Part 2

From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS.

H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES WAITING FOR GROUSE, SHOWING THE MUCH MORE FORWARD POSITION OF THE LEFT HAND THAN WHEN SHOOTING 〃 70

From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS.

H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES SHOOTING GROUSE AT BOLTON ABBEY, SHOWING THE VERY FORWARD POSITION OF THE LEFT HAND 〃 72

From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS.

MR. R. H. RIMINGTON WILSON SHOOTING GROUSE, SHOWING THE BACK POSITION OF THE LEFT HAND 〃 74

From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS.

WARTER PRIORY. LORD DALHOUSIE 〃 80

From a photograph by Mr. H. LAZENBY, York.

AT WARTER PRIORY. LORD LOVAT IN THE DALES 〃 84

From a photograph by Mr. H. LAZENBY, York.

MR. B. J. WARWICK’S COMPTON PRIDE, A POINTER WHICH TWICE WON THE FIELD TRIAL CHAMPION STAKE 〃 101

From a photograph by the AUTHOR.

THE CELEBRATED FIELD TRIAL WINNING SETTER, CAPTAIN H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE’S IGHTFIELD DUFFER 〃 101

From a photograph by the AUTHOR.

CAPTAIN H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE’S IGHTFIELD ROB ROY POINTING, AND BACKED BY PITCHFORD RANGER 〃 106

From a photograph by Messrs. A. BROWN & CO., Lanark.

THE FAMOUS FIELD TRIAL WINNER SHAMROCK BELONGING TO MR. ARKWRIGHT 〃 126

From a photograph by the OWNER.

SOLOMON’S SEAL AND SEALING WAX TRYING TO GET UP HIGHER AND FEEL THE SCENT 〃 126

From a photograph by the Owner, Mr. ARKWRIGHT.

THREE OF MR. ARKWRIGHT’S WHOLE-COLOURED POINTERS: LEADER, DESPATCH, AND LARGO 〃 127

From photographs by the OWNER.

THE SPANISH POINTER 〃 128

From a painting by G. STUBBS, engraved in Daniel’s _Rural Sports_, 1802.

JUNO, A FAWN-COLOURED POINTER, BRED BY KING GEORGE IV. IT IS SUGGESTIVE OF THE GREYHOUND, AND LIKE MANY MODERN WHOLE-COLOURED POINTERS 〃 129

From an engraving by RICHARD PARR, after a picture by G. H. LAPORT, in _The Sporting Magazine_, 1834.

AN EARLY NINETEENTH-CENTURY PICTURE OF THE WOODCOTE POINTERS, THE PROPERTY OF COL. C. J. COTES. HIS FIELD TRIAL WINNERS PITCHFORD DRUCE AND PITCHFORD DUKE ARE DESCENDED FROM HIS FATHER’S WOODCOTE POINTERS 〃 132

COL. C. J. COTES’ CHAMPION FIELD TRIAL PITCHFORD RANGER ON LORD HOME’S LANARK MOORS 〃 133

From a photograph by the AUTHOR.

COL. C. J. COTES’ CHAMPION FIELD TRIAL PITCHFORD RANGER ON THE RUABON HILL 〃 133

From a photograph by Mr. ALLAN BROWN, Ruabon Hill.

FIELD TRIAL WINNER PITCHFORD BEAUTY ON THE RUABON HILL 〃 134

From a photograph by Mr. ALLAN BROWN, Ruabon Hill.

FIELD TRIAL WINNER PITCHFORD BANG 〃 134

From a photograph by Miss GLADSTONE.

CAPTAIN STIRLING’S BRAG OF KEIR (FIELD TRIAL WINNER) 〃 134

From a photograph by the AUTHOR.

COL. C. J. COTES’ FIELD WINNER PITCHFORD DUKE ON THE RUABON HILLS 〃 135

From a photograph by Mr. ALLAN BROWN, Ruabon Hill.

COL. C. J. COTES’ FIELD WINNER PITCHFORD DUKE ON LORD HOME’S MOORS IN LANARK 〃 135

From a photograph by the AUTHOR.

THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER, by F. C. Turner 〃 139

Showing the character of the black-and-tan setter before the bloodhound cross.

THE ENGLISH SETTER, by Reinagle 〃 144

From Scott’s _Sportsman’s Repository_, 1820.

With the exception of an ill-drawn hind leg and near fore foot this is the correct formation. The model had the shoulders, head, back, and back ribs, rarely seen now except in hard-working dogs.

MR. HERBERT MITCHELL’S LINGFIELD BERYL, WINNER OF FIRSTS SIX TIMES IN SEVEN FIELD TRIAL OUTINGS IN THE SPRING OF 1906 〃 145

From photographs by the OWNER.

CAPT. H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE’S FIELD TRIAL: IGHTFIELD DOT AND IGHTFIELD ROB ROY, WITH SCOT THEIR BREAKER 〃 148

From a photograph by Messrs. A. BROWN, Lanark.

IGHTFIELD ROB ROY AND IGHTFIELD MAC, BELONGING TO CAPTAIN H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE 〃 149

The former was victor on Lord Home’s Moors near Lanark, in July 1906, over all English-bred pointers and setters. The latter was winner of the Puppy Stakes at the same time.

From a photograph by the AUTHOR.

MR. JOHN COTES’ IMPORTED LABRADOR, TIP, FROM AN OLD PICTURE AT WOODCOTE 〃 176

The dog was whelped in 1832, and presented by Mr. Portman to his owner. From this dog is descended the field trial winner, Col. C. J. Cotes’ Pitchford Marshal, and his Monk, an intermediate generation. This dog is more like the dogs at Netherby 45 years ago than is the present race of Labradors.

From a photograph lent by the OWNER of the picture.

COL. C. J. COTES’ PITCHFORD MARSHAL, SEVERAL TIMES A FIELD TRIAL WINNER 〃 177

From a photograph lent by the OWNER.

COL. C. J. COTES’ MONK, AN INTERMEDIATE LINK BETWEEN THE IMPORTED DOG TIP, OF 1832, AND MARSHAL, NOW IN FULL VIGOUR. MONK IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN VERY FAST 〃 177

From a picture lent by the OWNER.

MR. A. T. WILLIAMS AND HIS CELEBRATED LIVER-COLOURED FIELD TRIAL RETRIEVER DON OF GERWN 〃 180

From a photograph presented by Col. J. C. COTES.

MR. A. T. WILLIAMS’ DON OF GERWN (LIVER-COLOURED) 〃 181

MR. LEWIS WIGAN’S SWEEP OF GLENDARUEL (BLACK) 〃 181

THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT’S KENNEL OF LABRADOR RETRIEVERS, 1901 〃 191

From a photograph presented by the OWNER.

THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT’S LABRADOR MUNDEN SINGLE 〃 192

From a photograph presented by the OWNER.

THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT’S MUNDEN SOVEREIGN 〃 192

From a photograph presented by the OWNER.

COL. C. J. COTES AND PITCHFORD MARSHAL, WITH HIS BREAKER HARRY DOWNES 〃 193

From a photograph presented by the OWNER.

THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT AND MUNDEN SINGLE 〃 193

From a photograph presented by the OWNER.

MR. EVERSFIELD’S FIELD TRIAL WINNING ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS OF A LIVER-AND-WHITE BREED KEPT FOR WORK ALONE IN THE FAMILY OF THE BOUGHEYS OF AQUALATE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS. 〃 198

RED AND WHITE FIELD TRIAL WELSH SPRINGER SPANIELS BELONGING TO MR. A. T. WILLIAMS 〃 199

From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS.

FIELD TRIAL ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS OF THE LIVER-AND-WHITE (AQUALATE) BREED BELONGING TO MR. C. C. EVERSFIELD 〃 199

From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS.

PHEASANTS AT WARTER PRIORY. LORD LONDESBOROUGH AT HIGH CLIFF 〃 274

From a photograph by Mr. H. LAZENBY, York.

A HIGHLAND DEER HEAD OF UNUSUALLY HEAVY BEAM—A THIRTEEN POINTER 〃 354

From a photograph by Mrs. SMITHSON.

