatic grip safety which at all times locks the trigger unless the handle is firmly grasped and the grip safety pressed in4 ,the pistol is in addition provided with a safety lock by which the closed slide and the cocked hammer may be at will positively locked in position4 ,,chapter ,,xlvii ,,recoil ,when buying a pistol the amount of recoil you are able to stand plays an important part4 ,this is not entirely a matter of physique4 ,a slight1 wiry man1 whose hands and muscles are in hard condition1 and who 8gives0 to the recoil will be able to shoot a pistol having a recoil which would knock all the shooting out of a man who was in a flabby condition1 or not accustomed to manual work1 even if that man were much heavier and stronger4 ,some men can bear punishment better than others4 ,the duelling pistol has not only no appreciable recoil1 but the recoil is distributed by the big stock over the whole of the hand4 ,the duelling pistol has the longest stock of any pistol and also has no projections to hurt the hand4 ,the pistol most people would imagine has no recoil is the small 4#cb pocket revolver and this is the very one whose recoil hurts more than almost any other pistol4 ,recoil depends on the proportion between the cartridge charge and the weight of the pistol4 ,a pistol weighing #b lbs4 would shoot the 4#cb cartridge with hardly any appreciable recoil4 ,but this same cartridge in a small pocket revolver weighing only a few ounces kicks very viciously4 ,besides it has a very small stock made the same shape as a full-sized stock4 ,the result is that1 whereas in a full-sized stock the top of the comb is designed to project over the thumb and forefinger1 in the little vest-pocket pistol this comb comes against the tender part of the palm and the recoil drives it into the hand4 ,i have had my hand cut and bleeding after a few rounds with a pistol intended for ladies' use6 ,the surest way to make a beginner flinch is to let him begin with a little pocket revolver4 ,i mention revolver because an automatic pocket pistol generally does not have a stock with projections which can drive into the hand by the recoil4 ,the makers know that if the slide of an automatic pistol did drive back into the hand it would do very serious damage4 ,they therefore make the stock so that it cannot be held with the comb against the palm of the hand4 ,men accustomed to shoot a pistol having a heavy recoil get so used to bracing against that recoil that they bob forward with an empty pistol to a recoil which does not come4 ,a heavily loaded gun1 if it misses fire1 makes the shooter bob forward involuntarily to meet the recoil he expects4 ,an automatic pistol can be used with a heavier loaded cartridge than would be possible with a revolver4 ,not only is some of the recoil taken up in working the mechanism in the former pistol but the recoil is softer4 ,the recoil of a revolver can be likened to a blow with the fist1 whereas the recoil of the automatic pistol is like a hard push with the open hand4 ,the recoil first having to work the mechanism loses its sudden sharp stinging blow4 ,i find ,i can shoot a heavily charged military automatic pistol longer than ,i can a revolver which has much less recoil4 ,there is none of the jar and strain on the wrist in an automatic pistol which a revolver with the ,english ,regulation cartridge gives4 ,cocking the revolver by trigger-pull is tiring to the hand1 and a very few rounds entirely paralyses the trigger finger for the time being4 ,it is a very unnatural strain to draw back the weight of the spring to raise the hammer and revolve the chamber with the trigger finger4 ,it tires the finger very soon4 ,with the automatic pistol there is none of this strain4 ,therefore a man can fire a hundred shots rapidly with the automatic pistol1 when he could not fire twenty-four rounds with a double action revolver1 using the double action1 without his trigger finger giving out4 ,i merely mention this as a matter of interesting ancient history4 ,revolvers are obsolete1 but it is as interesting to understand how they were used as it would be if we knew all such lost details concerning the ancient cross bow1 or ,bushman's long blow tube4 ,when one thinks of the unhappy men who were forced in their training to shoot heavy military revolvers with alternate hands working the double action trigger1 it is extraordinary more of them did not dislocate their trigger finger or sprain their wrists4 ,let any one take one of these relics and work its double action for ten minutes without stopping1 and when added to this each shot drives the wrist upwards with great force1 he will no longer wonder why men used to shirk 8revolver practice40 ,,chapter ,,xlviii ,,judging ,,distance ,with the revolver1 which was not usually shot at longer range than fifty yards1 judging distance was of little importance4 ,with a full charge 4#de revolver1 sighted for twenty yards1 the drop of the bullet was not more than about #a inches at fifty yards4 ,with gallery ammunition in a 4#dd revolver the drop was about #d inches4 ,i am speaking from memory1 not from actual calculations or measurements4 ,the duelling pistol1 although shooting the same gallery charge1 needs slightly less allowance at fifty yards1 as there is none of the escape of gas the revolver has at the cylinder4 ,there was1 therefore1 no need to judge distance with a revolver but the automatic pistol with its heavy charge shoots as far as the old time rifles did and so needs knowledge of distance judging on occasions4 ,owing to the shortness of the barrel it is very difficult to do accurate shooting at long range1 but the pistol itself carries and shoots well up to rifle 8midrange0 7i4 e41 five hundred yards74 ,as it is so difficult to shoot at long range with a pistol there is all the more necessity to be able to judge distance so as to avoid another cause of error4 ,a long range revolver match took place in #aiaa in ,colorado1 but many important details are lacking4 ,it was gotten up by the ,magazine ,outdoor ,life of ,colorado4 ,the conditions were five sighting shots1 and then twenty shots to count4 ,the target was a brown paper profile of a turkey at three hundred yards' range4 ,this description is very vague1 as all reports of shooting by non-experts are2 they always leave out vital details and put in a lot of useless matter2 it may mean a target of fifteen inches in diameter 7if it only included the body of the turkey7 or over thirty inches 7if it included the whole of the turkey1 head1 legs1 feathers1 and tail74 ,probably it was the latter size as1 if it was only fifteen inches in diameter1 that would correspond to an inch bull's-eye at twenty yards1 or a #b-;inch one at fifty yards1 much too small for revolver shooting4 ,it is extremely difficult to hit a four-inch bull's-eye for a succession of twenty shots at fifty yards4 ,i have hit it ten times in twelve shots 7see page #cdi71 and the much greater difficulty of hitting a corresponding sized target at three hundred yards would make a full score impossible with a revolver4 ,the winner1 name not given1 made three hits for his twenty shots1 six men hit it twice in their twenty shots1 six hit it once1 and six missed every shot4 ,this is not a very encouraging result of a long range revolver shoot4 ,though the automatic pistol would be much more accurate at that distance1 still ,i doubt if any one could get more than eight shots on the turkey in twenty shots at three hundred yards4 ,to be of any use for comparison the actual diameter of the turkey would have to be ascertained4 ,judging distance should be constantly practised1 under all conditions of light1 by judging when out walking how far off a man is1 and then walking up to the spot1 counting your steps1 to see if you have judged right4 ,do not measure distance by yard strides and thus draw attention to your movements and raise doubt as to your sanity4 ,first measure in private1 say one hundred yards1 and then walk it with your natural length of step when walking at your usual speed1 and see how many of your steps go to one hundred yards4 ,when you know your number of steps for a hundred yards you can measure distances in ordinary walking and without passers-by noticing what you are doing4 ,my natural walk is #ajd steps to the #ajj yards at four miles an hour4 ,try1 when you think you are fairly accurate1 to judge the distance a man is off also judge how far a small boy is4 ,you will find at first you think him much further off than he is owing to having got into the habit of judging the distance by the height of the man4 ,when you come back to judging how far off a man is you will underestimate the distance for the same reason4 ,mist makes an object appear much further off than it really is2 a sheep close by appears as large as a stag one hundred yards off4 ,distance is very deceptive and if one is accustomed to judging the distance of an object of a certain size and then has to change to a similar looking object of a different size the difficulty is increased4 ,when ,i have been shooting at stags and judging their distance with fair accuracy and then change to roe deer shooting1 the roe always seems much further off than the real distance1 because a roe at one hundred yards looks the same size as a stag at two hundred yards off4 ,this difficulty is increased if the objects are mistaken for each other4 ,suppose a river with steep banks1 fifty yards broad1 in a flat meadow1 and you stand in clear atmosphere and full sunshine at a spot twenty yards from the nearest bank4 ,from where you stand you cannot see the breadth of the river2 the two banks looking like one line on the green of the meadow4 ,a faded1 weatherbeaten1 red fire bucket1 is standing on the edge of the far bank1 and a flower pot on the near bank4 ,both objects look identical in size1 shape1 and colour because of the linear and arial perspective at these distances1 and it is impossible1 unless they are studied very carefully with a telescope or field glass1 to know which is which and therefore which is the further off4 ,if you are accustomed to judging the distances of flower pots you would think the fire bucket was a flower pot and therefore only twenty yards off instead of seventy4 ,be sure you know what the object is when using it as a means of judging distance1 it may be something much larger or smaller of a similar appearance4 ,a pony1 when seen through a thick haze1 mistaken for a horse would entirely upset your calculations4 ,the use of being able to judge distances accurately is to enable you to decide how much to aim above a distant object to make up for the distance the bullet drops in going that distance4 ,the drop of the bullet increases rapidly as the distance increases4 ,whilst at short range the drop is so slight that it does not signify except for extremely accurate shooting1 the bullet does not drop in similar proportion at further range4 ,at two hundred it may not drop more than double what it does at one hundred1 but the proportion of drop between two hundred and three hundred is still greater and so on2 the flight of the bullet describing1 not a section of the circumference of a circle1 but a parabolic curve4 ,when shooting at a man standing upright this drop can be ignored up to four hundred yards with the ,military ,automatic pistol2 as long as the aim is taken at the top of the chest it will hit him somewhere4 ,but if only a man's head shows it may be missed over or under according as the distance is misjudged1 too far or too short4 ,if a puff of dust or a splash of water can be seen where the first bullet strikes it will serve to correct the aim for the next shot4 ,,chapter ,,xlix ,,game ,,shooting ,the single shot 4#bb pistol is much used in the ,united ,states for small game shooting for the pot1 when camping out after big game4 ,it does not make much noise and also has the advantage of being very portable4 ,game birds sometimes come close to a camp in the early morning or evening2 and a sitting shot for the pot can be got at them without disturbing the ground1 when a shotgun would clear all the ground for miles round4 ,i find a 4#bb pistol has not enough stopping power to prevent a wounded rabbit getting to ground and consequently lost4 ,a great proportion of rabbits hit with this bullet are lost4 ,i use a 4#dd duelling pistol for rabbit stalking when they are sitting outside their holes4 ,if a rabbit is hit by it he very seldom gets into his hole4 ,the big bullet does not spoil the rabbit as much as might be thought1 the bullet being round and solid it only makes a hole of its own size and goes straight through the rabbit4 ,a 4#bb hollow pointed bullet makes much more mess and has the disadvantage often of not stopping the rabbit though it maims it4 ,the duelling pistol would spoil a game bird if hit in the body but it is all right for a head shot4 ,it makes slightly more noise than a 4#bb pistol but it is a soft noise and does not travel far4 ,i think when game for the pot has to be shot that a 84#bb short0 cartridge out of a rifle with a telescope sight is best4 ,after all1 hitting the bird at forty or fifty yards off with a pistol takes some doing1 whereas with a telescopic sighted rifle the shot would be a certainty4 ,the pistol is very little used for what seems to me to be a very useful function4 ,when shooting big game there are many occasions when another shot has to be fired at wounded game unable to get away4 ,say a wild boar for instance is brought to bay by the first shot4 ,he cannot be approached with safety to use the knife1 he is killing the dogs1 he has to be shot again4 ,now you do not want to fire your rifle1 which makes a boom like a cannon1 as that would disturb the rest of the beat4 ,if you have a pistol which shoots a big 4#dd calibre ball with a reduced charge of powder you can go close up to the boar and kill him without making much noise4 ,if a wounded animal gets you down1 a pistol which lies close to your hand may save your life1 and if it shoots a heavy charge and is rapidly fired several times into his body1 it would stop most animals except an elephant or rhinoceros4 ,a rifle can be lost in falling or lain on1 the length of barrel prevents it being used at close quarters4 ,the objection to carrying a pistol in big-game shooting is that every possible ounce in weight has to be saved1 especially in a hot climate4 ,the pistol is so much extra weight and when climbing amongst rocks it is a great nuisance4 ,to be of any use against dangerous game the pistol must shoot a big bullet4 ,in the instance of the wild boar1 ,i mentioned a reduced charge but my idea is to carry the two sorts of cartridges and to have the automatic loaded with full charge cartridges1 but if game has to be finished which is not endangering your life1 ,i recommend putting in a gallery charge cartridge for this particular finishing shot so as not to make more noise than absolutely necessary1 and not to disturb other game which may be near4 ,an automatic pistol built for a big charge will not function with a reduced charge4 ,such a charge does not give enough recoil to introduce the next cartridge and an automatic only works properly with the exact load it is designed for4 ,with a reduced charge the automatic pistol1 after the shot1 remains half open4 ,if the magazine and also the cartridge which is in the barrel are first taken out1 the gallery-load cartridge can be put in the barrel and fired4 ,afterwards the loaded magazine can be put back again and the pistol is ready to shoot the heavy charge4 ,a single-shot 4#dd gallery ammunition pistol with very short barrel like the old-fashioned ,derringer1 could be carried without taking up any room or appreciable weight and be used for finishing deer1 or other non-dangerous game4 ,the forester who goes with me moufflon shooting carries a #i ,millimetre ,mauser ,automatic pistol for self-defence against poachers and he shoots small game with it when he comes across it4 ,it is1 however1 a noisy little pistol4 ,do not take a smaller calibre pistol than a 4#ch for finishing big game4 ,it does not kill them clear4 ,,chapter ,l ,,shooting ,,from ,,horseback ,this needs an entirely different training to shooting when on foot4 ,it needs knowledge of 8,horsemanship0 above all else4 ,ninety per cent4 horsemanship and ten per cent4 pistol shooting skill will beat the finest pistol shot if he has only ten per cent4 horsemanship to his ninety per cent4 shooting skill4 ,by 8horsemanship0 ,i mean 8horsemanship10 not mere skill in sticking on a horse's back4 ,a man may have ridden all his life and be able to stick on the back of any horse and yet be no 8horseman40 ,merely keeping one's seat1 and 8horsemanship0 are two entirely different matters4 ,the 8rider0 7i4 e41 sticker-on7 turns his horse by pulling a rein4 ,if he wants to go faster he hits his horse or kicks his heels into it1 if he wants to stop he pulls with both hands4 ,if he wants to turn1 he pulls his horse's head round and the horse pivots on his fore legs and his hind legs follow in a wider circle4 ,the 8horseman0 uses the aids1 that is1 his left hand on the reins and the calves of his legs against his horse's sides4 ,by the pressure of the calf of his leg1 feeling the horse's mouth1 and the rein against the horse's neck1 he can make the horse obey his every wish1 because the horse understands1 without any tugging1 hitting1 or forcing4 8,horsemanship0 is having the horse under perfect control and obedient to an indication so slight that it is imperceptible to the onlooker4 ,the 8rider0 tries to compel the horse by main force to obey him1 and the horse1 