For cleaning the inside of the barrel a wooden rod is best. It should have a k.n.o.b on the end of such size that one or two thicknesses of the cotton flannel around it will fit the bore snug and tight. Square patches of suitable size may then be cut in quant.i.ties and used as required. Clean from the breech end of the barrel whenever possible. The slightest burr or injury at the muzzle will spoil the accuracy of an otherwise good barrel.

Particular care should be exercised, especially if a steel rod with a slot is used, to prevent the wad from "jamming" in the barrel. Continue cleaning the inside of the barrel until tight-fitting patches, when withdrawn, show no discoloration, and the barrel is warm from the friction of the cleaning. Then saturate a fresh patch with good oil and pa.s.s it through the barrel several times, making sure that the entire surface of the grooves has been thoroughly coated with oil. After the cylinder and other parts are cleaned, they should also be oiled.

A good oil for cleaning is "Three in One"; for preventing rust, use Winchester Gun Grease or refined sperm oil. Plenty of oil should be kept on the circle of teeth in which the pawl engages in revolving the cylinder. If smokeless ammunition is used, the oil should be removed from the interior of the barrel and the chambers of the cylinder, a day or two after the first cleaning, and fresh oil applied.

In warm weather, when the air is humid, arms rust very quickly. If they are not kept in an air-tight compartment, they should be inspected, and, if necessary, re-oiled every few days. Under favorable conditions, a thorough cleaning and oiling will preserve the arm in good condition for a month.

If it is desired to store the arms, or protect them for long periods of time, the interior surfaces of the frame, and all the mechanism, should be carefully cleaned and oiled, and then the entire s.p.a.ce within the frame filled solid with non-liquid grease, like the Winchester "gun grease."

After cleaning the barrel and cylinder, the bore and chambers in the cylinder should be filled solid with the grease. This treatment excludes the air, and absolutely prevents oxidation. The exterior should be oiled, and then coated heavily with "gun grease." Place the arm in a dry woollen cloth, or flannel cover, and wrap it up in a double thickness of new manila paper of the weight of ordinary writing paper. Repeat this, wrapping twice more, each wrapping independent of the other. Then lay the arm in a dry place, where the temperature will always be uniform, and not so warm as to melt the grease. An arm protected in this way will remain in good condition for a period of two years.

Another method of protecting weapons from rust is to immerse them in oil.

The wood or rubber stocks should be removed and the arms suspended from a rack in a large gla.s.s jar with a ground gla.s.s cover to prevent the evaporation of the oil. This is a very quick and effective method and is much more convenient than the preceding plan. The best quality of refined sperm oil should be used.

CHAPTER XIII

RELOADING AMMUNITION

The factory-loaded ammunition for pistols is so excellent that little is to be gained by hand loading. It is sometimes desirable, however, to use special loads that are not furnished by the factories, and such ammunition must be loaded by hand. Then, too, many persons prefer to reload ammunition for economical reasons. In order to do this successfully, considerable experience and skill are necessary. The first attempts at reloading are invariably unsatisfactory and disappointing, and sometimes result disastrously. Extreme care and close attention to details are absolutely essential, especially if smokeless powders are used. It is much the safest and best plan for those who are unfamiliar with reloading to observe and study the methods used by skilled persons, and, if possible, have their first work supervised by an experienced person.

_Primers._--The primers are made of copper and bra.s.s and are adapted for either black or smokeless powders. The primers for pistol and revolver cartridges are made more sensitive than for rifle cartridges. If, by mistake, rifle-cartridge primers are used, there are likely to be many misfires. The original pasteboard boxes in which the cartridges or sh.e.l.ls are purchased invariably have labels designating the kind of primer that should be used in reloading them.

The quality of the primers affects the results to a much greater degree than most persons imagine, especially in reduced or gallery charges. In handling or in transportation the priming composition is sometimes loosened, dropping out of some of the primers and leaving them considerably weaker than the rest. On opening a new box, empty it carefully, and if any appreciable quant.i.ty of loose priming is found, the primers should not be used for ammunition intended for fine shooting.

