There are many nineteenth century sporting authors which gives us an insight into shooting & guns during the early part of that century. Some very practical advice & information concerning firearms comes from Peter Hawker, which we have included, together with other sources here.
From 'Instructions to young sportsmen', 1820s, Peter Hawker wrote, on the choosing of guns & gunmakers..."Of a common size are now brought to such perfection, that a person, who is content with being tolerably well served, can hardly go amiss, in choosing his gunmaker; and there is scarcely anyone in the business but, from the accidental circumstance of having served some of his customers with good barrels, is extolled, by them, as the best maker in the kingdom.
The real sportsman, however, will turn a deaf ear to such recommendations, and continue going to the heads of the trade, which, he may rest assured, for one who wishes to be really well served, is the most certain, the most satisfactory, and, in the end, the cheapest method he can adopt.
In answer to those, who deprecate the idea of giving Mr. Manton, or Mr. Purdey, fifty five, or Mr. Joseph Manton sixty-five guineas for a gun, let me only observe, that the workmen, employed by these and other good makers, require wages and indulgence in proportion to their skill in the respective branches of the business; and it thereby becomes necessary to charge for the guns accordingly.
Should this expense be incompatible with the spirit of finances of the shooter, he has only to pay a visit to Mr. Bishop (170, New Bond Street), or Messrs. Kent, Avery and Vincent (corner of Little Brook Street), where he will get, at reduced prices, the guns of almost every mechanic in London, and some of them entirely new, with every article, as it came packed from the gunmaker, to the gentleman, who raised the wind on it.
Buying a gun ready made, at a respectable shop, is cheaper and better than going to an inferior maker, by reason that instead of waiting six months for one, which, after all, you might not be pleased with, you may here, at once, suit yourself; and, sometimes, full as well as if you had spared no expense. You should, however, first try to examine it, as the gunmakers themselves, as well as the broken-down gentry, are frequently obliged to have little commerce with pawnbrokers.
By having here mentioned only the names of the two Mantons and Purdey, I do not mean to cast any reflection on the rest of the trade; as no one can dispute that most of the leading makers, both in town and country, have turned out some excellent guns: and I am induced to mention one of the country makers, as an encouragement for others to follow his example-Mr. Parsons, of Salisbury, who has his barrels from the same man, and closely imitates Mr. Manton; by which he has given much satisfaction in the West of England. Mr. Parsons has of late, become quite a star among the country gunmakers, as I always thought he would, because he was never above being told anything.
By having named Mr. Parsons, let it be understood that I am far from meaning any thing against his competitor, Mr. Rhodes, who is also a gunmaker of good repute in the same town.
The barrel-maker that I have alluded to is Mr. Fullerd, who for forging, is one of our best artificers. Mr. Charles Lancaster is the other justly celebrated man. Mr. Lancaster receives his barrels in the rough from Birminghan (where the coals for the forge are now easier to be got good than in London); and, consequently, he has the picking from some of the best barrels in Europe; and then turns and finishes them, in a very superior manner, at his workshop, No. 2, Thomas Place, Hampstead Road. Here Mr. Lancaster has a self acting machine for turning the outside of barrels, from end to end; and producing, mathematically true, the proper shape and curve, from the muzzle to the breeching. This apparatus has cost him immense pains and expense, and is, no question, the best invention that has ever been adopted; as regular shooting must, in a great degree, depend on the regular thickness, and the regular tapering of the barrel".
Duck Guns
(general directions for)
From "Instructions to Young Sportsmen" Peter Hawker 1826
If a sportsman could afford to have one of the very best that could possibly be turned out of hand, he would, I was confident, get better served by Mr. Joseph Manton, than by anyone in the trade; because his fine boring and other finishing were done entirely by picked workmen in his own house, under the immediate eye of himself, or his agents. Here he had rooms, with a good light to work in, and the very best of tools, and other conveniences, instead of having the different parts of the gun hawked about the streets from one poor journeyman to another; at the risk of ultimately requiring patchwork, in order to disguise from the customer their not fitting together in a sound and workmanlike manner.