even when it understands and obeys1 does it in his own way1 not his rider's way4 ,it is the difference between two perfect dancers moving as one1 and a man who has a vague idea of dancing trying to lug round a partner who knows nothing about dancing4 ,the 8horseman0 and his horse are one4 ,the 8rider0 and his horse are like a policeman taking off an unwilling prisoner who does not know what he is accused of4 ,in the one case the horse is watchful for every wish of his rider and instantly obeys1 in the other the horse is all the time misunderstanding what his rider wants and being punished for his ignorance4 ,unfortunately very few ,americans or ,englishmen know even the rudiments of the 8,high ,school40 ,that is why so few 8riders0 can play polo1 both man and pony must be of one mind and understand each other and that can only be learned in the 8,high ,school10 which is 8,horsemanship40 ,the reason foreign officers are so successful in the jumping competitions at the ,olympia ,horse ,show is that they are horsemen in the 8,high ,school0 and their jumping horses are trained to it also4 ,matador1 the celebrated ,belgian high jumper1 can do the ,spanish trot like a circus horse4 ,ladies riding astride generally know nothing of 8horsemanship10 but exaggerate the faults of men 8riders40 ,their stirrup leathers are so short that the heels are drawn back and the toes point downwards4 ,to go faster they hit the horse with their whips or strike their heels into it but immediately back go their legs into the 8heel up toe down0 position with their feet almost driven through the stirrups4 ,the legs stop in this position during the whole ride1 as if they were stuffed dummy legs4 ,they only know one use of the legs1 that is to grip the saddle so as to keep their seats in it4 ,the 8,high ,school0 rider uses his legs for giving the indications to his horse of what he wants it to do1 supplemented by the reins1 which1 by more or less pressure on the mouth and against the horse's neck1 indicate the horseman's wishes to the horse4 ,a 8horseman0 does not pull at one rein to turn the horse any more than an expert cyclist turns the handle bars when he wants to turn a corner4 ,the cyclist leans to the side he wants to turn to and comes round like a pair of compasses do when you lean them over and let the pencil swing round4 ,if a 8horseman0 wants to open a gate he does not kick his heels into the horse and thus force him up to the gate and then lean over the horse's neck to try and reach the gate1 which the horse is backing from4 ,the 8horseman0 holding his reins in his left hand1 squeezes the horse with the calves of his legs and this makes the horse go forward4 ,as he gets to the gate the 8horseman0 puts his left calf further back against the horse's left side1 at the same time putting his left hand slightly to the left so that the right rein presses against the horse's neck4 ,this turns the horse's neck and shoulders to the left whilst the pressure of the left calf against the horse's left side makes him put his right hind quarters to the right4 ,the horse now stands broadside up against the gate and the 8horseman0 can easily use his right hand on the gate lock1 without having to lean over4 ,when he has taken hold of the gate a slightly greater pressure of his right calf whilst tightening the reins makes the horse's back and quarter turn1 and the gate is opened4 ,he eases his horse's mouth1 squeezes with both calves1 and the horse walks through the open gate whilst the gate closes behind him4 ,suppose two equally good pistol shots1 one a good 8rider0 and the other a good 8horseman0 are in a mounted pistol competition4 ,they are told to walk their horses past the target and shoot at it one shot out of their automatic pistol as they pass4 ,both of the horses have not seen the target before and are rather shy of it4 ,the 8rider0 having to hold his pistol can use only one hand to his horse and being accustomed all his life to guide his horse by pulling at the reins cannot guide the horse properly with only his left hand4 ,as the horse comes up to the target he turns his head towards it and his quarters away from it and begins to sidle away1 walking all crooked1 the rider kicks his heels into him to try and get him up to the target and when he puts out his arm to aim the horse sidles away still more and whips round away from the target spoiling the shot4 ,after the 8rider0 has fired he needs both hands to turn the horse and bring it back1 and1 having the pistol as well as a rein in his right hand1 fires one or two more shots1 unintentionally4 ,the 8horseman0 squeezes his horse by pressure of the calves into his bridle1 his horse like the former horse seeing the target tries to turn his head towards it and to sidle away from it4 ,the 8horseman0 merely moves his left hand slightly to the left1 causing his right rein to press against his horse's neck and thereby turns the horse's fore part straight again2 at the same time he puts his left calf back along the horse's side and this puts his hind quarters straight into place4 ,if the horse tries to resist1 the left spur touches him and he gives in4 ,when the shot is fired the horse is wheeled round to the left by the pressure of the left hand and right calf whilst at the same time the right thumb slips on the safety of the automatic pistol4 ,if the reader is not a 8horseman0 and wants to learn pistol shooting from horseback1 he and his horse should go through the cavalry course first4 ,even when a horse is standing still1 he is breathing1 so it is difficult to make good shooting with deliberate aim off horseback4 ,all shooting has to be done with swing and snap shooting4 ,care must be taken not to shoot too close past a horse's ears2 it may be advisable to put on a hood with closed ear covers1 so that he does not get the full noise into his ears4 ,there is not much to teach as to the actual shooting1 it is almost entirely horsemanship1 finding out which angle suits you best to shoot from1 at what speed the horse moves smoothest1 etc4 ,an automatic pistol is safer than a revolver for use on horseback4 ,there is no putting to half-cock but only slipping the safety on or off4 ,if the horse begins to plunge1 slip on the safety at once1 in fact at any indication of trouble with the horse put on the safety4 ,do not slip off the safety till the instant before firing and slip it on the moment you have fired4 ,as you cannot shoot blank ammunition out of an automatic pistol you will have to use a single barrel pistol for teaching a horse to stand fire4 ,be very careful not to scorch him or shoot past his eyes as that will make him always apt to flinch4 ,an underbred horse is better than a blood horse as a rule for shooting off1 but when you do get a thoroughbred who will stand fire1 as he has more courage1 he will stand fire better than any other horse1 and his paces are easier1 especially the canter and gallop4 ,a handy polo pony makes a good shooting pony if it stands fire1 as it is used to starting1 stopping1 and turning4 ,,chapter ,,li ,,gallery ,,automatic ,,pistols ,rifles and pistols though greatly improved in some respects are now progressing too much in one direction4 ,the inventor's sole idea seems to be to get the most powerful cartridge possible4 ,they have now reduced the rifle to a small bore with an extremely heavy charge and therefore the rifle has to be made very heavy to be safe from bursting4 ,this may be very necessary for war but it is a great disadvantage for the many other purposes a rifle is used for4 ,the new rifle is unsuitable for dangerous game shooting4 ,people think that as such game is shot at very long ranges and that the further off the game is shot the better the sportsman4 ,i am constantly asked1 8,when deer stalking1 how far off do you shoot a stag80 ,they expect the answer to be1 8,a thousand yards or so40 ,when ,i say1 8as close as ,i can possibly get1 generally from about fifty to seventy yards1 ,i never shoot at deer beyond two hundred yards0 they form a very low opinion of my skill4 ,with bears and wild boar seventy yards is a long shot1 from ten to forty is the usual distance4 ,often these animals are in rapid motion4 ,i stand up to shoot1 there is no lying down on the face and aiming for ten minutes4 ,modern 8improved0 rifles are quite unsuited for this4 ,the long distance they carry is a great drawback and makes them very dangerous to use in a populous country and for the beaters4 ,their small calibre does not knock down an animal instantly like a big bullet does4 ,they have too much penetration and are apt to hit two or more animals with the same bullet4 ,a charging animal a few yards off may do a lot of damage after being hit by a small bore rifle4 ,there have not been fewer1 but more1 fatal accidents from wounded lions and buffalo in ,africa since these small bore1 high power1 rifles have come into use4 ,the heavy weight of a double high power rifle is of a prohibitive weight for snap-shooting4 ,the recoil also is so great that aim cannot be instantaneously taken for the second shot4 ,in the black powder days sportsmen's requirements were not subordinated to military requirements4 ,express rifles were used by deer stalkers in ,scotland and the typical ,u4 ,s4 rifle for grizzly bears was the 4#dd ,winchester repeater which shot a small charge of powder4 ,for big game shooting accuracy is not needed beyond two hundred yards but a big bullet giving a knock down blow and a rifle capable of firing several shots in succession with great rapidity4 ,rifle to be light and handy as a shotgun4 ,needing a smokeless rifle answering to the above requirements1 ,i first tried gallery ammunition in a 4#cjc rifle1 double rifle4 ,i found the weight of the rifle was too great and the calibre too small4 ,i then tried a 4#djj double rifle1 lightened very much and shooting a small charge of smokeless powder1 ,i got the weight down to that of a double #ab-;bore pigeon gun4 ,then ,i discovered there was danger of getting a full charge cartridge into the rifle by mistake and bursting it4 ,the difficulty was solved by having a special chamber and a straight cartridge of large calibre1 and small powder charge of cordite4 ,no high power cartridge can be got into the chamber of this rifle1 as they are all bottlenecked so there is no danger of shooting the wrong ammunition4 ,this double rifle is light and handy1 very accurate up to one hundred yards and all it hits it knocks down like ,thor's hammer4 ,unfortunately1 the automatic pistol also has been 8improved0 on modern rifle lines4 ,the utmost possible power has been put into the cartridge and the pistol has to be heavy and clumsy to stand this and it has a big recoil and a terribly loud report4 ,as it is1 at the first shot1 all within hearing scuttle underground like rabbits1 under the impression that an air raid is on4 ,a full charge automatic pistol is such a nuisance in a pistol gallery1 owing to its deafening noise1 that nobody cares to use one there1 and if he did1 he would very soon be asked by the other shooters to desist4 ,inventors vie with each other as to who can produce an automatic pistol having the most powerful cartridge1 just as rifle inventors do4 ,what is wanted is not a more powerful automatic pistol1 the present ones are far too powerful1 but a weak power1 large bore one with an extremely light charge corresponding to the duelling pistol1 that is to say1 one shooting a round bullet of 4#dd calibre with a very small charge of smokeless powder4 ,such a pistol would be an ideal weapon for shooting galleries and would popularize pistol practice1 then pistol shooting would be a pleasure instead of a penance1 when shooting has to be done indoors4 ,the automatic pistol inventors should experiment as follows3 ,the external lines should follow the ,gastinne-,renette duelling pistol as nearly as possible4 ,the calibre and cartridge the same as it is 7i4 e41 4#dd71 the bullet being of lead1 and spherical4 ,the magazine of a size to take only this cartridge1 as otherwise1 if a heavy charge cartridge were introduced by mistake and fired1 it would smash and perhaps burst the pistol4 ,an automatic pistol made for the light charge would have too weak a recoil spring to withstand a heavy charge4 ,the duelling pistol cartridge has the bullet seated far down it1 and there is a lot of spare useless length in the cartridge4 ,in the automatic pistol ,i am advising to be made 7the ,winans model71 the cartridge should be1 though of 4#dd calibre1 very short1 the round bullet crimped in the end of it1 like the 4#bb bulleted cap cartridges4 ,the cartridge being so short and the magazine made to fit1 the usual high power cartridges would be too long to go into it by mistake4 ,the sights should be those of the duelling pistol4 ,i think such an automatic pistol would be much superior to any existing automatic pistol except for military purposes4 ,as there would be no danger of putting in a higher power cartridge the pistol could be lightened and balance better1 all the weight possible being taken off the barrel and fore end1 the barrel fluted1 etc41 so that the balance would be even better than in a duelling pistol1 owing to its shorter barrel4 ,it may be found that the barrel could be lengthened1 so as to be longer between the sights1 without spoiling the balance4 ,as the gallery charge is so light1 the recoil would be all expended in operating the mechanism--there would be no recoil left against the hand4 ,most of the difficulties in designing automatic firearms are having to withstand the enormous pressure of modern cartridges4 ,if you go back to a light pressure in the cartridge1 all these difficulties vanish and all parts can be made light4 ,such a pistol ought easily to beat all existing rapid-fire revolver records1 as good scores as those under duelling conditions should be made1 in fact ,i think better scores1 as there is no necessity to raise the hand after the first shot4 ,with a ,winchester 4#bb automatic rifle ,i can put the ten shots in three seconds into a two-inch bull at twenty yards1 the only time spent is in getting the aim for the first shot1 the other shots can be put in as fast as the trigger can be pressed1 as there is no recoil1 and therefore no time spent in getting a fresh aim for each shot4 ,the 4#bb ,colt long barrel automatic pistol 7see ,plate #d7 fulfills most of these conditions1 but a 4#dd gallery charge automatic pistol would be better4 ,,chapter ,,lii ,,shooting ,,gallery ,pistol shooting in competitions or for practice is conducted either under cover1 in the open1 or partly under cover4 ,the latter is much the best way1 so ,i will keep this to the last4 ,an open-air range can only be installed in the country1 away from buildings or annoyance to others4 ,even then it is not immune4 ,just before the war several rifle ranges in ,england were ordered to be closed because they inconvenienced golf players1 and of course golf is much more important than shooting4 ,the present automatic pistol with its heavy charge makes such a noise that it can only be shot in an open-air range1 well away from houses4 ,the objection to such a range is that it takes so long to get to4 ,instead of being able to fire a few shots at odd moments1 as in ,paris1 a man who has a few minutes to spare must take a train into the country1 wasting time and money getting there and back1 and he can therefore only shoot if he has a whole afternoon free and 8money to burn40 ,it requires great keenness in pistol shooting to endure all the discomfort of waiting for trains1 standing in the wet1 etc41 for the sake of a few minutes' shooting4 ,the usual indoor range practice is even worse4 ,it is true it is 8only round the corner10 and takes only a few minutes to get to1 but when you do get there666 ,the range is in a part of a building too dark and uncomfortable to be used for any other purpose4 ,if a narrow underground dungeon is too bad for a wine or coal cellar1 a brilliant idea strikes the owner of the property3 8,why not turn it into a public shooting gallery1 and make it pay80 ,the gallery is run on the pay1 pay1 always pay1 and receive nothing1 principle4 ,the shooter pays for the pleasure of ruining his eyesight and ears1 pays for the target1 pays for the cartridges1 pays for the hire of a dirty1 greasy1 worn out old revolver4 ,however good a score he makes he receives no prize or encouragement4 ,no wonder1 after one such visit1 the public gives the place a wide berth4 ,the ,gastinne-,renette ,pistol ,gallery at #ci1 ,avenue d',antin1 ,paris1 is constructed and run as a pistol gallery should be4 ,the first essential is to have it in a building well-lighted by daylight and airy1 and where the neighbours will not object to the sound of firing4 ,the ideal range is1 as at ,gastinne-,renette's1 with the firing point covered and the range itself open to the air1 but this is only possible under exceptional circumstances1 and where gallery ammunition only is fired4 ,i am strongly of the opinion that unless gallery ammunition is used exclusively1 an indoor or semi-indoor range is inadmissible1 otherwise the shooting must1 of necessity1 be done in the country and in the open1 with all its attendant inconveniences4 ,if the range is in an entirely closed gallery it should have plenty of top light 7not artificial light71 like a sculptor's studio1 or be situated and lighted on the top floor of the house1 like a photographer's studio4 ,or it may be a long shed with windows down both sides4 ,a riding school or a gymnasium having plenty of daylight might do4 ,by the way1 although gymnastics do not need daylight 