A FINE WILDLY TYPICAL NINE POINT HIGHLAND HEAD OF 38–INCH SPAN 〃 354

From a photograph by Mrs. SMITHSON.

A TYPICAL HIGHLAND RED DEER IMPERIAL HEAD, THIRTEEN POINTS 〃 355

From a photograph by Mrs. SMITHSON.

A TYPICAL NEW ZEALAND ROYAL HEAD 〃 355

By permission of the Editor of _County Gentleman_.

TYPICAL STAG OF TEN POINTS, SHOT IN KASHMIR BY COL. SMITHSON 〃 356

From a photograph by Col. SMITHSON.

STAG OF THIRTEEN POINTS, SHOT IN KASHMIR BY MRS. SMITHSON 〃 356

From a photograph by Mrs. SMITHSON.

THE COMPLETE SHOT

ANCIENT ACTIONS

By far the greatest inventions in gunnery have been made by chemists. The cleverness and boldness of many wonderful inventions for loading at the breech all aimed at the well-nigh impossible. The powder was always ignited from without, and had to be either partly or quite loose in order to facilitate ignition by means of external fire. That is what beat the inventors of five centuries, who were for ever trying to find a breech-loader, a revolver, or a magazine weapon. In default of these working satisfactorily, they tried weapons with seven barrels, and others with fewer. But it was all to little purpose; the detonator had not been discovered by the Rev. A. J. Forsyth, and the chemist to the French army of Louis XV. had not then invented fulminate of mercury. Consequently a closed-up cartridge containing its own means of ignition was impossible, for although detonating substances were known years before, they were such as did not always wait to be detonated—in other words, they were not stable. They were too dangerous for use, but nevertheless the attempts made at breech-loaders, and especially at magazines, were more than equally dangerous. One weapon had eight touch-holes in eight positions in the barrel, which was eight times charged, one load and charge upon top of the next. That nearest the muzzle was fired first (if the weapon was ever fired at all), and so on, down to that nearest the breech. What prevented the first igniting the rest, and sending all off together with a burst weapon, is not known. If they did not go off all together, one would suppose the firing of several loads in succession would give to those loads in the breech the best ramming ever known. But for this ramming to excess this invention went very near to a more perfect success than any modern magazine weapon. The trouble with all the latter is what to do with the empty cartridge-case. But this old weapon had no cartridge-case. Its ignition was from the outside, and was always ready. It is true that the difference of length of movement of shot within the barrel would make some difference to the velocity of each shot, but not more than would be equalised by a very small extra dose of powder for those charges nearest the muzzle.

Another form of repeater was a breech-loader which carried several charges of powder in the stock, which, in turn, were shaken into a revolving chamber, in front of which, before it was in place for firing, the bullet was inserted for each load, as its turn came round. Other repeaters were simple revolvers, much like the weapon in use now, but of course used without cartridges of self-contained ignition material.

Indeed, the ingenuity expended on breech-loading before the advent of detonating powder for ignition was really greater than the more modern efforts to do a much more simple thing. At the same time, had they succeeded, as they very nearly did, by doing without a removable cartridge-case, they would have accomplished that which is still required for the perfect working of magazine and automatic weapons.

The most elaborate of all the old repeaters was a revolving double-chambered German weapon. It had ten chambers, and each of these carried two charges, with a touch-hole for each. The majority of the old breech-loaders had movable blocks on the principle of the Martini, but instead of the hinged blocks being solid, as in that weapon, they were mostly hollowed out to take the charge and the bullet; sometimes held in a cartridge, but generally with the powder loose, and always loose when in the chamber, in order that there should be free communication with the touch-hole.

Sometimes the barrel was hinged in order to drop down at right angles with the stock, and this was really the forerunner of our drop-down guns of to-day, which are consequently some centuries old in principle, and had it not been for the absence of detonators there would have been nothing left for the nineteenth century to invent.

It has been said that the Prussians were first to take up the principle of the breech-loader for war, but that refers only to the detonated modern breech-loader. Some of the soldiers in the American War of Independence were armed with the breech-loader already mentioned, in which the trigger guard unscrewed the opening into the breech; but although this invention was possibly the soundest in joining of all the old ones, it was slow, and probably was not much used for that reason.