(I regret to say, that this concern is broken up, and the greater part of the working machinery, such as no other gunmaker in Europe could produce, has been sold off; and the whole of this fine establishment reduced to a complete wreck. Mr Lancaster had purchased the lease of the premises; but, in consequence of Mr Manton's commission being afterwards set aside, Mr Lancaster's purchase became null and void. He has, however, retained most of the best workmen, and that excellent gunmaker, Purdey. I believe, has got some of the others. Mr Joseph Manton still assures me that he shall resume business; but this is best known to himself. All I can say, therefore, is, that if he does not, I know of no one so fit to succeed him as Lancaster.
This is the present state of affairs at the head of the gun-trade, but most probably before the remainder of this edition is printed off, I may be able to give further, and more decided, information).
If on the other hand, if the shooter is content with a serviceable duck gun that will kill well, and answer every purpose, and is not au fait enough to send his own specific directions to Birmingham, he has only to go to the fountain head at once, and order Mr Fullerd or Mr Lancaster to send him a barrel completely finished for shooting, and then get it fitted up to his own fancy by any tolerable mechanic.
My reason for preferring this plan is, because I know from experience that if Fullerd and Lancaster are left alone, they can bore a barrel to shoot well; but when interfered with, they become mere journeymen who dare not open their mouths, insomuch that if they were ordered to bore a barrel like a blunderbuss; a bugle; or a gas-pipe; no matter which-they must do it.
It has been a grand object with some gunmakers to supress the reputation of Fullerd and Lancaster by punching their names out of the barrels, and putting on their own. This may be all fair when these barrel makers are only employed for the rough work; but this is frequently done even when they have finished the boring, and completed almost every part of the barrels, and breechings, except the mere polish with sand-paper. It therefore often happens that, for this second baptism, and a few dandy ornaments, which are quite out of character for duck guns, the customer is made to pay an enormous percentage above the fair trade profit. Several of these gunmakers declare to me that they get nothing by what they call "making" duck guns. Very well, then : if so, by placarding the following names, where they cannot be punched out again, I shall be doing them essential services.-
WILLIAM FULLERD, No. 56, Compton-street, Clerkenwell.
CHARLES LANCASTER, No. 26, York-street, Gloucester-place.
Many will tell you, that a large gun will do no more execution than a small one ; and, by the same rule, they may say, that a gun will kill no farther than a pistol.
The advantage of a duck gun is, that it will carry large shot more compactly, and may be fired with double or treble the charge for a piece of an ordinary size. You are therefore enabled to use the largest shot, with the same advantage, that No.7 may be fired from a double gun ; by which means, at a large object, you may kill considerably farther ; and, in a flock, many more birds at a shot... A large gun, to carry twice as much as a small one (say three or four ounces), should not weigh less than 12, nor exceed 16lbs. and be used with No.1 or 2 shot ; and the same proportion of powder as before recommended. One to carry five or six ounces should not weigh less than 18, nor exceed 20lbs., and be used with A or B shot ; and so on in proportion ; but this is the most that can well be fired without a rest.
The recoil of a duck gun can only be checked by weight of metal, and there are two ways to dispose of it : the one, immense thickness, whereby the gun may be short, portable, and easily managed ; and the other, considerable length, by which you may kill farther, and take a much more accurate aim. The former is the plan of Mr. Joseph Manton, the latter of Mr D. Egg : and. in order to partake a little of both advantages, I should steer between the two, and have my barrels never less than three feet eight, nor more than four feet four inches, unless I used a rest ; by which means a gun being top heavy is rendered quite the reverse of objectionable. In this case, I should adopt the plan of Mr. D. Egg, as the best in every respect. A broad heel-plate contributes greatly to lessen the recoil ; and in some of the largest sized shoulder guns, a sponge has sometimes been found necessary, to prevent the guard from cutting the second finger.