7artificial light is just as good for them71 one never hears of a gymnasium in a coal cellar4 ,it is only the shooter1 who is a crank anyhow and not worth serious consideration1 who has to put up with a coal cellar4 ,it is difficult to get an indoor range large enough for practice at moving objects4 ,so-called moving targets which run for a few feet are not moving targets at all4 ,to learn shooting at moving objects they should go fast and for a reasonable distance1 not less than ten yards1 and the further they run1 and the more varying the speed1 the better4 ,,chapter ,,liii ,,the ,,gastinne-,,renette ,,gallery ,this gallery has been in existence for some seventy years and is constantly improved and it is the best gallery ,i know of in any country4 ,in describing it ,i will be describing what an ideal shooting gallery should be like4 ,the entrance is through a well-lighted daylight passage past the gunmaker's shop of the proprietor4 ,a pistol can be bought or hired1 or alteration made to the sights or trigger-pull of one's own pistol1 on the spot4 ,one then comes to a long1 well-lighted gallery1 with cupboards containing the pistols of the members and very accurate1 well-kept pistols1 for lending to shooters who have not brought their own 7see ,plates #b and #aj47 ,several pistol clubs1 such as the 8,le ,pistolet0 and the 8,st4 ,george10 shoot here on certain days1 at which times the range is closed to the outside public4 ,the gallery is heated by hot water pipes in winter4 ,the secretary sits at a desk and sells the entry tickets1 gives the prizes 7gold1 silver1 and bronze medals and plaques71 and also keeps an accurate record of all winning scores made4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ae4 ,,gastinne-,,renette ,,gallery ,the walls are hung with the framed targets which have won the ,grand ,medaille d',or and other prizes4 ,two marble slabs1 engraved with the names of the winners of the championship of each year1 are by the mantelpiece where hangs the stuffed head of a ,sika stag ,i shot with a duelling pistol4 ,one of the long sides of the gallery faces a blank wall in the open air about thirty yards distant4 ,along that side there are cubicles with glass doors facing this wall1 and glass sliding doors opening into the gallery4 ,each cubicle has a loading table with drawers for cartridges1 etc4 ,these cubicles have transverse walls in pairs leading to this wall1 so as to enable pairs of shooters1 if they so desire1 to shoot1 without being disturbed by the rest of the shooters4 ,the shooter goes with an attendant into one of the cubicles2 the door leading to the gallery is shut and the door on to the range is opened4 ,the shooter can be seen from the gallery but he is not disturbed by people talking or coming near him4 ,the assistant loads the pistols1 works the metronome1 keeps the score1 etc4 ,if the score is good enough to win a prize the assistant calls the secretary to see the target and verify the score and record it in his book before the shots are painted out4 ,paper targets shot at are brought to the secretary for verification and signed and kept by him4 ,over the top of these open-air passages down which the shooting takes place1 wires are stretched to break the sound1 so as not to annoy the neighbours4 ,there are also sloping boards at intervals above1 so that a shot let off by accident cannot do any harm--the boards catch all wide bullets4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #af4 ,,gastinne-,,renette ,,gallery--,,firing ,,points ,the prizes are given on a gradually increasing scale of difficulty1 so that nobody need be discouraged4 ,the bronze medal for shooting at plaster figures at sixteen metres is easy enough for the most moderate pistol shot to win1 he is thus encouraged to try for the silver medal at these figures1 which is a little more difficult1 and so on4 ,no medal in any of the series can be won more than once4 ,if a man wins the gold medal at that series at the first attempt he can still go in for the silver and bronze medals of that series1 but1 when he has won all three medals of a series1 he can never compete in that series again1 but of course can shoot for practice at them4 ,some series call for extreme accuracy and some for endurance1 as that for breaking a hundred small plates in succession--rapid-firing--under duelling conditions4 ,in ,chapter ,,xxxiii1 ,i described the target used at ,gastinne-,renette's ,gallery for the three series for the ,grand ,medaille d',or4 ,there are no second prizes in these series4 ,one gold medal is for twelve shots deliberate shooting with the 4#dd calibre duelling pistol4 ,a similar one for the 4#dd calibre revolver1 and also a similar one for the duelling pistol1 shot under duelling conditions4 ,all are shot at sixteen metres range 7seventeen yards one foot74 ,to win either of the first two gold medals all the twelve shots must be inside the first ring round the bull's-eye1 that is inside 7not cutting a ring of five bullets' diameter 7#b inches74 ,to win the third gold medal all the twelve shots must be inside1 not cutting1 the second ring round the bull's-eye1 that is to say inside seven bullets' diameter 7#c4jh inches74 ,this latter appears the most easy competition1 but on the contrary whilst some forty or more have won the first two medals1 only five have won the latter1 during the seventy years4 ,chevalier ,ira ,paine is the only man who won both the first named gold medals4 ,i do not think he tried for the third4 ,in fact ,i have not seen or heard of any score of his shot under duelling conditions4 ,i am the only one during the seventy years the competitions have been in existence who has won both the gold medals for rifle shooting at moving objects at this gallery1 the ,running ,rabbit and the ,running ,man1 about five have won either one or the other of these medals4 ,,chapter ,,liv ,,open ,,air ,,ranges ,a row of white squares1 each with a black bull's-eye on it1 and men aiming1 aiming1 and finally letting off their pistols at them1 is such a mistaken idea of learning pistol shooting4 ,it is all so futile1 so useless1 except as a sport and a means of getting fresh air and relaxation4 ,to occasionally put a series of shots very close together on a stationary target is interesting1 and shows what a good pistol and men are capable of when working in harmony4 ,but to consider this the sole object of pistol shooting is the greatest mistake4 ,rapid fire1 the faster the better1 is the essence of pistol shooting1 the only practical use of it4 ,deliberate shooting is a game1 a sport1 and a very good sport1 but it is neither practical pistol shooting or the way to learn it4 ,an outdoor range gives the best practice1 as figures can be put up at various distances and shot at in rapid fire1 moving and disappearing targets can run in all directions1 and come up unexpectedly like at a shotgun shooting school4 ,a shelter to shoot from under in wet or windy weather has the disadvantage of the noise from the shooting when full charges are shot1 as is invariably the case in ,england4 ,a corrugated roof gives a terrible echo4 ,it is better to stand in the rain and wind rather than be deafened4 ,six hits in four seconds is the best ,i know of with a revolver when shooting at life size figures taken one after the other at distances varying from about fifteen to thirty yards4 ,this can be beaten with an automatic pistol4 ,with an automatic pistol it is a matter of finding the right speed to swing across the figures4 ,a good open air pistol range can be made behind a rifle butt4 ,behind the big butt for a thousand yards' rifle shooting makes a very big butt for twenty-five yards' automatic pistol shooting and allows for swinging and moving targets on an ample scale4 ,in an open air range great care must be taken to be very strict as to rules of safety4 ,there becomes a tendency to walk down to the butt to examine a target without first giving warning2 to walk about with some cartridges still in the pistol1 etc4 ,things which would not be done in an indoor range seem to come natural to some men when in an out-of-doors range4 ,targets that can smash are the best4 ,plaster heads are much better to shoot at in rapid firing than to try and hit the six heads of wooden targets4 ,in the former case you see the dbris of the smash as you pull the trigger and do not pause in your swing to the next target4 ,if there is no smash to the shot but only a bullet hole1 one is apt to hesitate after each shot to look for the bullet hole4 ,it looks so much better and gives such a satisfactory feeling to instantly see the result of your shot4 ,a row of plates or bottles placed at various distances and smashed one after the other very rapidly is much more of an encouragement than1 after having fired without visible result1 to be told ten minutes later that you have made all hits4 ,there are small rubber balloons manufactured in ,france which can be filled with water4 ,the balloons when empty pack in very little space4 ,a small pump is sold with them1 it can be regulated to deliver a pre-arranged quantity of water into each balloon1 and then a twist at the neck of the balloon closes it4 ,if the water is coloured with ,condy's ,fluid a hit looks very conspicuous and pretty when the balloon bursts on being struck4 ,have them thrown up to shoot at4 ,great care must be taken that the bullets go where they can do no harm4 ,a full charge automatic pistol should not be used for this--a duelling pistol1 having a smooth bore barrel1 and shooting ,no4 #h shot is good practice and can be shot where shooting a bullet would be dangerous4 ,i have killed #dd out of #hj live pigeons in this way4 ,it is dangerous to shoot bullets at hard substances4 ,to shoot at a stone thrown up1 a ginger beer1 or a soda water bottle1 may cause very dangerous ricochets4 ,,chapter ,,lv ,,shooting ,,in ,,literature ,most extraordinary ideas prevail amongst writers as to shooting in general and especially pistol shooting4 ,one novelist makes his hero see 8a flame zigzagging in the darkness10 he1 not troubling to ascertain who was carrying the light1 friend or foe1 without hesitation 8drew his pistol1 took an aim of a good thirty seconds' duration and fired straight at the flame40 ,to aim 8straight at0 a moving object is the way to miss it1 and if the aim is taken for thirty seconds the hand gets so shaky that a miss is certain1 but most marvellous thing in literature1 the hero does miss4 ,solomon said1 8,there is nothing new under the sun40 ,he was wrong4 ,the author who makes his hero miss is absolutely unique2 in all other literature the hero never misses1 none of ,homer's heroes miss1 nor does ,david miss ,goliath nor ,william ,tell miss the apple nor ,robin ,hood the deer4 ,this unique hero takes an even longer aim1 later4 ,he hears a horse galloping towards him and aims for ten minutes at a point two inches above where he expected the horse's head to appear round a rock4 ,i suppose he aimed two inches high so as to allow for the fatigue to his arm during the ten minutes' aim1 causing it to slightly sag down4 ,i expect the next novel ,i read1 the hero1 knowing his enemy will arrive in a month's time1 will keep an aim well above the railway station till he arrives4 ,evidently the idea is the longer the aim the more accurate it is1 forgetting that human muscles and eyesight tire1 and that fast moving objects cannot be hit with a stationary aim4 ,i have known a stag turn and go the opposite direction whilst a man was aiming at a tree he expected it to pass4 ,it is amusing how1 in a play1 the hero after he has made the villain desist by pointing a revolver at him1 contemptuously throws the revolver on the sofa and walks away4 ,it never occurs to the author of the play1 or the actor1 that the villain would instantly seize hold of the pistol and turn the tables on the hero4 ,after the hero has covered the villain with the pistol and has been applauded the 8situation is over0 so he throws away the revolver or puts it back in his pocket and there the incident ends4 ,in one play the hero gives a loaded 4#dd revolver as a keepsake to a small child4 ,this sort of thing is merely ridiculous and does no harm4 ,but harm is done if an actor through ignorance shoots another actor4 ,i have twice seen such an accident on the stage4 ,once a man blinded another in both eyes1 and in the second case in one eye1 by firing blank ammunition right into the other's face at a few feet distance4 ,men have been killed1 one only a short time ago1 by having the wad of blank ammunition shot into them4 ,in one case the gun had several wads crimped hard into the shell so as to make a good loud bang when fired4 ,one man in this play was supposed to come across his enemy1 and as the latter fled1 to shoot him4 ,the actor1 who ,i believe said he had never shot a gun before1 put the muzzle against the other man's back when he fired and killed him4 ,he had been told that it was blank ammunition and he thought it could do no harm4 ,this is the cause of all such accidents4 ,being blank ammunition it is considered to be harmless4 ,old ladies are laughed at when they scream and hold their ears when a man begins to 8brandish0 a revolver on the stage or poke about with a gun1 with his finger on the trigger4 ,but the old ladies are quite right to be alarmed4 ,there is no knowing what may happen when a man ignorant of firearms1 has one in his hands1 even if it only has blank ammunition4 ,a very favourite attitude with actors is to bang the butt of their rifle on the ground and then put both hands over the muzzle1 but in this case if the rifle 8explodes10 it is only their own hands that they injure4 ,for the safety of others this is the best thing they can do1 before someone else gets hurt4 ,before being allowed to fire blank ammunition on the stage1 a man should be properly instructed in the safe handling of firearms4 ,shooting blank ammunition on the stage is always a risky job4 ,people are so huddled up1 that it is difficult to appear to shoot at a man without shooting close enough to him to injure him4 ,if the gun is fired over the man's head1 it may set the flies on fire1 burn the eyes of someone in a grand tier box1 or the limelight man4 ,it is a case of 8save me from my friends0 when a writer who is ignorant of shooting matters tries to extol someone's marksmanship4 ,we read 8the anti-aircraft guns at once began to bellow forth defiance4 ,the shooting was wonderful and it was only the hardest luck that they did not wing an enemy40 ,as the number of shots is not mentioned and the element of luck introduced1 it is not possible to analyse this shooting1 but another writer is clearer4 ,he says 8he got within fifty yards1 well within point blank range1 and fired #aag shots and the enemy was then observed to be leaning forward1 so it was apparent that he had been winged40 ,now here we have all the facts necessary to work out a simple rule of three problem4 ,as #aag shots are to one shot1 so is fifty yards to ,x 7the distance the adversary must be off to enable him to be winged1 with a single shot74 ,this makes ,x equal #ae4cha inches4 ,as to kill is about three times as difficult as to wing1 divide by three1 this gives #e4abg inches as the longest range at which it is possible to kill a man with a single shot1 8which is absurd40 ,q4,e4,d4 ,another novel writer made use of one of my books very effectively to describe the duel1 with all details correct1 except that he made the distance between the duellists five yards1 and they missed each other twice at this distance6 ,allowing for each duellist three feet from where he stands to the end of the muzzle of his pistol they would have only three yards between the muzzles of their pistols4 ,the writer must have either been unacquainted with ,french metric measures 7,i gave twenty-five meters as the duelling distance7 or else he confused it with a sword duel4 ,,chapter ,,lvi ,,grip ,there is a great variety of opinions as to the shape and size a pistol stock should have so as to give the best grip4 ,as ,i have already mentioned1 the grip which suits me best is that on the ,french duelling pistol4 ,but what suits one man may not necessarily suit another4 ,a smooth1 mother-of-pearl stock is very slippery to me1 but some think this gives the ideal grip4 ,some men have fat flabby perspiring hands1 others have cold damp hands1 both of these seem to be able to hold a mother-of-pearl grip comfortably1 but they do not suit a man who has dry warm hands4 ,in the revolver days ,i knew several men who could not grip the ,smith ,wesson ,russian model revolver comfortably4 ,they said the stock was too small for them4 ,even the ,colt stock1 according to them1 was too small4 ,they1 in consequence1 induced the makers to supply ,colt revolvers to suit 8,the ,english market0 with enormously big stocks4 ,now these very men who found the normal stocks too small did not have abnormally large hands4 ,it was that they held their pistols with much too rigid a grip4 ,some men have special stocks made so that they 8can get a firm grip40 ,some of them even go to the length of putting ,india rubber tennis racket grips over the pistol stocks4 ,i have tried shooting one of their pistols so ornamented 787 and found it was like trying to shoot with a big potato held in my fist4 ,others1 in order to obtain this 8firm grip10 smear the stock of their pistol over with wet modelling clay1 take a grip of it and then have a plaster cast made of their finger prints in this clay and get a stock cast from this4 ,when they hold this monstrosity with their fingers embedded in it1 they