_Sh.e.l.ls._--The sh.e.l.ls are generally made of bra.s.s with a solid head containing a pocket for a primer. There is considerable variation in the thickness of the metal from which sh.e.l.ls are made by the various manufacturers. Since the outside dimensions must be the same in order to fit the chamber, it follows that the inside diameter of the sh.e.l.ls will vary. When the sh.e.l.l is to be crimped a slight difference in the size is unimportant, but for fine target work using black powder, it is preferable not to crimp the sh.e.l.l. In the latter case the bullet must fit sufficiently tight so that it will not be dislodged by the recoil of the arm.

The size of the bore, when adapted to the same cartridge, varies a trifle, also, with different manufacturers. With the slight difference in the size of the sh.e.l.ls it is therefore generally possible to select a make of sh.e.l.l the size of which will be just right to hold snugly in position by friction a bullet that exactly fits the bore of the arm. These refinements in the fit of the bullet and sh.e.l.l are important in securing good results with reduced loads.

In pistol and revolver shooting, the sh.e.l.ls may be reloaded many times with smokeless powders. The small charge and the consequent reduced pressure do not seem to render the sh.e.l.ls brittle and unsuitable for reloading, as is the case with the sh.e.l.ls of many of the high-pressure rifle cartridges.

_Bullets._--In the large ammunition factories the bullets are made by the swaging process, with heavy machinery. They are, in consequence, very uniform in density and size. They are packed in boxes of twenty-five and fifty and are lubricated ready for use. While very few persons are able to mould bullets as good as those factory-made, when bullets of a particular shape, weight, or temper are desired, they must be moulded.

The Ideal Manufacturing Company's dipper and melting pot[17] are useful for this purpose. The best quality of lead in bars or pigs should be used.

If the bullets are to be hardened, "block tin," which may be had at any hardware store is alloyed with the lead. Weigh the proper quant.i.ty of each metal to give the desired proportions. Melt the lead in the pot over a steady fire and then add the tin. At this stage add a small quant.i.ty of tallow or beeswax to the molten metal (about the size of a .45-caliber round bullet) and stir briskly with the dipper. This will flux the mixture and make it flow better. After both are melted immerse the dipper and allow it to acquire the temperature of the melted lead. Then fill the dipper and, with the nozzle horizontal, raise it two or three inches above the surface of the lead in the pot. With the mould in the other hand, turn it sidewise and bring the pouring hole of the mould to the nozzle of the dipper. Then, with the mould and dipper in contact, tilt or turn both in this position until the dipper is over the mould and the nozzle vertical as shown.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 87.--Moulding Bullets.]

The weight or pressure of the lead in the dipper is thus utilized to force the lead into and completely fill the corners of the mould. It will be necessary to mould forty or fifty bullets before the mould acquires the proper temperature and casts first-cla.s.s bullets. All imperfect bullets should be thrown back into the melting-pot. Experience has shown that the best results are obtained when the lead and mould are at such temperature that two or three seconds elapse before the lead solidifies in the pouring hole after the nozzle has been removed from it. Do not allow the lead to get red-hot, as it oxidizes very rapidly and more dross forms on its surface at that temperature. The dross should be skimmed off frequently and not allowed to collect in the dipper. A new mould will not cast perfect bullets until the surfaces in contact with the lead are free from oil and have become oxidized, a.s.suming a deep blue color.

Provide a soft surface for the bullets to fall upon after releasing them from the mould, as they are easily deformed while hot. The sliding top or "cut-off" should be operated by pressing down the lever end on a board or table, or striking the lever with a small wooden mallet. The mould is then opened, and the bullet drops out. If the bullet sticks in the mould, strike the empty half of the mould on the outside, directing the blow toward the bullet. This will jar the bullet out of the mould without difficulty. Never strike the mould with a hammer or any hard substance, and never attempt to pry a bullet out of the mould or touch the interior surface with an iron implement, tool, or anything that will mar it. The least indentation of the sharp edges of the mould will cause the bullets to stick and make them imperfect. After using the mould, oil the exterior and the surfaces of the joint while warm, wrap in a dry cloth, and keep in a dry place where it will not rust. It is a good plan to leave the last bullet (with the neck cut off) in the mould until used again.