The Venetians had ships armed with cannon as early as 1380 A.D., and in Henry VIII.’s reign the wrecked _Mary Rose_ carried _breech_-loaders, designed on a principle which may possibly have suggested the wire guns of the present. The tube of iron or brass (for both were used) was surmounted by rings of iron which had evidently been slipped over the tube and hammered on while red-hot. These then contracted upon cooling, and pinched the bore smaller, so that, intentionally or not, the bore was made to expand to its original size upon an explosion occurring before any stress was put on the metal of the internal surface by the powder-gas. That is to say, all the first part of the strain went to expand the rings on the outside of the gun before the inside had reassumed its natural dimensions; or, in other words, the tension between the external big circumference and the internal small one was equalised, just on the same principle as it is in the latest big guns. This is known, because some of the _Mary Rose’s_ big guns were got up from the sea about half a century ago. She was over-weighted, and it is quite probable that her loss had a good deal to do with teaching the nation that before everything a warship must be handy, so that, when the Spaniards sent their great ships to fight Elizabeth, her smaller craft, and Britain’s uncertain weather, between them sank or squandered the whole Spanish fleet.

ANCIENT PISTOLS TO AUTOMATIC AND ELEPHANT RIFLES

Italy has the credit of the invention of the pistol, which came into being soon after the designing of the wheel-lock and the rifling of barrels. Caminelleo Vitelli of Pistoia made the first about 1540. It was in the manufacture of these small weapons that gun-makers from this date to the beginning of the nineteenth century excelled. The workmanship was generally of a high order, and the ornamentation, especially of some of the German specimens, was extremely artistic.

Moreover, during the flint and steel age, some double-barrelled pistols were built with two locks and only one trigger. Although these weapons worked quite perfectly, it must not be assumed that the makers of these pistols could have made a double shoulder gun to work satisfactorily with but one trigger. That difficulty was overcome at the end of the nineteenth century; but even then the clever designers had not discovered exactly what the former trouble was, and it was freely stated in a way that is now known to have been wrong. Indeed, the author was the first to discover the real reason for the involuntary second pull and double discharge. As this phenomenon did not occur in pistols, but did so in shoulder weapons, it apparently seemed easy to trace the cause. Very early in the nineteenth century, dozens, and since then hundreds, of designers and patentees have set out with the announcement that they had discovered the true cause of the trouble, and met it with a patent. As the latter were always badly constructed, it may be assumed that the patentees were wrong in their diagnosis. As a matter of fact, they were, as was proved when the author published the true cause of involuntary pull in _The County Gentleman_, and for a time had to meet alone the hostile criticism of most of the gun trade, the members of which now admit the truth of those criticised statements. Although the true reason must be dealt with under the heading of single-trigger guns and rifles, it may be briefly stated that the success of the single-trigger double-barrelled pistol was not because of its more feeble explosion, as was supposed, but because the recoil continues long enough to allow the will of the shooter to gain command of his muscular finger action, before the check to recoil occurs. Whereas, with the shoulder gun, the finger which has let off the first lock flies back as the trigger is carried from it by recoil, and this sustained muscular action cannot be stopped by the will as quickly as the gun recoil is lessened by the shoulder. Consequently, we involuntarily give a second pressure to the trigger, without knowing that we have ceased giving a first. This want of perception of what we ourselves do is caused partly by quickness of the recoil, and partly because the recoil relieves the pressure, and our wills have nothing to do with the matter. Or, to be more correct, we pull off the trigger once intentionally, but are unable to cease pulling when the trigger has given way. Consequently we unconsciously follow up the trigger as it jumps back in recoil, catch up with it, and involuntarily pull it again without knowing that we have let go, or had the trigger momentarily snatched from us.