As to the best length for duck guns that are used without a rest, and must therefore be made to mount tolerably well ; I will lay down a simple rule for those of every size : viz.. measure the barrels of your best double gun, and see how many times they are in length the diameter of the punched wadding ; and order your duck guns to be never less than from four to six more diameters in proportion. That is, if your double gun, of fourteen gauge, should be of the common length (2 feet 8 inches), which is forty-four diameters, let your duck gun of seven gauge, and of 13lbs. weight, be never less than from 3 feet 6¼ to 3 feet 8 inches ; (or, if you can manage 4 feet, so much the better) ; and so forth on a still larger scale. The latter gun at forty-four diameters would be 3 feet 2½ inches, but with this length it would scatter more at long shots ; and, if properly loaded (say with 3½ ounces of shot), would be flying up forward, be felt too severely to the shoulder.
Recollect, that although the same ratio might hold good for guns, yet neither the weight of the atmosphere nor the muscular power of a man can be made to serve in proportion. If a duck gun is too large in the caliber, in proportion to its weight of metal, it will recoil considerably ; and if too small, it will not have the desired effect of allowing the shot to lie compactly together.
A gun fired from a rest is felt more than if held out, because the left hand, when grasping it, checks the recoil. The stock of a heavy duck gun should be more bent than that of a common gun, as, when we are holding out a great weight, it is not so easy to lower the head ; and it should also be observed, that the curve in the stock tends to lessen the recoil.
I have of late years had the duck gun stocks, which I use on the coast, made with a pistol grip, and whipped with waxed end, round the handle, similar to a cricket bat, which rather lessens the jar ; and the upper part of the butt very much cut away, in order to prevent it from hurting the shoulder bone. I also paint and varnish the stock, by which means it does not get cracked, after being wetted with salt water. The gunmakers' stocks I found were always a great plague on this account, as well of from the trouble of keeping them in order, after being exposed to the spray of the sea. Add to which, they recoil most unmercifully, and are therefore only fit for light charges. I should always have these stocks rather short ; as one that would mount well in a shooting jacket, would be unmanageably long in a gunning dress.
The following is the average of several shots, tried at twelve sheets of thick brown paper, to ascertain the difference between two common duck guns, and a very superior double gun, made by Mr. Joseph Manton.
The large guns were loaded with precisely double the charge of the small gun, which is one-fifth less than that with which they always killed best.
The paper was nailed up close to a sheet of water, and two men placed to observe the effect ; which was, that the outside shot (that which flew wide of the paper) appeared to be driven with much more force from the heavy guns, and, of course, spread a much larger surface.
This proves, that although, if both accurately leveled, the difference between a wildfowl gun and a small gun is not so very considerable, at a single bird ; yet, from the immense circle, which the large gun spreads, you have more chances of killing with an indifferent aim ; and, of course, in a flock (as before said), would kill many more birds at a shot.
At the same time an opportunity was taken to prove the advantage of shot lying compact ; viz.. after loading the double gun with a full charge of powder, and placing within the muzzle a round of pasteboard, I put thereon forty-five grains of No. 7 shot, shook them all into one tier on the wadding, and, after having laid on them another round of pasteboard, carefully rammed down all together:- the result was, that, at thirty yards, twenty grains were well distributed in a newspaper.
For shooting in windy weather, and killing birds that would dive at a flash, there can be no question as to the superiority of detonating duck guns.
In loading a gun, the farther you wish to reach a flock of birds, the more powder and the less shot you must put ; because you may often make good a few random shots into flocks of wildfowl, by putting a considerably large measure of powder than of shot ; when by the usual mode of loading, you might only hear the shot rattle on the wings of many, without bringing down a single bird.
To conclude this subject, it need only be observed, that the same directions as those before given will hold good for the choice, care, and cleaning of duck guns. They cannot, however, be made to balance quite so well as guns on a small construction, without an unmanageable quantity of lead ; and, in these, the scrollguard, or, what is far better, as I before observed, a pistol grip to the stock, may be adopted, in order to prevent the right hand from being driven against the face, in the event of a recoil. But, if they should have been loaded some time, it is best to loosen the charge of shot, which, otherwise, would be felt severely.
If one of these guns should be laid aside for a season or two, your filling it with mutton suet will entirely prevent rust.