claim to have a perfect hold4 ,the idea they are working for is an entirely wrong one4 ,the pistol should be held as a fencing foil1 lying in the palm of the hand4 ,because the left hand gets burnt when many shots are fired in rapid succession from a rifle or gun1 a hand guard was invented which slips over to the fore end of the gun and protects the left hand from contact with the hot barrels4 ,it was also claimed that1 having to hold this guard made the shooter always hold his hand in the same place1 and that this was a great advantage4 ,the rigid grip on a fixed spot is1 as a matter of fact1 a disadvantage4 ,it caused me to give up this hand guard and substitute an asbestos glove for the left hand4 ,in game shooting with a rifle1 or gun1 one shifts the left hand constantly1 according to the angle of the rifle or gun to your shoulder4 ,for a high shot the left hand is thrust forward1 for a low shot the hand drawn back4 ,to sit down and shoot off the knees1 the left hand is much further back on the rifle than if you stand up to shoot off hand4 ,if you find yourself shooting under1 you shift the left hand forward for the next shot so as to shoot higher4 ,you cannot do all these niceties 7which make all the difference between first class shooting1 and merely good shooting7 if your left hand is tied to one place4 ,the same applies to pistol shooting4 ,the pistol should not be held in a 8firm grip0 as these inventors of potato-shaped stocks imagine4 ,a fencer does not keep a 8firm grip10 nor does a shotgun man4 ,all have their weapons lying in the palms of the hands loosely and easily1 the grip of the foil is only tightened momentarily for parrying or thrusting and the game shot handles a rifle or shotgun as lightly as a woman nursing a baby4 ,a pistol stock which has all the fingers embedded in it stops all wrist play4 ,it may answer for a long aim at a stationery target but for any rapid shooting it is impossible4 ,how can a man draw and shoot in one movement if he has to fit his fingers first into each hollow excavated in the stock8 ,he might as well try to pull on a glove each time before he draws his pistol4 ,if he gets the hold the least wrong he will miss and probably also get his hand cut4 ,how can a man cock or slip on the safety bolt if he first has to take his thumb out of the 8dug out0 in which it has taken refuge8 ,he will most likely fumble the whole thing and drop the pistol4 ,very many pistol inventions are the result of a man who1 shooting for the first time1 discovers difficulties merely due to his own clumsiness and inexperience1 and instead of consulting a pistol shot1 invents something to overcome these imaginary difficulties4 ,i have actually seen such an inventor shooting in a competition with an iron rod up his sleeve attached to his pistol 8to keep his arm steady40 ,an inventor came to me with something he said would stop all runaway horses1 and was very angry with me because ,i would not try it on one of mine1 although ,i told him mine were properly broken horses1 not runaways4 ,the invention consisted of two ,india rubber bags which1 un-inflated1 were to be put inside the nostrils of the horse4 ,if there was any difficulty in stopping the horse1 a pair of bellows was worked1 attached to a rubber tube connecting these bags to the driver4 ,this inflated the bags1 and the horse1 according to the inventor1 8at once comes to a standstill40 ,i told the inventor that a horse thus choked would throw himself about1 and cause a fearful smash before he died4 ,he probably thought1 8what lack of imagination0 horsemen have4 ,a wooden or vulcanite stock with a small clean-cut file pattern so as to give a non-slip hold is good4 ,a too small grip has the fault of driving the nails into the ball of the thumb2 it should be just thick enough to avoid this1 any thicker would be clumsy4 ,an ivory stock is heavy1 but this may be an advantage if there is weight needed in the stock to counterbalance the barrel1 otherwise ivory gives a good grip1 if roughed4 ,the depth of the roughing depends on the tenderness of the hand of the shooter4 ,a roughing which would make one man's hand sore is hardly enough of a non-slip hold for a man whose skin is harder4 ,sometimes screw heads and pins are not quite flush with the stock and may chafe the hand4 ,they and any roughness left on screw heads by the unskilful use of the screw driver should be filed down smooth4 ,a sore hand which gets hurt at each shot is very detrimental to good shooting and the shooter is constantly trying to get a fresh grip in order to save his hand4 ,automatic pistols have almost universally a projection over the hand between the thumb and the trigger finger for the slide to work on4 ,this turns the stock into a 8saw handle0 which used to be common on ,english duelling pistols4 ,i have tried such a stock with very good results on a revolver1 but it is in the way of one-handed cocking4 ,an objection to a 8saw handle0 is that it compels the grip to be always taken in the same place1 and as ,i said before1 the grip should be movable higher or lower1 according as you find you are shooting too low or too high4 ,a little rosin ground fine and rubbed on the stock and hand gives a good non-slip grip if the stock is greasy or slippery4 ,do not shoot with gloves on4 ,it destroys the sensitiveness of the hand1 especially the trigger finger4 ,i am always afraid of being shot by accident when a man shooting next me wears gloves1 especially the slippery so-called 8chamois skin0 ones4 ,,chapter ,,lvii ,,trick ,,shooting 8,champion ,shot0 shooting on the stage must not be taken too seriously4 ,no one can keep on shooting at small objects on a man's head or held between his fingers without an occasional bad shot1 and if it misses by only half an inch1 such a miss may cause the death of the assistant4 ,unavoidable sources of accident are1 a weak cartridge giving a low shot2 a hang fire1 or1 as in one fatal accident1 the rifle blows open1 lowering the muzzle and the bullet entering the assistant's forehead4 ,aiming to graze the top of the ball minimizes this risk but does not eliminate it4 ,a miss too high does not matter1 but a miss too low means death to the assistant4 ,managers of theatres are now very chary1 since this accident1 of employing 8,artistes0 who do real shooting4 ,it is too dangerous and the police will not allow it4 ,all sorts of ways to minimize risk are employed4 ,when objects are held to be shot at1 steel thimbles over forefinger and thumb are concealed under a glove4 ,a steel skullcap fitting down to the eyebrows with a rod some four inches long projecting from the top is employed to hold the ball1 the steel skullcap concealed under a wig with low fringe of hair to cover the forehead4 ,this is worn by a woman assistant1 her high piled up head serving to hide the rod4 ,there are several other reasons for employing a woman assistant instead of a man4 ,it looks so much more effective to shoot things off a woman's head or fingers2 and she can wear long gloves in evening dress without exciting suspicion that she has steel gauntlets concealed under them4 ,when well arranged1 the ball1 two inches in diameter1 and the aim taken to graze the top of the ball1 a miss must be fully eight inches too low to do any damage to the assistant when she wears a steel skullcap down to her eyebrows under her wig of piled up hair4 ,some do not even risk that1 but1 by an arrangement of a steel plate connected with a lever below it1 and the whole hidden behind the 8back cloth10 the shot is fired at the plate a foot higher than the assistant's head2 this plate forces the bottom of the lever1 armed with a spike1 forward4 ,the spike breaks the ball and immediately returns out of sight through the 8back cloth40 ,some natural object is painted on the scene over this hidden target for the shooter to aim at4 ,i give below a few exhibition shoots1 ranging from real shooting1 through 8assisted0 shooting down to 8trick0 shooting1 and simple conjuring tricks4 ,the reader1 if asked to shoot for a charity bazaar or to amuse people at a village fte1 can choose from this list1 according to the rigidity or elasticity of his conscience 8in the cause of charity40 ,and charity covers a multitude of sins4 ,it is curious how one never can tell what will be a success with the public4 ,a really difficult feat fails to impress the audience and a simple easy shot 8brings down the house40 ,what must be constantly borne in mind is that you must never make a bad shot1 that spoils the whole thing4 ,you can cover up your mistakes sometimes4 ,if you hit the ace of hearts1 have it handed round to the audience and go on to the next item4 ,if a shot is encored do not repeat1 go on with your programme4 ,to do something well and then1 trying to repeat it1 to make a miss1 is a fatal mistake4 ,if your first shot at the ace of hearts just misses the heart by a shade1 this does not matter4 ,keep on shooting and make a good group 8all cutting into one hole0 and hand it round to the audience1 thus covering up the traces of the bad first shot4 ,stop shooting as soon as the hole cuts well into the pip4 ,if you try one shot too many and get it clear of the 8all shots into one hole0 then you have made a fearful blunder--a three shot group is ample4 ,never attempt anything which you are not able to do easily4 ,to make a lot of easy shots without a mistake is far preferable than to try difficult shots with one or two failures4 ,if you can trust your nerve it is as well to keep the most difficult shot to the last1 so as not to have an anticlimax4 ,as a climax 7if your conscience will permit you71 give one or two 8assisted0 shots1 so as to end brilliantly4 ,always practise on the actual stage and with the same lighting as you will have to shoot under1 when giving the exhibition4 ,if you do not do this you may find the light different1 or so bad that you will not be able to do yourself justice4 ,a stage open to the sky1 is1 on a calm day1 best of all1 but there is the risk of a wind springing up4 ,always shoot on a stage elevated above the spectators so that all can see1 and have the sun at your back4 ,on an open air stage you can finish as follows3 ,have an old-fashioned 4#dd ,winchester1 black powder1 repeating rifle4 ,these can still be picked up at second-hand gunmakers' shops4 ,get cartridges for it loaded with ,no4 #aj shot4 ,have a lot of the rubber balls filled with water4 ,it looks most effective if the water is of various colours for alternate balls4 ,get an assistant to throw them straight up as high as he possibly can1 and break them in succession4 ,with practice you can break them as fast as he can possibly throw them4 ,the higher and straighter up he throws them the easier they are to break and yet the more effective they look4 ,the stop butt should be an iron box with a back sloping downwards1 away from you1 at an angle of forty-five degrees1 deflecting the bullets into a tray full of sand4 ,some 8numbers0 for the programme 7range fifteen feet7 ,i give below4 ,put a playing-card up edgewise horizontally and cut it in half4 ,be sure the background is such that you can see the white edge of the card against it4 ,if you get your elevation just right1 the card will be cut4 ,use a 4#dd calibre bullet in all shooting1 as that gives you more leeway in case you are a little wrong in your elevation4 ,this is the most difficult shot of all and should not be repeated4 ,the same shot with the card vertical4 ,this is slightly easier1 as one is less apt to miss horizontally than vertically4 ,the 8assistance0 in this shot is to have the card as much out of dead edge on to you1 as the audience will stand without detecting it4 ,unless a spectator is absolutely behind the shooter and looking over his right shoulder he cannot see if the card is not absolutely dead edge on4 ,the duffer's way of doing this shot is to fire dust shot instead of a bullet4 ,hitting the ace of hearts ,i have already described4 ,to hit several pips on one card is very difficult4 ,it takes really good shooting even at the five yards' range to hit the six pips in succession on the six hearts4 ,also this cannot be 8assisted0 in any way unless you fluke one pip when shooting at another with the 4#bb ,colt target automatic pistol 7or see ,plate #d74 ,when the 8gallery ammunition0 automatic pistol is invented air filled rubber balls can be put in a row and broken in quick succession4 ,in 8assisted0 shooting they are made of dark rubber with a minute white bull's-eye painted on each1 and the balls stand in recesses in a screen of the same colour as themselves1 so that all but the white spot is invisible4 ,to the uninitiated it looks as if it is the minute white bull's-eyes which are hit4 ,if the air balls are large1 the shooting is very easy4 ,if shot is used instead of bullets any one can do this trick but the balls must be far enough apart to avoid breaking two or more balls at one shot4 ,to snuff a candle if the wick is aimed at requires quick shooting as more than a momentary aim at the wick dazzles the eyes4 ,it is better to put the candle in a candlestick and cut the candle to a predetermined length1 and have the pistol sighted to shoot that much too high4 ,the aim is then taken at the bottom of the candle in order that the bullet hits the wick1 and therefore there is no glare in the eyes from the flame4 ,the 8assisted0 way of doing this shot is to have a pair of bellows with nozzle curved at right angles1 the side of the bellows towards you made of steel1 the nozzle pointed at the candle wick1 behind the candle1 of course concealed so that when the background is struck the bellows blow the candle out4 ,i give a number of other shots and other information on exhibition shooting in my ,art of ,revolver ,shooting to which ,i refer the reader if interested in such shooting4 ,a most sensational looking shot is a purely 8assisted0 one4 ,it is to break two air balls simultaneously with a pistol in each hand4 ,the balls are placed some two inches apart4 ,one pistol is loaded with dust shot1 the other with blank ammunition1 or even1 if the shot charge makes a lot of noise and smoke1 the second pistol need not be loaded at all4 ,holding the pistol loaded with shot in the right hand1 the other in the left hand1 aiming between the balls with the one loaded with shot and holding the other alongside it1 pull both triggers together1 breaking both balls with the pistol loaded with shot4 ,tunes are played on a target so arranged that hitting plates either makes the plates ring1 or else the plates drive back and strike bells4 ,these plates are large so as to be easily hit1 but the exhibition is 8assisted0 by small bull's-eyes on each plate and the audience think these latter are alone hit4 ,the tunes are usually played with several 8pump0 repeating 4#bb rifles1 the rifles being changed at each pause in a bar in the tune that the band plays4 ,winchester 4#bb ,automatic rifles are better1 though ,i have never seen a professional use them4 ,the automatic needs only trigger pressure and turns and quick runs can be played with it4 ,when the gallery charge1 automatic pistol arrives1 it will be possible to use it in the same way for playing tunes4 ,the clips can be dropped out and a fresh one inserted when the tune gives a pause of a bar1 care being taken not to fire the last shot1 but let it carry on the first cartridge of the new clip1 as ,i have explained earlier4 ,the plates should be so arranged as to show the 8black notes0 like a piano does1 otherwise it is difficult to play tunes having sharps1 flats or accidentals1 if all the notes look alike4 ,i saw a 8bandmaster0 787 at a village horse-show overcome this difficulty of his drum and fife band by allowing the 8band0 to ignore the black notes and to substitute naturals for all sharps and flats2 the effect was very fine and greatly applauded6 ,,chapter ,,lviii ,,the ,,devilliers ,,bullet ,dr4 ,devilliers has patented a spherical bullet1 made of a secret composition1 which is shot out of pistols with only the fulminate of the cap to propel it4 ,it cannot be used in an automatic pistol loaded through the magazine as there is no recoil to operate the mechanism1 but it can be shot from a magazine pistol if used as a single loader4 ,it is primarily intended for a duelling pistol and can be used in revolvers4 ,the idea is to have a bullet which can be used in competitions under real duelling conditions against live opponents instead of at targets4 ,the pistol barrel has to be kept cold4 ,when it gets hot after a few shots1 the bullet will partly melt and get soft and then it does not take the rifling4 ,the usual way is to have a sort of champagne cooler full of ice and to ice the loaded pistols for a few minutes before shooting them4 ,the bullet strikes with considerable force1 enough if not protected against to put out an eye or injure the throat if struck4 ,i have had several painful grazes on the arm from these bullets going up my sleeve and ,i also shot out a piece of skin between the forefinger and thumb of the pistol hand of my opponent the first time ,i fired one of them4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ag4 ,,shield ,,on ,,duelling ,,pistol ,,with ,,guard ,,for ,,devilliers ,,bullet ,he fired a shade sooner than ,i and was lowering his pistol when my bullet struck his hand1 the skin being stretched tight on the stock of his pistol1 the bullet cut a semicircular notch out of his hand4 ,since then a thin steel shield is fixed on the pistol just in front of the trigger guard so that the hand is entirely protected when aiming 7see ,plate #ag74 ,i patented