The fit of the bullets is very important. Nearly all the bullets for revolver cartridges were originally designed to be used with black powder.

Many of them were slightly under size and have concave bases which upset sufficiently, on the ignition of the regulation powder charge, to fill the grooves of the barrel. Reduced charges of black powder, and smokeless powders, even in full charges, seldom upset the bases of these bullets, and the powder gas escapes around the sides of the bullet, which is known as "gas cutting." This is fatal to accuracy. For smokeless powders and reduced loads the concave cavity at the base of the bullet must be large enough to reduce the thickness of the outer rim of the bullet and weaken it so it will be expanded sufficiently by the powder to fill the grooves of the barrel; or the diameter of the bullet should be increased so as to produce the same effect.

A simple test to determine the fit of the bullet is to force it into a clean barrel, and then hold the barrel in the direction of a window or bright light. If light can be seen in any of the grooves around the bullet, it is too small for smokeless powder. The remedy is to have the bullet mould reamed out and enlarged so the bullets will be the proper size.

To determine the actual diameter of the bore of a pistol or revolver, oil the inside of the barrel liberally and then force a bullet into it a couple of inches. With a short wooden cleaning rod, hold the bullet in that position while you drive against it with another rod from the opposite direction, swaging it so as to fill the barrel. This must be done gently and carefully so as not to strain or injure the barrel. The bullet is then driven out and carefully measured with a micrometer gauge.

Many who mould their own bullets prefer to order the mould to cast the bullets the exact size to fit the barrel; while others prefer to have the mould cast the bullet one or two thousandths of an inch too large, and then pa.s.s them through a sizing tool, reducing them to the correct size.

The latter method insures absolute uniformity.

For smokeless powders the bullets are generally cast a little harder than for black powder, the proportions being from 30 to 1, to 20 to 1, of lead and tin, respectively. To secure good results, the bullets should not vary more than 1/200 in weight.

The next operation after moulding the bullets is to lubricate them. A good lubricant may be prepared by melting together 1 lbs. of j.a.pan wax, 1 lb. of mutton tallow, and 1 lb. of vaseline. The bullets should be set in a shallow pan, bases down, and with a small s.p.a.ce separating them. The lubricant can then be poured around them until it rises high enough to fill the top cannelure. After cooling, the bullets are cut out of the lubricant by forcing them into the mouth of a specially prepared sh.e.l.l with the top or head cut off. Each bullet is picked up in this way and then pushed out with a round rod. Any lubricant on the base of the bullet should be removed with a cloth before loading. An excellent machine for lubricating bullets is made by the Ideal Manufacturing Company. The machine sizes and lubricates the bullet at one operation. It is rapid, clean, and performs the work perfectly.

_Powders._--American powder manufacturers have no uniform practice in regard to designating the different grades of powder, sizes of grains, etc. The powders that give the best results under certain conditions must therefore be cla.s.sified. The following black powders are best suited for ammunition in which the charge is ten to twenty grains:

American Powder Mills Rifle Cartridge No. 4.

Hazard Powder Company's "Kentucky Rifle F F G."

E. I. Dupont de Nemours & Company's "Dupont Rifle F F G."

Laflin & Rand Powder Company's "Orange Rifle Extra F F G."

King Powder Company's "Semi-smokeless F F G."

When the charge is less than ten grains in weight, one size finer grain of the above powders should be used; and for charges heavier than twenty grains, one size coa.r.s.er grain will give the best results.

Lesmok powder, now so extensively used for .22-caliber rim fire ammunition, is a combination of black powder with high-grade gun-cotton.

For reduced or gallery charges, the high-grade quick-burning shotgun powders are sometimes used, such as "Hazard's Electric," "Dupont's Diamond Grain," etc. These powders should not be used in full charges, and if compressed in the sh.e.l.l will give very irregular shooting.