©rescuingthepast.co.uk 2006-2011
From 'Instructions to young sportsmen', 1820s, Peter Hawker wrote, on the choosing of guns & gunmakers..."Of a common size are now brought to such perfection, that a person, who is content with being tolerably well served, can hardly go amiss, in choosing his gunmaker; and there is scarcely anyone in the business but, from the accidental circumstance of having served some of his customers with good barrels, is extolled, by them, as the best maker in the kingdom.
The real sportsman, however, will turn a deaf ear to such recommendations, and continue going to the heads of the trade, which, he may rest assured, for one who wishes to be really well served, is the most certain, the most satisfactory, and, in the end, the cheapest method he can adopt.
In answer to those, who deprecate the idea of giving Mr. Manton, or Mr. Purdey, fifty five, or Mr. Joseph Manton sixty-five guineas for a gun, let me only observe, that the workmen, employed by these and other good makers, require wages and indulgence in proportion to their skill in the respective branches of the business; and it thereby becomes necessary to charge for the guns accordingly.
Should this expense be incompatible with the spirit of finances of the shooter, he has only to pay a visit to Mr. Bishop (170, New Bond Street), or Messrs. Kent, Avery and Vincent (corner of Little Brook Street), where he will get, at reduced prices, the guns of almost every mechanic in London, and some of them entirely new, with every article, as it came packed from the gunmaker, to the gentleman, who raised the wind on it.
Buying a gun ready made, at a respectable shop, is cheaper and better than going to an inferior maker, by reason that instead of waiting six months for one, which, after all, you might not be pleased with, you may here, at once, suit yourself; and, sometimes, full as well as if you had spared no expense. You should, however, first try to examine it, as the gunmakers themselves, as well as the broken-down gentry, are frequently obliged to have little commerce with pawnbrokers.
By having here mentioned only the names of the two Mantons and Purdey, I do not mean to cast any reflection on the rest of the trade; as no one can dispute that most of the leading makers, both in town and country, have turned out some excellent guns: and I am induced to mention one of the country makers, as an encouragement for others to follow his example-Mr. Parsons, of Salisbury, who has his barrels from the same man, and closely imitates Mr. Manton; by which he has given much satisfaction in the West of England. Mr. Parsons has of late, become quite a star among the country gunmakers, as I always thought he would, because he was never above being told anything.
By having named Mr. Parsons, let it be understood that I am far from meaning any thing against his competitor, Mr. Rhodes, who is also a gunmaker of good repute in the same town.
The barrel-maker that I have alluded to is Mr. Fullerd, who for forging, is one of our best artificers. Mr. Charles Lancaster is the other justly celebrated man. Mr. Lancaster receives his barrels in the rough from Birminghan (where the coals for the forge are now easier to be got good than in London); and, consequently, he has the picking from some of the best barrels in Europe; and then turns and finishes them, in a very superior manner, at his workshop, No. 2, Thomas Place, Hampstead Road. Here Mr. Lancaster has a self acting machine for turning the outside of barrels, from end to end; and producing, mathematically true, the proper shape and curve, from the muzzle to the breeching. This apparatus has cost him immense pains and expense, and is, no question, the best invention that has ever been adopted; as regular shooting must, in a great degree, depend on the regular thickness, and the regular tapering of the barrel".
Duck Guns
(general directions for)
From "Instructions to Young Sportsmen" Peter Hawker 1826
If a sportsman could afford to have one of the very best that could possibly be turned out of hand, he would, I was confident, get better served by Mr. Joseph Manton, than by anyone in the trade; because his fine boring and other finishing were done entirely by picked workmen in his own house, under the immediate eye of himself, or his agents. Here he had rooms, with a good light to work in, and the very best of tools, and other conveniences, instead of having the different parts of the gun hawked about the streets from one poor journeyman to another; at the risk of ultimately requiring patchwork, in order to disguise from the customer their not fitting together in a sound and workmanlike manner.