similar shield on a soldier's rifle to protect his usually exposed left hand1 and also to partially protect his head1 when shooting4 ,do not shoot at any one at a shorter range than twenty metres 7twenty-one yards two feet72 the blow from the bullet at twenty metres is not too severe if the shooter is properly protected4 ,it is useless for practice to shoot at a longer range than twenty metres as the bullet rapidly loses its accuracy beyond that distance4 ,wear goggles fitted in a fencing mask1 the goggles of thick strong pebble glass or of triplex safety glass 7which is lighter74 ,the fencing mask fitted with heavy goggles is very cumbersome4 ,i think an aviator's cap and triplex glass goggles is ample protection except that the throat must also be well protected by a thick leather stock as strong as a saddle flap4 ,a blow on the throat may do serious damage4 ,i had a bullet come through a too thin leather stock and hit my throat4 ,i do not think the body need be protected except by a piece of leather low over the abdomen and this can be worn under the trousers4 ,it is as well to wear old clothes or a thin black blouse as the bullets leave greasy marks4 ,the object of having the blouse black is that the bullet marks should be more easily seen by the umpire1 and scored4 ,wear as tight fitting things as you can as long as your right arm is free1 it gives your opponent a smaller target to score on4 ,if he hits some flapping part of your blouse it scores him a hit even if it did not touch your body4 ,in shooting in a competition it may be as well to stand sideways so as to give the opponent as small a target as possible1 but in a real duel standing sideways increases the risk of being killed if struck4 ,always have a doctor present1 as a wound from this bullet may be septic if not properly dressed at once4 ,in a real duel a bullet1 if the chest is hit when facing the adversary1 only goes through one lung1 whereas if the man struck is standing sideways the bullet will pierce both his lungs and so make recovery from the wound much more doubtful4 ,in winter be very careful that the bullets do not freeze1 if frozen they penetrate deeply4 ,the bullets are loaded into the special cartridges as follows3 ,the cartridge must not contain any powder4 ,the bullet must not be squeezed into the cartridge1 this would distort it as it is soft4 ,the bullet must be very lightly inserted in the cartridge4 ,open the pistol1 keeping the muzzle elevated1 insert the cartridge in the breech1 lower the muzzle1 put on the cap and close the pistol4 ,the inventor recommends that only the special cartridges of his invention be used1 these have no cap but only a nipple1 and you do not put the cap on till the cartridge is in the breech of the pistol4 ,competitions take place with this bullet as in an actual duel1 the shooting is in pairs until only one competitor remains1 the one of each pair who hits his opponent first is the winner of that pair4 ,the bullets hit too hard for it to be an amusement suitable for ladies4 ,great care must be taken to be sure to shoot ,devilliers bullets and not lead bullets1 by mistake4 ,they are useful for galloping practice on horseback1 shooting at an air balloon fixed to posts1 where lead bullets would be dangerous to use4 ,the cartridges can be reloaded and used many times4 ,when the cartridge has been fired there may be difficulty in removing the exploded cap4 ,a wire pushed into the cap through the mouth of the cartridge dislodges the cap1 but care must be taken that the cap is an exploded one4 ,these bullets are very apt to ricochet from walls so spectators must take care4 ,a canvas sheet hung loosely behind each shooter is the best stop-butt1 as it gives to the blow of the bullet and stops ricochets4 ,a bullet once fired is too distorted to use again4 ,,chapter ,,lix ,,killing ,,injured ,,animals ,unless in the hands of a very skilful shot the pistol is most unsuitable for killing injured animals with4 ,they will probably be hit many times before a vital spot is struck and so be horribly tortured4 ,this remark applies especially to small animals like cats and dogs4 ,the best weapon for this purpose is a #ab-;bore shotgun loaded with ,no4 #e shot but even as small as ,no4 #g shot is very deadly if fired at a range of not more than four or five feet off4 ,with the shotgun a shot directed behind the ear into the top of the neck kills instantly4 ,the forehead shot is not suitable for a shotgun on large animals as the strength of skull prevents the shot penetrating1 and the animal is only stunned4 ,with a pistol the spot to hit is between the eyes where the hair curls in the middle of the forehead in horses4 ,it is better to hit too high than too low in the forehead shot as a low shot misses the brain4 ,load both barrels of the shotgun and be ready to fire the second barrel instantly if the horse does not collapse at once at the first shot4 ,the head shot at a few yards off is the place to shoot a cat or dog with the shotgun but do not attempt to shoot them with a pistol unless you are a good shot1 able to shoot into the ace of hearts at five yards' distance1 aim at the top of the head1 or you may break the jaw instead of killing the animal4 ,people have sometimes been wrongly prosecuted and convicted for torturing a dog when they were trying to kill it instantly and painlessly1 but lacked the skill and nerve4 ,when an animal is in pain1 especially if it is crying out and struggling1 a man is very apt to lose his nerve and be unable to kill it properly1 but will strike wildly4 ,in killing an animal1 in order to do it as painlessly as possible1 it is necessary to treat the matter quite calmly and in what looks to be a cold-blooded manner1 and to know the vital spots4 ,decide the exact spot to shoot at1 heart or brain1 and hit it in that exact spot and be ready to repeat the shot1 if the animal is not instantly dead4 ,with a horse ,i find it is best to put some hay or grass down in front of it1 and when it puts its head down1 with its forehead vertical1 it gives a good chance to shoot4 ,there is no use trying to pull the horse's head into position and get struggling with it4 ,to shoot a horse1 do not use a pistol of smaller calibre than 4#dd with full charge4 ,if properly done the horse feels no pain4 ,if several horses have to be shot1 do not let them see each other shot1 or see the dead bodies or smell them4 ,a shotgun cannot be used in a crowd1 nor for that matter can a pistol4 ,as soon as a horse is injured everyone runs up to enjoy the sight and they crowd round1 so great care must be taken not to shoot until the people are cleared away from the line of fire4 ,if possible get the horse into a yard with a high wall round it before shooting and be sure boys are not perched on the wall4 ,i saw a man kill a small dog instantly as soon as it was run over by a motor car by picking it up and dislocating its neck by stretching1 like wounded hares and rabbits are killed4 ,but this requires great skill1 knack1 and nerve4 ,otherwise not only would the dog be further tortured but he would bite4 ,nobody can understand his fellow creatures or be judged by them4 ,each human being from birth to death is absolutely alone1 everyone is misunderstood as to his motives and thoughts1 he is as separated from others1 even when in a crowd1 as if the ,atlantic ,ocean were between them4 ,he is praised for what does not deserve praise1 and blamed for what he is not guilty of4 ,he cannot understand why another finds pleasure in what he himself hates4 ,one man likes to get soaking wet crawling all day to shoot a stag1 which another thinks is folly1 as a stag already shot1 can so much easier and cheaper be bought at the poulterer's shop4 ,i cannot understand the pleasure of sitting up all night playing cards1 smoking and drinking1 when it is much more comfortable to be sleeping in bed2 another man thinks cards1 drink1 and gambling ,heaven on earth4 ,to give an instance of how one's motives can be misunderstood3 ,a poor old worn-out white horse1 after struggling on slippery cobble-stones to pull a cart load of stones1 fell and could not get up again4 ,an eager crowd at once collected watching the owner thrashing the horse over the head and kicking it4 ,the horse was struggling desperately to rise and kept falling and groaning and was bleeding at the mouth where the man was kicking it4 ,i rushed up to remonstrate4 ,a man1 a stranger to me1 called out 8,i can't stand this1 let us buy the horse between us40 ,the owner of the horse made us pay much more than the horse was worth4 ,we got a vet4 who said the horse was so injured that it must be killed1 so he killed it4 ,next day a paragraph appeared in the local paper4 ,two well-known visitors to our beautiful town performed a very graceful act yesterday4 ,a poor man lost his horse1 his faithful dumb friend who had been his constant help and companion for years4 ,these kind gentlemen took compassion on the hard lot of this man in his grief and presented him with a handsome sum to buy himself a new horse4 ,the brute made quite a good thing of it1 as the paragraph brought him various sums from sympathisers1 and he was able to buy a heavier whip1 and a stronger pair of boots1 and a new horse1 to thrash and kick4 ,possibly the historian who wrote that ,nero fiddled whilst ,rome was burning was mistaken and poor old ,nero was doing his best telephoning for the ,county ,council ,motor fire-escapes to come and save the ,christians from the burning houses4 ,i misunderstand others4 ,i did not appreciate a man's piety when he refused to help me rescue a dying horse because it was ,sunday4 ,the best instrument of all for killing injured horses is what is obligatory in all ,belgian slaughter houses1 not only for cattle but for sheep and pigs4 7,see ,plate #ah47 ,it consists of a short pistol barrel of 4#ch bore with a bell-shaped muzzle which is applied to the forehead of the animal to be slaughtered4 ,a tap with a mallet fires it and the bullet goes through the brain and spinal column of the neck causing instant death4 ,its fault is that it may go off by accident if dropped on its plunger4 ,no ,belgian race or horse-show can begin till a veterinary is present with this instrument1 to be used in case of accident4 ,one can do very little to alleviate the torture of a horse standing with a broken leg1 or lying with a broken back in the ,london streets1 owing to the regulations4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ah4 ,,the ,,greener ,,killer ,this illustration clearly shows the position in which the ,killer should be placed4 ,it is advisable to have the barrel in a line with the pith1 but so long as the 8medulla0 is pierced1 instantaneous death is assured4 ,thrice1 within a few months1 ,i have stood by a horse for hours unable to do anything for it1 but to put a rug over it as it was shivering so from the cold 7having been injured when in a profuse sweat71 and moisten its mouth4 ,i was not allowed to kill the horse1 only a licensed slaughterer is allowed to do that1 and then only if the owner can be found1 and gives his consent for the horse to be killed4 ,i have since seen one of the principal horse-slaughterers of ,london and got his telephone number1 and arranged with him to send immediately to any part of ,london1 at any time of the day or night1 if ,i telephone to him4 ,but even then if we cannot communicate with the owner of the horse we will have to stand doing nothing1 possibly for hours1 beside the suffering animal4 ,the poor old worn-out1 half-starved horses in ,london are not only worked to death1 but when injured1 they are not even allowed to die1 without further torture4 ,there is another form of humane killer which ,i am not able to endorse1 although the ,royal ,society for the ,prevention of ,cruelty to ,animals seem to think highly of it4 ,i refer to the instrument which consists of a pistol fixed at right angles to a pole called1 ,i believe1 the ,humane ,killer4 ,the pistol is fired by pulling a wire which runs down the pole to the hand4 ,i consider this instrument very dangerous to use for slaughtering animals but it would be very useful in trench warfare4 ,an ordinary firearm is dangerous enough if it happens to be pointed in the direction of the spectators4 ,but what will be thought of a pistol which1 when you carefully keep what corresponds to the barrel 7i4 e41 the pole7 from pointing at anyone1 you find it shoots at right angles to your aim4 ,several of us stood round a man demonstrating the operation of this weapon when unloaded4 ,i said to him1 8,you cannot bring that pistol on to the forehead of that stuffed ox's head without pointing it at one of us during the process40 ,he was not able to do so4 ,each time he tried one of us called out1 8,you are pointing it at me40 ,i will explain by analogy the reason of this difficulty4 ,some men1 in defiance of the conventions1 cut cheese into small cubes1 stick their knife into them and convey the cheese into their mouths1 without cutting their mouths1 and acquire great skill by long practice4 ,take a sharp knife-blade1 fasten it firmly at right angles to the handle1 and ask an expert cheese eater to cut cubes of cheese and transfer them to his mouth with this safety 787 knife4 ,he will cut his mouth before he has eaten half a dozen pieces of cheese4 ,,chapter ,,lx ,,competitions ,the duelling clubs at ,gastinne-,renettes' have very practical and interesting competitions4 ,these clubs exist for duelling practice1 there is no shooting with deliberate aim to make highest possible scores1 all is conducted on actual duelling lines4 ,the word duel means single combat1 so all these competitions are conducted in pairs1 the winners again competing in pairs and so on till finally only one remains1 as in cock-fighting4 ,each participant in such a pool1 when putting down his name1 pays a nominal sum which goes to provide a medal for the winner4 ,in order that each competitor shall compete against each other competitor1 there are printed scoring-cards on the lines of longitude and latitude in maps1 so that by running the finger down the list of names and then at right angles down the spaces for results1 it can instantly be seen when any particular pair must compete and at which target each will stand4 ,each competitor alternately stands to the right or to the left of whoever is his opponent4 ,only the pistols supplied by the range are allowed to be used1 and these are given so that each shooter uses each pistol in turn and as all are purposely varied as to trigger-pull it requires a really good shot to win4 ,he never knows if he is going to have a light or heavy trigger-pull4 ,this is the chief difficulty in these competitions1 as also in actual duels4 ,when a pair of competitors are each facing a separate man target1 the director of the combat gives the word 8,attention1 feu1 un1 deux1 trois40 ,if they both hit anywhere on the figure1 the one who fired first is the winner of that pair4 ,it is usual to have a timer1 to decide who fired first4 ,the director cannot fulfil both offices effectually4 ,after all have fired in pairs1 each with each of the other competitors1 the totals are added up and the one who has won the most combats is the winner of the medal4 ,if two or more have an equal score then these again shoot against each other to decide the winner of the medal4 ,it is not good scoring but quick hitting which wins4 ,a good hit counts no more than a bad one2 a hit in faster time than the other shot1 wins4 ,winners are not the same men who win at deliberate shooting4 ,target shots seldom win1 it is the lightning quick shot who wins1 even if he cannot hit a smaller target than one eighteen inches broad by five feet high4 ,the whole art of this shooting is to be able to keep from missing by more than three inches either side of your aim1 not caring what your trigger-pull is1 or how it varies for each shot4 ,as to elevation1 that needs no attention2 you cannot miss over or under a five-foot target4 ,bring up at top speed putting all the attention on not jerking to the side should your trigger-pull happen to be one of the heavy ones2 aim slightly more to the right than the actual centre of the figure to allow for an occasional pull to the left with an extra heavy trigger-pull4 ,it is the very hard pulling pistols which give almost all the misses4 ,men in constant practice in such competitions are in the best training for a duel or for self-protection4 ,with ,clubs which use the ,devilliers bullet the competitions are conducted on exactly similar lines1 except that the competitors fire at each other instead of at iron targets4 ,theoretically this is even better practice4 ,it gets a man used to seeing his adversary actually before him and being able to study his movements and note if he is active1 and try to be a shade the quicker of the two4 ,the inaccuracy of the ,devilliers bullet as compared to the lead bullet 7with a powder charge7 is a great disadvantage4 ,you feel that there is an element of fluke in the shooting4 ,you may make a very good shot and the bullet being too soft or the barrel too hot that bullet does not take the rifling properly and gives you an unmerited miss4 ,seeing your adversary raise his arm as you do yours and trying to anticipate his let-off by hitting him before he can hit you1 is the great advantage of the ,devilliers bullet as training for a duel4 ,in snapping practice with an empty pistol1 it is well to practice facing your reflection in a mirror to get used to the adversary's arm rising4 ,when first trying it this necessity to get used to anticipating your adversary's