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.
Once Mr. Purdey expressed the opinion that he could learn as much from
his customers as they could from him. The author thought this so shrewd
a remark, that, having a knowledge of the many good sportsmen and
big-game hunters who employ the weapons of the Messrs. Holland &
Holland, Messrs. John Rigby, and Messrs. Westley Richards, he wrote to
each of them to ask their opinions of the best bore and weight of rifle,
sort and weight of powder, sort and weight of bullet, and velocity of
bullet to be expected, for each of the following animals, as if each
were the only object to be pursued by the sportsman. He stated at the
same time, that compromise to meet the requirements of several, or many,
of these animals he regarded as a personal and individual matter to the
sportsman. He pointed out also that in asking for opinions he knew that
he was asking for a consensus of opinion of the past customers of the
firms in question. It is interesting to compare the views of each maker
as to the best rifle to use for everything, from a rook and rabbit, to
an African elephant charging down on the gunner, and requiring the
frontal shot. What is intended is the very best weapon to have in hand
at the moment, if there were nothing else to be considered. Mr.
Holland’s reply is as follows:—
“98 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON, W.,
“_October 11th, 1906_
“DEAR MR. TEASDALE-BUCKELL,—It is impossible in the space of a short
paragraph to go thoroughly into the question of the best bore, weight of
rifle, etc. etc., best suited to each kind of game. A good deal must
depend upon the conditions under which the rifle is used, the
capabilities of the sportsman, etc., but taken generally the rifles
mentioned below are those we have found to give the best all-round
results, and our opinion is formed upon the reports received from a
large number of sportsmen, including many of the best known and most
experienced game hunters.
“_Rooks._—.220 or .250 bore.
“_Rabbits._—.250 bore; weight about 5 to 6 lbs.
“_Red Deer, Scotch._—(1) .375 bore double-barrelled; weight 9½ lbs. (2)
.375 bore sporting magazine rifle, Mannlicher-Schonauer for choice;
weight 7½ lbs. (3) .375 bore single-drop block; weight 7½ lbs.; velocity
about 2000 ft.; charge 40–43 grains of cordite or its equivalent; 270
grains bullet, either soft-nosed solid or hollow point.
“_Chamois._—Same as for Red Deer, also .256 Mannlicher.
“_African Antelopes._—.375 bore as above.
“_Indian Deer._—.375 bore as above.
“_Moose, Wapiti, and big 35–50 stone Deer of Hungary, etc._—.450 bore
double-barrelled rifle; weight 10½ lbs.; charge 70 grains of cordite
powder or its equivalent; bullet soft-nosed solid 370 or 420 grains;
velocity about 2000 ft.
“_Lions._—(1) 12 bore Magnum Paradox; weight 8–8½ lbs.; charge of
smokeless powder equivalent to 4½ drams of black powder; 735 grains
hollow-point bullet; velocity 1250–1300 ft. (2) .450 cordite rifle same
as for Moose, etc.
“_Tigers, from houdah or machan._—12 bore Paradox; weight about 7¼ lbs.;
charge equivalent to 3¼ drams of black powder; 735 grains bullet;
velocity about 1100 ft.
“_Lions and Tigers, followed up on foot._—12 bore Magnum Paradox.
“_Elephant, Buffalo, etc., in thick jungle._—10 bore Paradox; weight 13
lbs.; nitro powder charge equivalent to 8 drams of black powder, in
solid drawn brass case, solid nickel-covered bullet 950 grains.
“_Elephant, Buffalo, in more open country._—.450 cordite rifle same as
above; charge 70 grains cordite or its equivalent; nickel-covered solid
bullet 480 grains.”