(I regret to say, that this concern is broken up, and the greater part of the working machinery, such as no other gunmaker in Europe could produce, has been sold off; and the whole of this fine establishment reduced to a complete wreck. Mr Lancaster had purchased the lease of the premises; but, in consequence of Mr Manton's commission being afterwards set aside, Mr Lancaster's purchase became null and void. He has, however, retained most of the best workmen, and that excellent gunmaker, Purdey. I believe, has got some of the others. Mr Joseph Manton still assures me that he shall resume business; but this is best known to himself. All I can say, therefore, is, that if he does not, I know of no one so fit to succeed him as Lancaster.
This is the present state of affairs at the head of the gun-trade, but most probably before the remainder of this edition is printed off, I may be able to give further, and more decided, information).
If on the other hand, if the shooter is content with a serviceable duck gun that will kill well, and answer every purpose, and is not au fait enough to send his own specific directions to Birmingham, he has only to go to the fountain head at once, and order Mr Fullerd or Mr Lancaster to send him a barrel completely finished for shooting, and then get it fitted up to his own fancy by any tolerable mechanic.
My reason for preferring this plan is, because I know from experience that if Fullerd and Lancaster are left alone, they can bore a barrel to shoot well; but when interfered with, they become mere journeymen who dare not open their mouths, insomuch that if they were ordered to bore a barrel like a blunderbuss; a bugle; or a gas-pipe; no matter which-they must do it.
It has been a grand object with some gunmakers to supress the reputation of Fullerd and Lancaster by punching their names out of the barrels, and putting on their own. This may be all fair when these barrel makers are only employed for the rough work; but this is frequently done even when they have finished the boring, and completed almost every part of the barrels, and breechings, except the mere polish with sand-paper. It therefore often happens that, for this second baptism, and a few dandy ornaments, which are quite out of character for duck guns, the customer is made to pay an enormous percentage above the fair trade profit. Several of these gunmakers declare to me that they get nothing by what they call "making" duck guns. Very well, then : if so, by placarding the following names, where they cannot be punched out again, I shall be doing them essential services.-
WILLIAM FULLERD, No. 56, Compton-street, Clerkenwell.
CHARLES LANCASTER, No. 26, York-street, Gloucester-place.
Many will tell you, that a large gun will do no more execution than a small one ; and, by the same rule, they may say, that a gun will kill no farther than a pistol.
The advantage of a duck gun is, that it will carry large shot more compactly, and may be fired with double or treble the charge for a piece of an ordinary size. You are therefore enabled to use the largest shot, with the same advantage, that No.7 may be fired from a double gun ; by which means, at a large object, you may kill considerably farther ; and, in a flock, many more birds at a shot... A large gun, to carry twice as much as a small one (say three or four ounces), should not weigh less than 12, nor exceed 16lbs. and be used with No.1 or 2 shot ; and the same proportion of powder as before recommended. One to carry five or six ounces should not weigh less than 18, nor exceed 20lbs., and be used with A or B shot ; and so on in proportion ; but this is the most that can well be fired without a rest.
The recoil of a duck gun can only be checked by weight of metal, and there are two ways to dispose of it : the one, immense thickness, whereby the gun may be short, portable, and easily managed ; and the other, considerable length, by which you may kill farther, and take a much more accurate aim. The former is the plan of Mr. Joseph Manton, the latter of Mr D. Egg : and. in order to partake a little of both advantages, I should steer between the two, and have my barrels never less than three feet eight, nor more than four feet four inches, unless I used a rest ; by which means a gun being top heavy is rendered quite the reverse of objectionable. In this case, I should adopt the plan of Mr. D. Egg, as the best in every respect. A broad heel-plate contributes greatly to lessen the recoil ; and in some of the largest sized shoulder guns, a sponge has sometimes been found necessary, to prevent the guard from cutting the second finger.