movements is very apparent1 a man who can shoot very quickly and coolly at an iron target when standing side by side with his opponent does not see the other man1 he is thinking only of time4 ,when facing his opponent and shooting at him he watches his opponent's hand and tries to time him1 that1 is to say fire just before the moment his adversary's arm is absolutely level to shoot1 just as you time a pigeon out of a trap for when he is well clear and yet before he can make his dart4 ,a well-known pigeon shot said1 8,i do not understand all this talk about easy and difficult birds1 all birds are easy if you time them right40 ,the same with duelling1 if you take your opponent just before he can get his swing on to you he is properly 8timed0 and 8an easy bird40 ,,chapter ,,lxi ,,police ,,pistols ,i modelled a statuette of a mounted cowboy and gave it as a challenge trophy to be shot for with revolvers1 open to all citizens of the ,united ,states4 ,it was won first by ,dr4 ,louis ,bell1 then after two others had won it1 it was finally won in #ahid by ,roundsman ,petty of the ,new ,york ,police ,force1 who twice successfully defended his title to it1 and thus it became his own property4 ,since then the police in several states have regular police competitions4 ,i also gave a statuette modelled by myself as a challenge pistol trophy to the ,state of ,maryland 7my native state74 ,for years ,i tried to induce the police authorities of ,london1 ,england1 to let me give a challenge cup for the police to shoot for1 but without success1 till1 by perseverance1 ,i1 in #aiae1 induced them to do so4 ,in #aiag an automatic pistol won it1 till then it was shot for only with revolvers4 ,i am sure the better the police can shoot1 the less apt they will be to draw a pistol unnecessarily2 they are confident in their skill2 it is the man who is given a pistol for the first time who looses off and hits the wrong man4 ,i think it is a mistake to arm police with a 4#ch or 4#cb pistol instead of a full-size 4#dd or 4#de military one4 ,a policeman has often to face great odds and a mob will not1 like enemy soldiers in battle1 spare him when down4 ,a mob will kick him to death4 ,it is wrong therefore to give him a less powerful weapon than a soldier is given4 ,i suppose he is given the smaller pistol1 as in some countries the police do not carry a pistol openly as part of their equipment so when they do carry pistols they have them concealed4 ,i think also this concealment is a mistake2 if a pistol is carried openly and the carrier is known to be a good shot1 he can keep order without shooting1 whereas a man with no visible pistol may be ill-treated because he appears unarmed and therefore harmless2 and he has to draw in order to maintain his authority or in self-defence4 ,in the case of my ,challenge ,trophies given in the ,united ,states1 the competitions are changed from revolver into automatic pistol competitions as the revolver is obsolete4 ,if a policeman is unarmed1 he cannot be expected to keep as cool and have as good judgment in an emergency when his own life is in danger as he can be when armed with a good large calibre pistol that he knows how to shoot to such good effect that he is in no personal danger4 ,if1 when a riot starts1 he can instantly drop a ring-leader each time the crowd attempts a rush1 or break the arm of any man trying to throw a stone1 he can get the mob under control with much less bloodshed than if they get out of hand with impunity and the military have finally to be called out4 ,a cool deadly shot can keep a big mob at bay4 ,it is when police shoot and miss that the crowd begin to jeer and lose all fear of the police4 ,it is a great mistake to fire over the head of a man to stop him1 it only makes him think you are a bad shot4 ,my servant got me out of a very nasty predicament when we were travelling one pitch dark night through a forest we had never been in before4 ,we were being led by a guide who we felt sure was taking us in the wrong direction in order to lead us into an ambush and rob us4 ,we had been walking away from where the compass told us was our proper direction for hours4 ,my servant without a word loaded my rifle and handed it to me4 ,the guide immediately turned and in half an hour we were back at our lodgings4 ,he had seen me kill a galloping bear in thick high cover a few hours before1 and he did not like the look of my double-barrel rifle pointing at his back4 ,,chapter ,,lxii ,,inventors ,there are several types of inventors of firearms1 including those who invent real improvements1 and those who delay invention by making all sorts of things which are not only useless but are even dangerous4 ,inventors1 to do any good work1 must be conversant with their subject1 and1 if possible1 skilled mechanics as well4 ,this is the difficulty when shooting experts1 who are not gunmakers1 try to invent anything4 ,the shooter knows what is necessary1 often far better than the gunmaker4 ,the shooter has to use the firearm1 and often finds details in them1 which are very beautiful perhaps1 from a mechanical point of view1 but which are very awkward or even impossible from the practical shooting point of view4 ,a noisy bolt action for example4 ,the shooter knows what he wants but cannot put it into practical shape2 the gunmaker1 if he is not a shooting man as well1 does not know of this want4 ,the best way out of the difficulty is for the shooter to collaborate with the skilled mechanic and then between them they can evolve something really useful4 ,this is the way most improvements are evolved1 the shooter constantly testing the invention and pointing out its faults to the gunmaker who alters till the thing works well4 ,if an expert mechanic 7even if he is a gunmaker71 who is not a shooting man tries to invent a firearm improvement by himself1 and he finds it works in the workshop1 he thinks that is all that is necessary1 and the invention is a failure as no shooting man will use it4 ,the expert shot who is unmechanical1 cannot put his ideas into practical shape1 and if he does not go to a gunmaker and ask his help1 the invention never takes shape2 in this way some invaluable inventions never see the light1 for want of a little mechanical knowledge4 ,but there is a third type of inventor1 who is absolutely hopeless and the despair of any shooting man he shows his invention to4 ,this is the man who knows nothing about shooting but he has his own ideas as to how shooting is done1 and is too conceited ever to try to learn anything4 ,he is the type of man who says 8,oh1 we will muddle through40 ,such a man has a vague idea that1 as he himself cannot shoot1 therefore his own individual difficulties if he tried to handle a firearm are the difficulties which all shooting experts labour under4 ,he does not know that an expert laughs at the difficulties of a beginner1 which never trouble a man when he has become expert4 ,as well might a man the first time he is put on a horse imagine that1 because he has to fly up and down off the saddle at each movement of a cantering horse1 that the expert also has to take care not to fall off4 ,the expert can sit on a cantering horse without the least lifting from the saddle1 whereas the beginner flops up and down4 ,in the same way the expert shot has passed the stage which the inexpert inventor tries to invent against4 ,a horseman would not buy a saddle with straps to tie down the rider1 invented by a man who did not ride4 ,the non-rider thinks such things absolutely necessary to keep from falling off1 the expert horseman not only knows such things are unnecessary1 but would be a danger in case the horse fell1 as the rider could not fall clear4 ,in the same way inventors of firearms1 if they are not shooting men1 invent dangerous things for overcoming dangers which do not exist except in their own imaginations4 ,this would not matter so much if they would listen to experts but they refuse to learn1 and actually try to instruct experts4 ,i had a man come in recently to show me a terribly dangerous pistol he had invented4 ,he was pointing it about in all sorts of dangerous directions and finally put the muzzle against his own body whilst he tried to cock it4 ,i suggested to him he had better first see if it was loaded4 ,he smiled at me in a pitying superior way1 but opened the breech and took out a loaded cartridge4 8,why it is loaded10 he casually remarked1 re-inserting the cartridge and beginning again to fumble with the lock1 whilst he held the muzzle against his body4 ,i said1 8,don't you know you can kill yourself if it goes off10--8that is the great beauty of my invention10 he informed me radiant with delight1 8,i have made this thing10 pushing the trigger with his left thumb1 8so that it only moves at a pressure of fourteen pounds so it is quite safe40 ,these know-alls work up through all the steps man has gone through in perfecting firearms1 instead of taking up the work from the highest it has come to4 ,most likely the first inventor of firearms found he shot people accidentally when 8pulling at this thing0 7as my friend the inventor called the trigger71 then discovered by experience that1 however heavy the trigger-pull is made1 it is sure to kill somebody accidentally if pulled hard enough1 and finally came to the conclusion that it is safer to have a light trigger-pull if the muzzle is not pointed in a dangerous direction1 than to have a half-ton trigger-pull and keep the muzzle pointed against one's body4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ai4 ,,winans' ,,revolver ,,front ,,sights ,in the matter of sights an optician1 even if ignorant of firearms1 may be able to give a valuable hint to an inventor1 but this usually applies to sights for accurate aiming at distant stationary objects2 for a pistol it is more often expert shooting knowledge which is useful in designing sights4 ,it was my combination of sculptor and shooter which gave me the idea of my front sight1 any one not a sculptor would not be apt to stumble on the idea of undercutting the sight so as to give a deep shadow below and so make the top stand out light against a dark lower portion4 7,see ,plate #ai47 ,in the same way some entirely distinct branch of learning may be of use to the inventor of firearms2 but in all cases1 this must be subservient to practical shooting knowledge2 the man who tries to force his ideas onto a shooter1 against the shooter's expert knowledge1 makes a mistake4 ,the highest authority can always learn something new from an expert2 but the man ignorant of a subject who tries to teach an expert merely exposes his ignorance1 like a politician who tells a general how to conduct a campaign4 ,,chapter ,,lxiii ,,simplification ,it is human nature to keep on in the same old groove1 to try to avoid change1 even if that change is for the better4 ,this habit is owing to it being so much easier not to have to think for oneself but merely to do as you see others do4 ,but following convention is not progress4 ,convention is the deadly enemy of progress4 ,simplification is the twin sister of progress4 ,all improvements are the result of simplification1 not of elaboration4 ,the public when they see some very elaborate invention say 8how clever10 but the really clever inventor is the one who can make a simple apparatus do the work that formerly could be done only by a much more complicated apparatus1 or even took several apparatuses to accomplish4 ,the ,universe appears to consist of endless variety1 but the more it is studied 7whatever else remains a mystery71 this one fact becomes plainer and plainer4 ,everything acts in unison4 ,the ,universe is ,one ,perfect ,whole4 ,the ,universe can1 even with our limited knowledge1 be reduced to a few simple elements1 governed by a few simple 8laws40 ,it is1 from a solar system1 to a sub-microscopical organism1 subject to the same 8laws0 and working as one whole4 ,probably1 it will be ultimately discovered that there is only one 8,law0 and one ,element in the ,universe4 ,all has to obey this 8,law10 there is no such thing as 8luck10 8chance10 or destruction4 ,all has always existed through incessant permutation2 and will exist1 from all eternity1 through all eternity4 ,the ancients1 and the modern ,mahometans knew this4 ,the ancients called it ,fate1 the ,moslems call it ,kismet4 ,if a man tries to make an automatic pistol contrary to the ,laws of ,nature1 it naturally will not operate properly1 he loses his temper1 says it is just his luck1 but he reasons wrongly4 ,if he studies the laws of mechanics1 which are one form of the ,law of ,nature1 and complies with them1 his pistol will act properly2 if not and he is ignorant of the laws of mechanics1 his pistol will not act properly2 it is not his 8hard luck0 but simply that he is trying vainly to work against ,nature1 and ,fate holds him in a steel grip4 ,if he obeys the ,laws of ,nature1 which are another name for ,fate1 he can go on like a train following its rails1 but he can no more make a pistol constructed on wrong principle function properly than he can stop the sun in its course4 ,simplification is the goal to be striven for in pistol shooting as it is in sculpture4 ,i saw two men1 as ,i was writing the above1 mowing a field4 ,one1 an elderly man1 was working in the conventional manner1 cutting short deep swaths with a half blunt scythe set at the wrong angle to the handle1 working in a cramped position4 ,the other1 a young man1 was examining his scythe4 ,he altered the blade at an acuter angle to the handle and gave it a twist sideways so that the cutting edge should lie horizontal when in use4 ,then he sharpened the blade as carefully as he would strop a razor4 ,putting himself into a firm position so that he could swing from the hips as an athlete about to throw the discus would1 he made long clean sweeps with his scythe1 taking a short depth1 but this with a clean cut1 and the cut grass thrown clear to the side1 his return being only just clear of the grass1 like a good sculler feathering4 ,at the least sign of bad cutting1 he re-sharpened the scythe4 ,although ,i know nothing of mowing1 ,i could see at once that this was an artist and a workman at his job1 and one who used his brains and took a pride in doing good work4 ,i asked if he was not the champion mower of the district4 ,i was answered 8not at all--he is only the carpenter40 ,this is the sort of man who invents4 ,he diagnoses faults and thinks out how to correct them4 ,he did not1 like the other man who had been mowing all his life1 work as his father and grandfather had done1 because it was the conventional manner4 ,he thought out for himself and improved by simplification4 ,it is evident that the cut should come on gradually1 not jump into a thick bunch of grass all at once1 so he set the blade at an angle which made its entry into the grass deeper progressively1 and so on with all the rest4 ,the inventor who knows his business1 when he has made something to accomplish its object1 does not rest there4 ,this is only the 8blocking out0 as we sculptors call it4 ,then he begins to simplify4 ,anything not absolutely necessary is eliminated2 he sees if some member cannot be dispensed with by making another fulfil two or even more functions4 ,this is how ,nature works1 many organs have several functions2 the function of our tongues is not only speech but to help swallowing1 to judge if what we put into our mouths is too hot or too cold to swallow1 if it is fit for food1 or corrosive1 etc4 ,the automatic pistol is still capable of great improvement4 ,all the recoil is not made use of1 some is wasted and diverts the aim by jumping the pistol about4 ,the noise of the discharge is an evil1 it ought to be made to do work1 not deafen4 ,to invent a sound-deadener to put on the pistol is working on wrong lines2 it is not simplification but it is complication4 ,instead of first making a noise and then inventing something to destroy that noise1 why not avoid making that noise8 ,the idea that ugliness does not matter is also a fallacy4 ,i was objecting to a pistol a man was shooting 7and of which he asked my opinion71 on the ground that it was so ugly4 8,what has ugliness to do with a pistol80 he said4 8,in my opinion1 everything10 ,i answered4 ,nothing correct mechanically is ugly1 that is the ,law of ,nature4 ,the early1 impractical1 automatic pistols were extremely ugly2 the best at present1 the ,u4 ,s4 ,army ,colt1 has graceful lines1 and the perfect one will be beautiful4 ,the essence of architecture is beauty in utility4 ,look at a first class hand made gun built by an ,artist2 it has the graceful lines of a classical piece of sculpture4 ,an automatic pistol should be as simple as possible1 the simpler the less likely to go wrong4 ,the supposed antagonism between ,art and ,mechanics1 between ,science and ,religion are imaginary4 ,if we simplify ,art to its essential essence and perfection as the ,ancient ,greeks did--what do we find8 ,sculpture is proportion and the essential planes4 ,what else is mechanics8 ,science reduces all to the ,,one ,,universal ,,first ,,cause1 and this is also the foundation of all religion4 ,in pistol shooting1 all resolves itself into aligning the pistol and discharging the bullet4 ,the shortest distance from one point to another is the straight line4 ,therefore do not 8flourish0 or 8brandish0 the pistol up and down before discharging it4 ,merely bring it to alignment and discharge it in so doing4 ,time is wasted if the trigger is pressed after alignment4 ,therefore begin pressing the trigger as the pistol is coming to the level4 ,this is the whole