Читать книгу The Complete English Wing Shot - George Teasdale Teasdale-Buckell - Страница 6

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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.”

Mr. Rigby replies as follows:—

“Rooks.—.250 bore, shooting usual Eley or Kynoch cartridge.

“Rabbits.—.300 bore, shooting usual Eley or Kynoch cartridge.

“Red Deer, Scotch.—Double-barrel hammerless .303; shooting cordite and split-nose bullets; weight of rifle about 8 lbs.

“Chamois.—Mauser-Rigby magazine rifle with telescope sight; weight of rifle 7½ lbs.; Mauser 7 mm. cartridges with split bullets.

“African Antelopes, Indian Deer, Ibex, and Tibet Wild Sheep, Lions and Tigers.—.350 bore Rigby double barrel; weight 9¼ lbs.; cordite cartridge giving 2150 f.s. m.v.; bullet 310 grains, split and soft nose, or Mauser-Rigby magazine shooting same ammunition; a grand rifle.

“Eastern Elephants, Eastern Buffalo, African Buffalo, African Elephants.—.450 high velocity cordite double barrel; weight 11 lbs.; bullet 480 grains m.v. 2150 f.s.”

Mr. Leslie B. Taylor replies for Messrs. Westley Richards thus:—

“Bournbrook, Birmingham

“October 13th, 1906

“Dear Mr. Buckell,—I regret that I could not give you the information earlier, being up to my eyes in work. I have filled in the sizes I think suitable for each kind of game gathered from our clients’ own opinions formed from experience. You will notice that in some cases I have mentioned the .450 high velocity rifle. As regards India, this rifle will now be unavailable; a recent alteration of the shooting regulations excludes the .450 bore, which like the .303 cannot be imported into that country for private use.

“The new accelerated express rifle .375/.303 will no doubt, on account of its being associated in the minds of the officials with the actual .303 bore, come under the same ban. But this is a powerful rifle, as you will gather from the enclosed particulars, and when used with the capped bullet becomes a most formidable weapon, and has been satisfactorily employed against Tiger.

“I have just introduced a new extension of the accelerated express system .318 bore, 2500 feet velocity, 250 grains bullet, muzzle energy 3466 ft. lbs., and this ranks only second to the .400 bore rifle. It is remarkably accurate, and as it is used in conjunction with the copper-capped expanding bullet, it will take the place of the .450 bore now prohibited.

“I merely give you these particulars, as you will see that very shortly, if the Indian regulations continue in force, as I have no doubt they will, the other information might be considered out of date.—Yours very truly,

“Leslie B. Taylor

“Rooks.—.250; some prefer .297/.230, a similar one.

“Rabbits.—.250 or .300; latter preferred if country will permit.

“Red Deer, Scotch.—Many sizes are used, from .256 Mannlicher; the .360 high velocity is effective. For those who prefer a very flat trajectory superior to the Mannlicher, the new accelerated h.v. .375/.303 is taken.

“Chamois.—Nothing less than .360; the .375 with copper-capped bullet is very effective, although the .256 is often used: it is found not to kill the beast.

“African Antelopes.—.360 and nickel-capped bullet, a .375/.303 accelerated express; many sportsmen are using the .303 with nickel-capped bullet.

“Indian Deer, Ibex, Tibet Wild Sheep.—.256 Mannlicher, Mauser .275, also .360 and .375 bore with capped bullet; some use ball and shot guns 12 bore.

“Lions and Tigers.—.360 to .450 h.v. express; the new .375/.303 has proved successful at Tigers with the capped bullet.

“Eastern Elephants.—The best weapon I know, of which I have the most excellent accounts, is the .577 h.v. rifle, 100 grs. cordite and 750 grs. solid and capped bullet.

“Eastern Buffalo.—.360, .400, and .450 h.v. express.

“African Buffalo.—.450 h.v. express and .577 h.v. express.

“African Elephants.—The .577 .100/.710; some use the .450, but the former is a most deadly weapon.

“I have just received information from an African sportsman that he has shot an African buffalo with a Westley Richards 12 explora, the horn measurements of which are strikingly fine, and promise to be a record.”

In reply to further questions, Mr. Holland writes as follows:—

“October 13th, 1906

“Dear Mr. Teasdale-Buckell,—I don’t think it necessary to distinguish between African and Indian elephants. No doubt the former is more difficult to kill with the frontal shot, but you must try and get another shot; then, again, the 480 grain (450) bullet gives enormous penetration, and probably would penetrate the head of an African elephant as well as any bullet you could use. For a charging elephant, there is nothing like the big bore for stopping, or at any rate turning the animal. Velocity: it is a curious thing that we appear to get practically the same elevation with the 375 (450) bullet as the 480 gr. one, and practically the same velocity. We attribute this to the extra weight of the 480 gr. offering more resistance to the powder, and thereby setting up higher pressure, greater heat, though practically making the powder do more work.

Henry Holland”

It may be said that at this moment velocities are undergoing radical change, due to the improved powder Axite, and that one maker offers rifles giving to the 303 bullet a muzzle velocity of 2700 f.s. This means a greater stride than that from the express to the high velocity rifles, and if it is accurate, then trajectories have been very much reduced.

In reply to a still further question, the following is a reply that explains itself:—

“October 15th, 1906

“Dear Mr. Teasdale-Buckell,—I have your letter of the 12th inst. With regard to the .500/.450, I think I said 2000 ft.; it should have been about 2100 ft. As a curious confirmation of the above, I may point out that in Kynoch’s book on the ballistics of various rifles, it gives 2150 ft. as the muzzle velocity of a .450 bore rifle with 70 grains cordite and 480 grains bullet, whereas with 70 grains powder and 420 grains bullet it gives the muzzle velocity as 2125 ft.

“The muzzle velocity of a 950 grains bullet from a 10 bore Paradox, nitro powder, is 1500 ft. The bullet is made either of solid hardened lead or steel cored; see the enclosed illustrations of the latter. With regard to the rook and rabbit rifles, the .220 shoots 3 grains powder and 30 grains bullet, and the .250 7 grains powder and 56 grains bullet. Solid bullets for rooks, and hollow-point bullets for rabbits.—Yours faithfully,

“H. W. Holland”