As to the best length for duck guns that are used without a rest, and must therefore be made to mount tolerably well ; I will lay down a simple rule for those of every size : viz.. measure the barrels of your best double gun, and see how many times they are in length the diameter of the punched wadding ; and order your duck guns to be never less than from four to six more diameters in proportion. That is, if your double gun, of fourteen gauge, should be of the common length (2 feet 8 inches), which is forty-four diameters, let your duck gun of seven gauge, and of 13lbs. weight, be never less than from 3 feet 6¼ to 3 feet 8 inches ; (or, if you can manage 4 feet, so much the better) ; and so forth on a still larger scale. The latter gun at forty-four diameters would be 3 feet 2½ inches, but with this length it would scatter more at long shots ; and, if properly loaded (say with 3½ ounces of shot), would be flying up forward, be felt too severely to the shoulder.
Recollect, that although the same ratio might hold good for guns, yet neither the weight of the atmosphere nor the muscular power of a man can be made to serve in proportion. If a duck gun is too large in the caliber, in proportion to its weight of metal, it will recoil considerably ; and if too small, it will not have the desired effect of allowing the shot to lie compactly together.
A gun fired from a rest is felt more than if held out, because the left hand, when grasping it, checks the recoil. The stock of a heavy duck gun should be more bent than that of a common gun, as, when we are holding out a great weight, it is not so easy to lower the head ; and it should also be observed, that the curve in the stock tends to lessen the recoil.
I have of late years had the duck gun stocks, which I use on the coast, made with a pistol grip, and whipped with waxed end, round the handle, similar to a cricket bat, which rather lessens the jar ; and the upper part of the butt very much cut away, in order to prevent it from hurting the shoulder bone. I also paint and varnish the stock, by which means it does not get cracked, after being wetted with salt water. The gunmakers' stocks I found were always a great plague on this account, as well of from the trouble of keeping them in order, after being exposed to the spray of the sea. Add to which, they recoil most unmercifully, and are therefore only fit for light charges. I should always have these stocks rather short ; as one that would mount well in a shooting jacket, would be unmanageably long in a gunning dress.
The following is the average of several shots, tried at twelve sheets of thick brown paper, to ascertain the difference between two common duck guns, and a very superior double gun, made by Mr. Joseph Manton.
The large guns were loaded with precisely double the charge of the small gun, which is one-fifth less than that with which they always killed best.
The paper was nailed up close to a sheet of water, and two men placed to observe the effect ; which was, that the outside shot (that which flew wide of the paper) appeared to be driven with much more force from the heavy guns, and, of course, spread a much larger surface.
This proves, that although, if both accurately leveled, the difference between a wildfowl gun and a small gun is not so very considerable, at a single bird ; yet, from the immense circle, which the large gun spreads, you have more chances of killing with an indifferent aim ; and, of course, in a flock (as before said), would kill many more birds at a shot.
At the same time an opportunity was taken to prove the advantage of shot lying compact ; viz.. after loading the double gun with a full charge of powder, and placing within the muzzle a round of pasteboard, I put thereon forty-five grains of No. 7 shot, shook them all into one tier on the wadding, and, after having laid on them another round of pasteboard, carefully rammed down all together:- the result was, that, at thirty yards, twenty grains were well distributed in a newspaper.
For shooting in windy weather, and killing birds that would dive at a flash, there can be no question as to the superiority of detonating duck guns.
In loading a gun, the farther you wish to reach a flock of birds, the more powder and the less shot you must put ; because you may often make good a few random shots into flocks of wildfowl, by putting a considerably large measure of powder than of shot ; when by the usual mode of loading, you might only hear the shot rattle on the wings of many, without bringing down a single bird.
To conclude this subject, it need only be observed, that the same directions as those before given will hold good for the choice, care, and cleaning of duck guns. They cannot, however, be made to balance quite so well as guns on a small construction, without an unmanageable quantity of lead ; and, in these, the scrollguard, or, what is far better, as I before observed, a pistol grip to the stock, may be adopted, in order to prevent the right hand from being driven against the face, in the event of a recoil. But, if they should have been loaded some time, it is best to loosen the charge of shot, which, otherwise, would be felt severely.
If one of these guns should be laid aside for a season or two, your filling it with mutton suet will entirely prevent rust.
©rescuingthepast.co.uk 2006-2011
GUNS
Shooting - Guns
preserving rural bygones
rescuingthepast.co.uk