art of pistol shooting4 ,the way to advance any art1 however humble1 is for each to help the other with his experience4 ,nothing is so inimical to success as convention4 ,all progress is made on the lines of pruning off all not absolutely essential1 in other words by simplification4 ,,appendix ,a ,i think it advisable to give the following ,world's ,records made by myself with revolvers and black powder as they are now unbeatable1 the weapons and cartridges being obsolete4 ,they stand in the same category as the 8high wheel0 trotting records4 ,if there were similar records1 diagrams1 and details of scores made with sling1 long bow1 crossbow1 ,persian bow1 ,american ,indian bow1 blow pipe1 javelin1 matchlock1 wheellock1 etc41 available1 of what inestimable value they would be to the historian and archeologist4 ,instead1 for want of such records1 all knowledge of the capabilities of these weapons is vague and legendary4 ,under each diagram ,i give all details4 ,most of diagrams are the actual size and all have the position of each bullet-hole accurately shown4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #a4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,stationary1 #bj yards1 #aj shots1 ,south ,london ,rifle ,club1 ,may #ba1 #ahhi2 4#de ,colt ,cavalry ,revolver1 ,military sights1 ,eley ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #b4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,stationary1 #bj yards1 #aa shots1 ,south ,london ,rifle ,club1 ,august #ba1 #ahhh2 4#dd ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 ,u4 ,m4 ,c4 gallery ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #c4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,nine shots at #bj yards1 ,north ,london ,rifle ,club1 ,may #e1 #ahig4 ,black powder2 4#dd ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 gallery ammunition4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #d4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,twelve shots at #bj yards1 at the ,north ,london ,rifle ,club1 ,sept4 #d1 #ahie4 ,black powder2 4#dd ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 gallery ammunition4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #e4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,nine shots at #bj yards1 at ,south ,london ,rifle ,club1 ,sept4 #bb1 #ahib4 ,colt 4#de ,target ,revolver4 ,english 8,mark ,i0 regulation ammunition4 ,black powder4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #f4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,ten shots at #bj yards1 at ,south ,london ,rifle ,club1 ,july #c1 #ahhh2 ,smith ,wesson 4#cb break-down model4 ,black powder4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #g4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,twenty ,,yards ,,disappearing ,,target4 8,military0 target1 ,wimbledon1 #ahhh2 4#de ,smith ,wesson ,revolver4 ,eley's ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #h4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,twenty ,,yards ,,disappearing ,,target4 ,north ,london ,rifle ,club1 ,may #bi1 #ahie2 4#de ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 ,u4 ,m4 ,c4 ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #i4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,twenty ,,yards ,,disappearing ,,target4 8,any0 ,revolver1 ,bisley1 #ahif2 4#de ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 ,u4 ,m4 ,c4 ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #aj4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,six ,,shots ,,in #ab ,,seconds4 8,any0 ,revolver1 ,bisley1 #ahie4 ,rapid firing2 4#dd ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 ,u4 ,m4 ,c4 gallery ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #aa4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score ,,for ,,military ,,revolver ,,and ,,sights4 ,bisley1 #ahie4 ,six shots in #ab seconds at #bj yards2 4#de ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 ,u4 ,m4 ,c4 ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #ab4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,twenty ,,yards ,,rapid-,,firing ,,target4 ,bisley1 #ahie4 4#de ,smith ,wesson ,military ,revolver1 ,winans sights4 ,u4 ,m4 ,c4 smokeless ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #ac4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,for #c-;,,inch ,,bull',s-,,eye ,,traversing ,,target1 #bj ,,yards4 ,wimbledon1 #ahhh2 4#de ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 ,eley ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #ad4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score4 ,,for #b-;,,inch ,,bull',s-,,eye ,,traversing ,,target1 #bj ,,yards4 ,bisley1 #ahif4 4#de ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 ,u4 ,m4 ,c4 ammunition4 ,black powder4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #ae4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score ,,advancing ,,target4 8,any0 ,revolver1 ,bisley1 #ahif2 4#dd ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 ,u4 ,m4 ,c4 gallery ammunition4 ,black powder4 ,target advanced from #ej yards to #bj yards4 7,full size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #af4 ,,author',s ,,world',s ,,record ,,score ,,fifty ,,yards ,,target4 ,bisley1 #ahid4 ,twelve consecutive shots3 ,six with 4#dd ,smith ,wesson ,revolver1 six with 4#ch ,smith ,wesson ,revolver4 ,smith ,wesson self-lubricating bullet4 ,black powder4 7,half size47 ,illustration3 ,,diagram #ag4 ,,twelve ,,highest ,,possible ,,scores ,,made ,,by ,,the ,,author ,,in ,,revolver ,,competitions ,,at #bj ,,yards ,,in #ahie4 ,english regulation mark ammunition4 ,black powder4 ,the diameter of the original bull's-eye is #b inches4 ,,appendix ,b ,,the ,,law ,,relating ,,to ,,revolvers ,,and ,,revolver ,,shooting ,,in ,,great ,,britain ,,and ,,ireland ,it is perhaps advisable to explain something about the right of carrying revolvers in ,england1 and the using them in cases of necessity1 and first it should be explained that a revolver is a gun so far as the ,gun ,license ,act of #ahgj 7#cc and #cd ,vict4 c4 #eg7 is concerned1 and that a license fee of #aj_/ per annum has to be paid for the privilege of carrying or using one1 though a license to kill game includes the lesser gun license4 ,in fact it has ever been held that a small toy pocket pistol is a firearm for the purpose of the ,act4 ,there are various exceptions to the necessity of taking out this license1 and it may be as well to enumerate them1 especially as many people keep revolvers in their houses and would be astonished if they thought that a gun license was necessary for the so doing--but it is not1 so long as the revolver is kept or used in a dwelling house1 or the curtilage of a dwelling house4 ,this is one of the exceptions to the ,act1 and a very proper and necessary exception it is1 for it would be most unreasonable to enact that the mere keeping a revolver for the purposes of protection should compel one to take out an annual license4 ,moreover the enforcement of such a restriction would be almost impossible without an inquisitorial search through every house4 ,probably because there is very little reason for carrying a revolver about with one in this country the exception does not apply to the so doing1 and the mere taking a revolver across the street would technically compel the taking out a license4 ,the curtilage of a house is much the same as its courtyard1 and would no doubt include a yard and garden adjoining the house1 but not a field beyond4 ,further exceptions are that no penalty is to be incurred by any person in the naval1 military1 or volunteer service1 or in the constabulary or other police force1 but it should be noted that this exception applies only where the person claiming it is in the performance of a duty or in target practice1 so that the policeman or volunteer off duty would still be subject to the obligation of having a license4 ,another exception is that of any one carrying a firearm belonging to a person having a license or certificate to kill game or having a gun license1 if he is carrying it by order of1 or for the use of1 such licensed or certificated person1 only he is bound to give his name and address and the name and address of his employer if called upon4 ,the occupier of lands using or carrying a firearm for the purpose only of scaring birds or killing vermin on such lands is exempt too1 as also any one using or carrying a firearm for the same purpose on any lands by order of the occupier1 if the latter has a game license or certificate1 or a gun license4 ,again1 a gunsmith or his servant carrying a firearm in the ordinary course of trade1 or testing it in a special place1 need not have a license4 ,lastly1 a common carrier carrying a revolver in the ordinary course of business is exempt4 ,to show how strict the law is1 it may be added that the killing of vermin1 which1 as above mentioned1 is allowed without a license does not include rabbits4 ,as the penalty is #aj for carrying firearms without a license1 ,i have thought it advisable to enlarge somewhat fully on the above topic4 ,there are also various penalties and punishments which may be imposed upon persons misbehaving while in the possession of loaded firearms1 or wantonly discharging them4 ,thus any one who is in possession of a loaded firearm and is found to be drunk1 may be apprehended1 and is liable to a penalty not exceeding #dj_/1 or1 in the discretion of the ,court1 to imprisonment with or without hard labour for not more than one month4 ,then1 any person who in the streets of a town wantonly discharges any firearm to the obstruction1 annoyance1 or danger of the residents or passengers1 is liable to a penalty not exceeding #dj_/ for each offence1 or1 in the discretion of the justices1 to imprisonment for not more than fourteen days 7no hard labour74 ,it is hardly necessary to say that the wrongful use of a revolver as an offensive weapon is very heavily punished1 it being provided that any one who shoots at a person or attempts1 by drawing a trigger or in any other manner1 to discharge any kind of loaded arms at a person with intent to commit murder1 is guilty of felony and liable to penal servitude for life1 or any less term1 or to imprisonment for not more than two years with or without hard labour and solitary confinement4 ,again1 any one who unlawfully and maliciously wounds1 or causes any grievous bodily harm to any person1 or who shoots at any person1 or who by drawing a trigger or in any other manner attempts to discharge any kind of loaded arms at a person1 with intent in any of these cases to maim1 disfigure1 or disable any person1 or to do some other grievous bodily harm to any person1 or with intent to resist or prevent the lawful apprehension or detainer of any person1 is liable to penal servitude for life or for not less than three years or to imprisonment for not more than two years with or without hard labour and solitary confinement4 8,loaded arms0 are defined as 8any gun1 pistol1 or other arms which shall be loaded in the barrel with gunpowder or any other explosive substance1 and ball1 shot1 slug1 or other destructive material1 although the attempt to discharge the same may fail for want of proper priming1 or from any other cause40 ,finally1 any one who unlawfully and maliciously wounds or inflicts any grievous bodily harm upon any person with or without any weapon or instrument1 is liable to penal servitude for three years1 or to imprisonment for not more than two years with or without hard labour4 ,the words 8unlawfully and maliciously0 are difficult to construe1 and therefore it may be well to state that a man who fired in the direction of a punt1 in order to deter the occupant from fowling in a particular locality1 and wounded him in so doing1 was convicted of malicious wounding2 and generally that if a wound were to be caused mischievously and without excuse the person who inflicted it would probably be found guilty under this enactment4 ,so much for the strict offences caused by the improperly carrying or making use of revolvers4 ,before1 however1 leaving this subject it will be advisable to enter at a little length into the rights which any one has of using a revolver in self-defence1 or in some other analogous manner4 ,supposing a man has passed through the ordeal of the ,gun ,license ,act and is properly and legally carrying a loaded revolver1 in what cases of emergency would he be justified in using it8 ,well1 this is a very difficult question to answer1 and one which in each event would depend entirely on the circumstances of the particular case4 ,it is therefore impossible for me to lay down any exact principles governing every event of the kind which might happen1 and ,i will content myself with stating a few hypothetical instances and what course of conduct might be adopted in each instance4 ,there is no doubt on this point1 anyhow1--that one is justified in using a loaded revolver in self-defence1 where an attack of such a murderous character is made as to threaten one's own existence1 or the infliction of serious bodily harm2 and1 if the assailant should be killed1 yet the using of the revolver and so disposing of him would be deemed as having been justifiable4 ,the same rule would apply to shooting an assassin who was attempting to kill someone else4 ,for instance1 if while standing on a railway platform ,i were to see a man shooting at someone in a railway carriage1 and at such distance that ,i could not actively interfere except by shooting1 ,i should be right in firing at the assailant1 and though my shot should prove fatal1 still no blame could be attached to me4 ,how far one is justified in using a revolver in beating off or capturing burglars in one's house is1 as already mentioned1 a matter which can only be decided by the facts of the particular case4 ,assuredly where a man is awakened in the night by the noise of burglars breaking into or already in his house1 and seizes his revolver and confronts the robbers1 he would be justified in firing if the robbers threatened to attack him1 and it is assumed that he would also be right in firing at a robber making off with booty who refused to stop when challenged to do so1 if there were no reasonable chance of arresting him in any other way2 though in the latter event he should endeavour so to shoot as to cripple rather than kill4 ,indeed it may be said1 extraordinary though the statement may seem1 that even in the hurry and skurry of a conflict with burglars the mind should remain calm and collected1 so as to judge whether a mortal shot is required1 rather than one which will only 8wing0 the opponent4 ,in connection with this branch of the subject1 the justification of a fatal shot may to some extent depend upon whether the robber was himself armed4 ,if he were1 then the killing him would be more easily justifiable than if he were unarmed4 ,this is somewhat instanced by the law regarding an assault and battery in self-defence1 which is that where there is an assault the person resisting must show that his assault committed in self-defence was not more violent than he in good faith believed to be necessary and committed on reasonable grounds1 so that it would not be right to inflict a heavy beating on a person who had only committed a slight assault upon one4 ,so when all danger is past and a man strikes a blow not necessary for his defence1 he commits an unjustifiable assault and battery1--and this principle would apply to the preventing of crimes1 so that though one might be acting correctly in firing at and killing a man who was murderously assaulting a third person1 yet1 after the assault had been committed1 it might be wrong to kill the murderer if he were only discovered when running away1 unless that was the only means of arresting him4 ,another point which has sometimes exercised the minds of those in the habit of carrying revolvers is whether they are justified in using such a weapon to put an end to pain on the part of dumb animals where recovery is almost impossible4 ,it may be said generally that no one can with safety interfere in such cases1 even with the most benevolent intentions1 so that if a horse1 dog1 or other animal has been so injured as to be suffering extreme agony1 yet it would not be legal to put the poor creature out of its misery1 unless with the consent of the owner4 ,the exception has been made by the ,injured ,animals ,act1 #ahid1 but that only empowers a constable to kill a horse1 mule1 or ass which is so severely injured that it cannot be led away1 when the owner is absent or refuses to consent to its destruction1 after a certificate has been obtained from a certified veterinary surgeon that the animal is mortally injured or so severely that it is cruel to keep it alive4 ,the exception that has been introduced by the ,act of ,parliament passed in #ahid and called 8,the ,injured ,animals ,act1 #ahid10 provides for the slaughter1 without the owner's consent1 of horses1 mules1 or asses1 in cases of injury so serious as to make it cruel to keep them alive4 ,it does not apply to animals other than those enumerated above1 and is hedged round with such restrictions as to render it of little avail4 ,these in brief are as follows3 ,a constable must find the animal so severely injured that it cannot without cruelty be led away1 the owner must be absent or refuse to consent to the destruction of the animal1 and the constable must obtain the certificate of a veterinary surgeon that the animal is mortally injured1 or so severely that it is cruel to keep it alive4 ,after doing all this the constable may kill the animal4 ,the foregoing statements