----------------------+---------------+---------------+----------- | | | Name of Maker. | Total on face | Tot’l thro’gh | Recoil in | of 4 targets. | 4 targets. | pounds. | | | ----------------------+---------------+---------------+----------- | | | ----------------------+---------------+---------------+-----+----- O. Smith, Derby | 325 | 68 | 68 | 58 Culling | 322 | 43 | 53 | 54 Dougall, Glasgow | 312 | 54 | 65 | 68 Joe Manton, London | 301 | 57 | 64 | 62 Culling | 289 | 47 | 60 | 44 Reilly | 300 | 69 | 69 | 76 Lang, London | 283 | 51 | 64 | 60 Reilly | 274 | 67 | 68 | 74 Prince & Green | 249 | 64 | 71 | 73 Prince & Green | 242 | 49 | 69 | 64 Hast | 206 | 63 | 68 | 67 Reilly | 225 | 46 | 68 | 72 ----------------------+---------------+---------------+-----+----- | 277 | 56 | 65 | 64 ----------------------+---------------+---------------+-----+-----
The guns were classified according to their weight. The breech-loaders, which used one quarter of a drachm more powder, showed about an equal recoil; the recoil differed surprisingly, ranging from 44 to 76 lbs., and was no indication of the power with which the shot was driven--a greater number of sheets being pierced where the recoil was under the average. The patterns produced by the muzzle-loaders varied from those of the breech-loaders less than they did from one another, and far less than that of one barrel differed from that of the other; in fact, the right-hand barrel seems to have shot much the best, and some of the guns that excelled at 40 yards fell far behindhand at 60 yards.
In penetration, which is a more valuable quality in a gun than even pattern, the breech-loaders took the lead; one pierced through 40 sheets and another through 39 sheets, so that the vaunted superiority of the old gun in this particular was found not to exist. It was further noted that a great improvement in this particular had taken place in the breech-loaders since the trial of the year previous, which improvement has been going on steadily since. The trial also proved that, although the breech-loaders required an extra amount of powder to give them force, it caused in them no additional recoil, and was objectionable in so far only as it entailed extra expense and weight of ammunition. The muzzle-loader was left, to offset its numerous inferiorities, nothing more than a claim to diminished weight of gun and ammunition, and a trifling saving in expense; in force and pattern it was equalled; in safety and handiness it was far surpassed by its competitor.