It is clear that the understanding of this principle was as necessary to designers of automatic repeaters as it was to makers of double-barrelled shot guns, and yet the Mauser repeating automatic pistol and the Webley Fosbery automatic revolver were invented, with some others, before the reason of the involuntary pull had been discovered; and more than that, the author had tested the Mauser with its shoulder stock satisfactorily. But no satisfactory automatic rifle had been then invented, and the trouble with them was to prevent the sending forth of a stream of bullets when only one shot was wanted. The greater force being dealt with, had brought into action the difficulty of the involuntary pull. This has now been overcome; but still there are other difficulties which have been treated less satisfactorily, and those who are ambitious to use automatic weapons will be wise to confine that ambition to the many pistols and the revolver in the market. Repeating shot guns are lumbering tools, from which disqualification the automatic weapons are little likely to be free. Still, it is quite possible that a gunner could shoot more birds out of a single covey with one automatic gun than with two double guns. But what of it? The aim of the gunner is not merely to shoot at one covey, but to keep on shooting fast for perhaps half an hour. The thing that stops very fast shooting is not loading and changing guns, but heat of barrels, and consequently to make these single barrels equal to the doubles there must be four of them in place of two doubles, and six of them in place of three ejectors. The time has not yet come when anybody wants to employ three loaders to carry six guns.

There is some reason to prefer the automatic principle for pistols and revolvers, because the user’s life may often depend upon the quickness of his shots at an enemy, but there is less reason for their use in military rifles, and actual disadvantage for sporting rifles and shot guns. The author has shot the Mauser, the Colt, and the Fosbery with satisfaction to himself. The latest invention is a sliding automatic pistol of .32 gauge invented by Messrs. Webley. But no automatic pistol can be as reliable as the service revolver, or as the Fosbery, since a sticking cartridge or a misfire disables any of them.

It is often said that these spring actuated actions, on which the barrel slides back, give less recoil than others, but in practice this is not so, and in science it could not be so, although it is stated in the last Government text-book that they reduce recoil.

The principles on which it is sought to make automatic rifles are as follows:—

1. To actuate an ejector, magazine loading, and closing action by means of gas obtained from a hole in the barrel.

2. To actuate the same movements by means of recoil and rebound of the sliding barrel on to an independent stock grooved to carry the barrel, and fitted with a spring.

3. To actuate the same movements by means of allowing the whole weapon to recoil on to a false heel plate spring, and rebound from it.

4. By allowing a short sliding recoil of the barrel to make the bolting action slide farther back on to the stock and a spring, and to rebound from them.

Several of these principles have been employed in conjunction in this or other countries. The recoil is made to compress a spring, which by re-expansion completes the work of closing up the rifle, when it does not stick and fail, as in all specimens of automatic rifles has occurred at intervals.

All nations are now armed with magazine repeating rifles, but none have yet adopted automatic loading for rifles. The choice between the various magazine mechanisms is a mere matter of taste, but the shortening of the British national arm to 25 inches seems to have been done without regard to the fact that no rifle of 25 inches can compete in accuracy with an equally well-made and an equally well-loaded weapon of 30 inches, although it may compete favourably with the discarded Mark II. Lee-Enfield, which was improperly made and also badly loaded. Unfortunately, our prospective enemies are not embracing the faults of the Mark II., but are adhering to a rifle instead of a carbine. That is the correct term to employ to describe the new weapon.

The carbine of any period has generally been equal to the rifle of the preceding decade, but it has never yet been equal to the rifle of its own decade, and never will be.

Miniature rifles for amateur soldiers in the making are very numerous. The best cheap one the author has handled is the rifle with which Mr. W. W. Greener won the _Navy and Army_ competition, which was managed by the author. What is here meant by a low price is £2, 2s., and under. The rifle was used with peep sights. But better advice than naming any maker is this. All the makers profess to put a group of seven shots on to a postage stamp at 50 yards. They all employ expert shooters who can do this if it is to be done. Buy the rifle with which they do it in your presence, and it will then be your own fault if you cannot perform likewise. This test of a single rifle is quite satisfactory; but a double rifle has to be dealt with differently, as is explained in another chapter. Of course, it is a mistake to shoot a rifle from any sort of fixed rest; the weapon, when loose in the hands, bends its barrel, or flips, jumps, and also recoils, and it is good or bad according as it does accurate work under the action of all these influences. A rest to steady the arms is quite permissible, but a vice to hold the rifle is not.