as to the law are not exhaustive1 but they are made with the intention of helping the revolver-carrying section of the public to know what they may be responsible for and on what occasions or emergency they may safely use their weapons4 ,to make sure that no legal error has crept in1 these statements have been submitted to ,mr4 ,c4 ,willoughby ,williams1 of ,no4 #a ,brick ,court1 ,temple1 ,barrister at ,law1 who is of opinion that the law as set out is correct4 ,it will be seen1 from what is said above1 that if a gun or a game license is obtained1 it is not illegal to carry a loaded revolver1 so that if any one had to go along a lonely road1 or had received a threatening letter which had alarmed him1 he would be quite in his right in taking about with him a loaded revolver4 ,it would even be quite right for any one to carry about a loaded revolver in his pocket merely as a protection in case he should be unexpectedly attacked1 but any one carrying about with him such an article should be prepared to use it only in cases of great emergency1 and should keep a clear head on his shoulders4 ,another example of the advantages of carrying a revolver would be if one were attacked by a mad dog4 ,in such a case1 if the dog attacked in a ferocious manner1 it would be permissible to shoot the dog1 but it would not be allowable to shoot a dog on the supposition that he was mad1 unless he was attacking one2 though1 of course1 if there were no doubt about the dog's being mad1 then1 for the sake of others1 it would be wise to shoot him4 ,again1 if while carrying a revolver any one were passed by a runaway horse1 and such horse were about to run over a child1 it might be permissible to shoot the horse in order to save the child1 if one were too far off to catch hold of the animal4 ,these1 however1 are all matters of degree1 and what would be right and proper to do in one case might in a case almost similar be quite wrong4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,note4--,since the first edition of this book was issued1 the ,pistols ,act of #aijc has come into force4 ,this ,act stops the sale1 by retail or by auction1 or the letting on hire1 of any pistol 7which would include a revolver71 unless the purchaser has a gun or game license1 or is entitled to use or carry a gun without such license1 or unless the purchaser shows that he purposes to use the pistol only in his own house or the curtilage thereof1 or that he is about to proceed abroad for a period of not less than six months4 ,the ,act also prevents the sale or hiring out of a pistol to a person under the age of #ah years1 and places a very heavy penalty on any one knowingly selling a pistol to a person who is intoxicated or not of sound mind4 ,,appendix ,c ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,carrying ,,weapons ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,the statutes of the various ,states upon the subject of carrying weapons are substantially similar1 the main differences relating to the persons exempted from their operation1 and to the manner of carrying the weapon1 some making it an offence to carry the weapon at all1 whether concealed or not2 others prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons only4 ,these statutes have been held to be police regulations1 and not to conflict with the constitutional right of the people to keep and bear arms4 ,weapons are considered to be concealed1 within the intent of the statutes1 when they cannot be readily seen by ordinary observation4 ,in some of the ,states1 as in ,kentucky1 ,louisiana1 and ,missouri1 the carrying of 8deadly0 or 8dangerous0 weapons is prohibited4 ,most of the ,states1 however1 specify the weapons prohibited4 ,such weapons as pistols1 dirks1 butchers' or bowie knives1 stilettos1 daggers1 swords1 brass knuckles1 razors1 slugs1 etc41 are usually specified in nearly all of the statutes4 ,officers of the law are usually exempted from the operation of the statutes4 ,the officers must1 however1 be duly appointed1 and in the discharge of their duties at the time of carrying the weapons4 ,persons who are threatened with bodily harm or who have reasonable grounds to apprehend danger or attack1 are usually justified in carrying concealed weapons4 ,it is not every idle threat1 however1 which would justify one in carrying concealed weapons4 ,the threat must be such as to cause a reasonable apprehension of danger4 ,examples of this exemption are found in the statutes of ,alabama1 ,kentucky1 ,mississippi1 ,texas1 ,maryland1 and ,west ,virginia4 ,persons on their own premises are frequently exempted from the operation of the statutes4 ,this is so in ,arkansas1 ,north ,carolina1 and ,texas4 ,some of the statutes exempt persons who are travelling4 ,this is so in ,arkansas1 ,mississippi1 and ,texas4 ,the burden of proving exemption rests usually upon the accused4 ,this has been expressly decided in ,arkansas1 ,indiana1 ,iowa1 ,kentucky1 ,missouri1 ,montana1 ,north ,carolina1 ,tennessee1 and ,texas4 ,in ,michigan1 however1 it has been held that the prosecution must prove that the defendant does not fall within one of the exemptions4 ,,index ,a ,accidents1 #aj2 from loaded weapons1 #ba1 #afj2 how to prevent1 #bf1 #cc1 #eh2 on the stage1 #bhb1 #bia ,africa1 shooting in1 #bfa ,alcohol1 danger from use of1 #d1 #ie1 #adj1 #ade ,allowance1 #ic1 #bdc ,ammunition1 #dd1 #bea1 #bfb2 blank1 #bhb2 ,eley1 #ccd1 #cdj1 #cdf2 ,u4 ,m4 ,c41 #cce1 #cda1 #cdb1 #cdc1 #cdd1 #cde1 #cdg ,animals1 killing wounded1 #cje ,art of ,revolver ,shooting1 ,the1 quoted1 iii41 #ag1 #ha1 #ace1 #aia1 #big2 changes made in1 #be 8,au ,commandemant10 shooting1 #bbg ,author1 duelling championship of1 #fa2 running deer championship of1 #hg2 snap shooting score of1 #ajf2 member of ,london ,royal ,academy1 #aei2 author's trotting horses1 #baj2 ,sika deer shot by the1 #bga2 gold medals won by1 #bge2 trophies modelled by the1 #cag2 sights designed by the1 #cbd2 world's record scores by the1 #ccc-cej ,automatic pistol1 accuracy of the1 #a2 the ,colt regulation1 #b1 #de1 #hj1 #hd1 #acc1 #bjj1 #bab1 #bca1 #bcc2 dangerous to handle1 #c1 #df1 #abi2 sole weapon in the ,u4 ,s41 #ag2 how to hold the1 #ba1 #bhf2 inventors of the1 #bb2 danger from recoil1 #ei2 the civilian1 #hd2 the police1 #hd2 the ,savage1 #hd2 the ,smith ,wesson1 #hd2 the ,german military1 #hd2 recoil of the1 #ei1 #hd1 #if1 #ig2 shooting with the1 #ig1 #aac2 the safety bolt of the1 #ii2 powerful cartridge of the1 #aji1 #bea2 the ,u4 ,s4 army1 #aji2 description of the1 #aac1 #aah2 faults of the1 #abe2 the ,colt new safety1 #abh2 cleaning and care of the1 #aeb2 military automatics1 #bca1 #bdh2 proper ammunition for1 #bea2 the ,mauser1 #beb2 use on horseback1 #beh ,automatic gallery pistols1 #bfj2 the ,winans model1 #bfc2 4#bb long barrel ,colt1 #bfe2 4#bb target ,colt1 #bif2 capable of improvement1 #cbi2 graceful lines of the ,colt1 #ccj ,b ,balance1 #ej1 #hj ,balderston1 ,john ,lloyd1 quoted1 vi4 ,barrel1 length of1 #dh ,bavaria1 alcohol tests in1 #adg ,bear1 shooting1 #bfa ,bell1 ,dr4 ,louis1 #cag ,big game shooting1 #bc1 #bac1 #bej2 in ,england1 #aed ,bisley1 shooting at1 #af1 #id1 #aef1 #bji1 #cdb1 #cdc1 #cdd1 #cde1 #cdg1 #cdh1 #cdi ,boar1 shooting wild1 #bbh1 #bej1 #bfa ,brains1 shooting requires1 #afc 8,brandishing and ,flourishing10 #c1 #bi1 #ei1 #bhb1 #ccj ,breech1 the1 #aah ,bridge1 playing at1 #ee1 #adj ,brookhart1 ,major ,s4 ,w41 quoted1 #adh ,bulleted caps1 #ej1 #ea1 #eb1 #ef ,bullets1 soft lead1 #gb2 drop of1 #bdg2 ,devilliers1 #cjj1 #cae ,burglars1 frightening1 #bh2 shooting at1 #bad ,butt1 the1 #ee ,byron1 ,lord1 quoted1 #cd1 #ahh ,c ,carpentier1 #ahh ,cartridges1 obsolete types of1 #de2 the proper1 #ig2 ejection of1 #acj2 cordite used in1 #bfb2 duelling pistol1 #bfd ,chantry ,bequest1 the1 #aei ,clay pigeons1 shooting at1 #gc1 #ij ,cleaning1 #bg1 #abg1 #aeb ,clip1 cartridges in a1 #abj ,clubs1 shooting1 #ge ,cocking1 trials at1 #db1 #bda ,colds1 danger from1 #bah1 #bbh ,colt1 the regulation 4#de1 #hj1 #hd1 #acc1 #bjj1 #bab1 #bca1 #bcc2 the civilian1 #hd2 the police1 #hd2 new safety1 #abh2 the ,derringer1 #bjc2 4#be cal4 automatic1 #bje2 4#bb long-barrelled automatic1 #bfe2 4#bb target automatic1 #bif2 graceful lines of the1 #ccj ,competitions1 the way they are conducted1 #i1 #gh1 #bff1 #cac2 entering for1 #dc2 ,gastinne-,renette1 #gc1 #cac2 mounted pistol1 #bef2 duelling1 #cjc2 police1 #cag ,condy's fluid for colouring1 #bgh ,cordite1 cartridges of1 #bfb ,crane1 ,r4 ,newton1 quoted1 #aib ,cuirass1 a bullet-proof1 #b ,d ,daily ,mail1 letter to the1 #aea ,daily ,mirror1 the1 quoted1 #aia ,deer-stalking1 #ga1 #aeg1 #bfj ,derringer1 the ,colt1 #bjc1 #beb ,devilliers bullet1 the1 #cjj1 #cae ,devonshire1 red deer in1 #aed ,disconnector1 the1 #abh1 #bch ,distance1 judging1 #bdc ,don ,juan quoted1 #cd1 #ahh ,dress1 #bjg ,drinking1 harm done by1 #d1 #ie1 #adj1 #ade ,duelling1 practised on the ,continent1 #af2 position to stand in1 #gh2 distance in1 #ajh1 #ahb1 #bgd2 question of1 #aga2 remarks on1 #agf1 #ahj1 #ahe1 #ahi2 swords used in1 #agg2 penalties for1 #ahd2 laws on1 #aib2 preparations for1 #aid2 competitions in1 #cac ,duelling pistols1 #af1 #dg2 the ,flobert1 #di2 the ,gastinne-,renette1 #ej1 #abc1 #bfc1 #bgd2 the regulation ,french1 #eb1 #fb1 #ahb2 author's championship with1 #fa2 balance of1 #hj2 sights on1 #bcd1 #bfd2 recoil of1 #bci2 4#dd used for rabbit stalking1 #bdi2 cartridges for the1 #bfd2 ,sika stag shot with a1 #bga2 use of ,devilliers bullet in the1 #cjj ,e ,ears1 guarding the1 #e1 #bae2 ,elliott's ,protector for the1 #bag1 #bai ,ejection of cartridges1 #acj ,elliott1 ,j4 ,a4 ,r41 ,ear ,protector1 #bag1 #bai ,england1 revolver in use in1 #ag1 #bca2 shooting in1 #aed2 duelling in1 #aia2 open air ranges in1 #bbg1 #bff2 law regarding firearms in1 #cfj ,english ,national ,rifle ,assn41 #af1 #aef ,euclid quoted1 #c ,exhibition shooting1 #ace1 #bia1 #big ,eyes1 protecting the1 #bae ,eyesight1 #bbb ,f ,falling bullets1 danger from1 #aj ,faults1 correcting1 #afe ,fencing1 #ei ,field1 the1 quoted1 vi4 ,flanneled ,fools1 #f ,flobert pistol1 the1 #cf1 #di ,francis1 ,w41 chauffeur1 #bcd ,furlong1 ,dr4 ,w4 ,v41 letter from1 #aea ,g ,game shooting1 #bdi2 rifle used in1 #bfj1 #bhg ,games1 pistol shooting and1 #ac ,gastinne-,renette1 duelling pistols by1 #ej1 #abc1 #ahb1 #bfc2 gallery of1 #ed1 #bfg1 #bgj2 competitions1 #cg1 #cac2 prizes1 #gc1 #acg1 #agj1 #bga1 #bgc2 ,ira ,paine at gallery of1 #acg2 targets used by1 #afg ,gieve1 ,mathews ,seagrove1 #bag ,goggles1 use of1 #cjb ,golf1 compared with shooting1 #e1 #ee1 #bff2 time wasted at1 #f2 temper shown at1 #adj ,grande ,medaille d',or1 #gc1 #acg1 #agj1 #bga ,greener ,killer1 the1 #caj ,grip1 how to1 #hj1 #hd1 #bhe ,h ,hammer head attachment1 #hd ,hammer1 positions of the1 #cc ,hammerless pistols1 #dc ,high ,school of ,riding1 #bed ,horse pistols1 balance of the1 #hj ,horseback1 shooting from1 #bec ,horsemanship1 #bed1 #beh ,horses1 docking1 #bd2 runaway1 #bhh ,horsley1 ,sir ,victor1 quoted1 #adg ,how to hold the automatic1 #ba ,humane ,killer1 the1 #caa ,i ,inventors of firearms1 #abc1 #cbj ,irving1 ,sir ,henry1 #add ,j ,jambing1 #fi1 #hd1 #abg1 #aec1 #bcb ,jellicoe1 ,admiral1 quoted1 #adf ,k ,killers1 the ,greener1 #caj2 the ,humane1 #caa ,kipling1 ,r41 quoted1 #f ,kraeplin1 report of ,prof41 #adg ,l ,landseer1 ,sir ,edwin1 #aeh ,languages1 learning1 #ah ,law1 relating to revolver shooting in ,great ,britain and ,ireland1 #cea2 relating to carrying weapons in the ,united ,states1 #cfj ,le ,pistolet ,club1 #gj ,lee-,metford1 the1 #bd ,learning to shoot1 #ec ,literature1 shooting in1 #bhj ,lodge1 ,sir ,oliver1 quoted1 #aej ,london ,royal ,academy1 the1 #aei ,long-range shooting1 #ajh ,long-sighted shooters1 #bj ,m ,magazine1 the1 #ig ,maryland1 trophy given by the author to the ,state of1 #cag ,matador1 #bee ,mauser automatic pistol1 #beb ,metronome1 the1 #ajc1 #bgb ,military rifles1 trigger-pull of1 #da2 pistol sights1 #fc2 sights of1 #aef ,moufflon shooting1 #beb ,muzzle-heavy weapons1 #ej1 #fi ,n ,national ,rifle ,association1 #ie ,near-sighted shooters1 #bj1 #he1 #bbb ,north ,london ,rifle ,club1 #ccf1 #ccg1 #cda ,o ,ogilvy1 ,captain1 quoted1 #acf ,olympic ,games1 the1 #gb1 #gg1 #hg1 #adh1 #bee ,outdoor ,life1 the1 #bdd ,p ,paine1 ,chevalier ,ira1 #gj1 #acf1 #ahh1 #bge ,paris1 shooting galleries in1 #ed ,pennell1 ,cholmondely1 #bjh ,petty1 roundsman1 #cag ,pigeon shooting1 #dj ,pistol shooting1 unpopularity of1 #ac2 the way to learn1 #be ,pistols1 duelling1 #af1 #ag1 #di1 #ej1 #eb1 #fb1 #hj1 #abc1 #ahb1 #bci1 #bdi1 #bfc1 #bfd2 single-shot1 #bj1 #ca1 #da2 ,american1 #ea2 the 4#bb1 #gg2 shot used in1 #gc2 how to hold1 #hj1 #bhf2 the ,colt regulation 4#de1 #hj1 #hd1 #acc1 #bjj1 #bab1 #bca1 #bcc2 the civilian1 #hd2 the police1 #hd2 the ,savage1 #hd2 the ,smith ,wesson1 #hd2 the ,german military1 #hd2 rifle stocks for1 #he2 the ,u4 ,s4 ,army1 #aji2 description of1 #aac2 vest pocket models1 #bjc2 military automatic1 #bca1 #bdh ,police pistols1 #di1 #cag ,position1 the correct1 #eh1 #ib ,powder1 use of black1 #ag ,practice1 value of1 #fj1 #fa ,prizes1 the ,grande ,mdaille d',or1 #gc1 #acg1 #agj1 #bga2 given for shooting roebuck1 #aeg2 the ,king's ,prize1 #bji2 at ,gastinne-,renette's1 #bga1 #bgc1 #cad ,purchasing an automatic1 advice on1 #abe1 #abg ,r ,rabbit stalking1 #bdi ,rain1 shooting in the1 #bbf ,range1 choice of a1 #ee1 #bff2 the indoor1 #bfh2 the open-air1 #bgf ,rapid firing1 #ajj ,recoil1 #ea2 of automatic1 #ei1 #hd1 #if1 #abj1 #abf1 #bci1 #ccj2 of rifle1 #bfa ,referee1 the1 quoted1 #aij ,revolver1 the1 #a2 no longer used1 #ef1 #bdb1 #cah1 #ccc2 the 4#cb pocket1 #bci2 world's records with the1 #ccc2 4#de ,colt cavalry1 #ccd2 4#dd ,smith ,wesson1 #cce1 #cdc1 #cdh1 #cdi2 4#de ,smith ,wesson1 #cdj1 #cda1 #cdb1 #cdd1 #cde1 #cdf1 #cdg2 the 4#ch ,smith ,wesson1 #cdi ,ricochets1 danger of1 #bgi1 #cjd ,riding1 benefit from1 #g2 expert1 #cbb ,rifle1 right kind of1 #bc2 pistol compared with1 #aaa2 the military automatic1 #aai1 #abe2 shooting clubs1 #aeh2 in game shooting1 #bfj2 modern improved1 #bfa2 the 4#dd ,winchester1 #bfb2 the 4#bb automatic ,winchester1 #bfe2 author's record at shooting the1 #bge ,roebuck1 shooting the1 #aeg1 #bdf ,royal ,society for ,prevention of ,cruelty to ,animals1 #caa ,running deer1 the1 #ic1 #ie1 #abe1 #aef ,running shots1 #hf1 #ib ,s ,safety bolt1 the1 #ih1 #acc1 #bch ,savage1 the1 #hd ,savory ,moore1 #bag ,scotland1 shooting in1 #aed1 #aih ,seer1 damage to the1 #db ,self-defence1 shooting for1 #acb1 #bab2 pistols for1 #bjj1 #bjf ,shooting galleries1 #i2 the unpopular1 #ad1 #ec1 #fd1 #bbe1 #bfg2 the ,gastinne-,renette1 #ed1 #bfg1 #bgj2 pistols for1 #bfc2 the ideal1 #bfh ,shooting1 the instinct of1 #h2 unpopularity of pistol1 #ae2 big game1 #bc2 exhibition1 #ace2 brains required in1 #afc2 dress1 #bjg2 use of spectacles1 #bae2 near-sighted1 #bj1 #he1 #bbb2 from horseback1 #bec2 trick1 #ace1 #bia ,shot1 the ,no4 #g1 #gd1 #cje2 the ,no4 #h1 #bja2 the ,no4 #aj1 #bid2 the ,no4 #e1 #cje ,shot gun1 trigger-pull of the1 #dj2 shooting with the1 #ij2 as sporting firearm1 #aee ,sights1 hind1 #bj1 #ba2 the ,u back1 #ef2 the black front1 #ef1 #aee1 #bcb2 the white bead1 #eg1 #bcb2 learning about1 #fb2 ,french duelling1 #fc2 the telescope1 #bej2 ,winans' front1 #cbd ,simplification1 #cbf ,single-shot pistols1 bad shots from1 #bj2 how to handle the1 #ca1 #da2 ,american1 #ea2 shot from1 #gc2 description of the1 #aac2 cleaning the1 #aeb2 4#bb used in ,united ,states1 #bdi ,smith ,wesson1 the1 #hd2 hammerless safety1 #ih2 ,ira ,paine's1 #ahh2 ,russian model1 #bjb1 #bhe2 the 4#dd1 #cce1 #cdc1 #cdh2 the 4#de1 #cdj1 #cda1 #cdb1 #cdd1 #cde1 #cdf1 #cdg2 the 4#ch1 #cdi ,smoking1 harm done by1 #d1 #ie1 #adj1 #adb1 #ade ,snap-shooting1 #ajd1 #aig1 #bcf1 #beh ,somersetshire1 red deer in1 #aed ,south ,london ,rifle ,club1 #ccd1 #cce1 #cch1 #cci ,sport1 meaning of1 #g ,spoons given as prizes1 #ac 8,sports10 worship of1 #g ,squeeze1 the1 #ii ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi1 #agb ,st4 ,george1 cross of1 #bcd ,st4 ,george ,pistol ,club1 #bgj ,stock1 shape of1 #bhe ,stockholm1 games at1 #gb1 #gg ,swing shooting1 #hh1 #beh ,t ,targets1 moving1 #af2 rapid-firing1 #af1 #cde2 disappearing1 #af1 #cdj1 #cda1 #cdb2 stationary1 #ag1 #hf1 #bgf1 #ccd1 #cce2 shooting at1 #bi2 the man1 #dh1 #ga1 #ge1 #gg1 #ic1 #acb2 construction of1 #ef2 instruction regarding1 #ga1 #bfh2 animal1 #gc2 mechanical stag1 #ge2 ,french duelling1 #gg2 the running deer1 #ic1 #ie1 #abe1 #aef2 painters of1 #aeg2 the perfect1 #aff2 the ,gastinne-,renette1 #afg1 #bgd2 military1 #cdj2 traversing1 #cdf1 #cdg2 advancing1 #cdh ,temper1 control of1 #aci ,tennis1 shooting compared with1 #e ,timing1 #ai1 #hh1 #caf2 apparatus for1 #ajb ,tobacco1 danger from use of1 #d1 #ie1 #adj1 #adb1 #ade ,trajectory1 flat1 #bc ,trick shooting1 #bia ,trigger-pull1 #ch2 for pistol1 #dh1 #fe1 #ahh1 #bda1 #cad ,trophies1 challenge1 #ag ,trotting1 records1 8high wheel10 #ag1 #ccc2 horses1 #baj ,u ,union ,society of ,london1 #ahi ,united ,states1 automatic pistol in the1 #ag2 revolver and rifle teams in the1 #adh2 laws on duelling1 #aib2 4#bb single-shot pistol used in1 #bdi2 law regarding firearms in the1 #cfj ,unload1 how to1 #abi ,v 8,vanoc0 quoted1 #aij ,vise1 shooting from a1 #eg ,w ,waistcoat1 leather1 #bjh1 #bbi ,walking1 steps taken in1 #bde ,weight1 pistol1 #df1 #di1 #aaf1 #bdj ,williams1 ,lord ,justice ,vaughan1 quoted1 #ahi ,wimbledon1 shooting at1 #aef1 #aeh1 #cdj1 #cdf ,winans1 model automatic1 #bfc2 front sights1 #cbd1 #cde ,winans1 ,ross1 #abj ,winchester1 the 4#dd rifle1 #bfb1 #bid2 the 4#bb automatic rifle1 #bfe1 #bih ,wind1 shooting in the1 #bbf ,world's record scores1 #ccc ,z ,zeiss glasses1 #bbc