Smokeless powder differs from black not only in composition but also in the phenomena that attend combustion. Special conditions are therefore created which have an important bearing on the results. Smokeless powders are divided into two general cla.s.ses, designated as "bulk" and "dense,"

the former having approximately the same strength as an equal bulk of black powder, while the same quant.i.ty by bulk of the latter may have from five to ten times the strength of black powder.

The bulk powders may be used very much the same as black powder, except that they should never be compressed. No air s.p.a.ce is required between the powder and the bullet. Dupont's Smokeless Rifle Powder No. 2 and Hazard's Smokeless Rifle Powder No. 2 are good examples of the bulk powders.

Dupont's R. S. Q. is a bulk powder that has recently been introduced. It gives fair results in pistol and revolver ammunition in full charges, but is not as well adapted for reduced or gallery loads. It requires an air s.p.a.ce for the best results.

The dense powders, such as Bullseye, Du Pont Pistol No. 3, Walsrode, and others, on account of their concentrated form, must be manipulated with great care and precision. The same quant.i.ty by bulk as black powder of any of these would in many cases cause disaster. Special sh.e.l.ls with an annular crease, which only admits the bullet a certain distance into the mouth of the sh.e.l.l, and providing an air s.p.a.ce, should in all cases be used with these powders.

Nearly all varieties of smokeless powders require a certain amount of confinement in order to secure complete combustion, and do not give good results unless the sh.e.l.l is crimped securely to the bullet.

A table giving the proper charges is supplied by all the manufacturers of smokeless powders, suitable for revolver and pistol shooting. These charges should in no case be increased. If it is desired to adapt a smokeless charge to a special bullet, which gives good results with black powder, the approximate equivalent in smokeless powder can easily be calculated from the powder company's table of charges. If the calculated charge does not give good results, compare the penetration of the smokeless charge with the black powder charge, and modify the former until it gives approximately the same penetration as the latter. If this does not correct the difficulty, the fit of the bullet should be investigated, and possibly it may have to be increased in size slightly and hardened before the best results will be obtained.

No attempt should be made to secure higher velocities or greater penetration with the ordinary lead bullet than is obtained with black powder. Such results can only be produced with hard alloy or jacketed bullets, special rifling, etc., and in arms designed to withstand the severe conditions incident to such augmented effects. Excessive charges in regulation arms, besides being extremely dangerous, are likely to cause the bullet to strip the rifling and lead the barrel.

The most recent activity in the matter of smokeless powders is the series of experiments with the U. S. Government pyro-cellulose formula. The powders are cut to such dimensions as will fit them for both pistol and rifle cartridges. This powder has the advantage of causing much less erosion than the nitro-glycerine powders and for that reason will probably appeal to the ammunition manufacturers and consumers, to such an extent as to secure its adoption, if the experiments now in progress prove to be satisfactory from a ballistic standpoint.

_Reloading._--Suitable tools for reloading are furnished by the Ideal Manufacturing Company, Smith & Wesson, and the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. These usually consist of one or more combination tools, with which the various operations may be performed with rapidity and precision.

In reloading ammunition the one thing to be borne in mind above all else is _uniformity_. No matter how excellent may be the quality of the powder, or how perfect the bullets, if there is any variation in quant.i.ty, size, etc., the results will surely be irregular and disappointing. The bullets should be of the same diameter and weight, the mouth of the sh.e.l.ls of uniform size, the powder accurately measured, and all the details in the operation of loading each sh.e.l.l should be as nearly identical as it is possible to make them.

Sh.e.l.ls that have been loaded with black powder will corrode very rapidly if not properly and promptly cared for. The primer should be extracted from the sh.e.l.ls as soon as practicable after firing. The sh.e.l.ls should then be immersed in hot soap-suds and stirred around briskly until thoroughly washed. If it is desired to brighten them or to remove corrosion, add one tablespoonful of sulphuric acid to each quart of suds.

Rinse the sh.e.l.ls in two clean boiling waters by agitating them as before, and then dry them by exposure to sunlight or mild heat. Intense heat will draw the temper of the sh.e.l.ls and ruin them.