The divisions could be seen from the firing point. Compet.i.tion at it was permitted with .22 pistols, which was ridiculous as they are not duelling pistols, or suitable for war or self-defence.

The regulation French Duelling Target is made in several ways, but in all cases it is the figure of a man painted black, standing in absolute profile (see Plate 3).

This can be had, either printed on paper, to paste on a board cut out to its shape, in cast iron with a base so that it stands up of itself, or of steel with an electrical device for registering the shots. The figure is in profile, which is not correct.

A proficient duellist stands as full face as a man shooting a gun. This position is easier to shoot in, but it is also easier to hit.

In the absolute profile target, the places where misses are usually made are past the small of the waist and under the chin. These would not occur on a man standing full face, or nearly so.

The target of paper pasted on wood has the bullet holes covered by white and black paper pasters.

The bullet hole is first pasted over with a white paster, so as to show its place from the firing point. After the next shot a white paster is put on this fresh shot and the former shot obliterated by a black paster.

On this target there is no bull's-eye and all hits, anywhere, have an equal value.

In compet.i.tions, a row of these figures stand in the field and the marker, after a shot at each has been fired, goes down the line and pastes white pasters over the bullet holes and black patches over where he finds a white patch. He need not say anything, when he has finished, it is at once seen from the firing point which targets have been hit and where, and what targets have been missed.

The iron target is divided by incised lines into an oblong bull's-eye with various subdivisions as shown in the diagram (see Plate 3).

The bull's-eye counts four, the s.p.a.ce on each side three, the s.p.a.ce below two, and the head and the bottom of the frock coat one each. These divisions are invisible from the firing point.

When these are painted with soot and water, or distemper black and water, the bullet knocks off the black and leaves a distinct lead-coloured mark.

When shot at in the open this is all that is necessary, but if, instead of a bank behind the figure there is a wall, this wall is painted white and a second lot of paint (this time whitewash) is kept for whitening the wall, if a shot hits that, to obliterate it so as to show where misses go.

An inexperienced marker is apt to put his brush into the wrong pot, so that the result is a grey colour.

The electric marking target looks exactly like this last and is painted after shots in the same way, but the various divisions are separate plates which stand on rods with springs behind.

When a shot strikes any plate it drives it back, and the spring returns it to place.

The act of driving back makes electric connection, transmitted by wires, to a small copy of the target, like the indicator inside a hotel lift, and rings a bell. It shows the value of the shot and approximately the place it has struck. The actual spot struck is not indicated.

CHAPTER XV

HOW TO HOLD THE PISTOL

As the revolver had a short stock with an acute curve and was muzzle heavy, the grip I recommend for it is not suitable for the duelling pistol or automatic.

I take the duelling pistol first as that has the ideal handle or stock; the automatic, except in the American Colt Regulation .45, being open to great improvement.

The duelling pistol is a survival of the old horse pistol in balance and form of stock, and this has never been improved on.

Most things undergo constant improvement, but the pistol stock, on the contrary, has steadily deteriorated.

The old horse pistol balanced just right, and the long light barrel was counterpoised by the heavy stock.

The angle was right, and the sights fitted close down to the barrel. In some cases there was no back sight but aim was taken as with a shotgun.

The perfect balance almost did away with the need of a back sight.

Then the revolver came with its front overbalance, which often needed, on its short upright stock, a grip with the little finger under the b.u.t.t to steady it.

As I explained in my _Art of Revolver Shooting_, it was necessary to get the line of the arm as nearly possible in line with the barrel, consequently the thumb also had to be extended in line with the barrel.

This was possible with the old "break down" action revolvers, but when solid-frame revolvers were made to withstand the stronger pressure of the nitro powders, the extractor opening lever had to be put in the way of this thumb extension, so that the thumb was crooked to avoid the nail being split by the recoil, or the catch opened by the thumb striking it from the recoil.

The proper way to hold the duelling pistol is not very high up the grip, because if the hold is taken so high up as to make the barrel in line with the arm, the back sight is hidden by the hand.

This lower hold is not a disadvantage, as the obtuse slope of the handle and the perfect balance of the pistol have no tendency to drop the muzzle.

The thumb is curved downwards just enough to get the best grip.

The duelling pistol has a spur at the near end of the trigger guard, which some shooters put their second finger round (see Plate 6). I find that this only gives one a clumsy handful and that it is better to have the second finger with the others together round the stock, and close under the back of the trigger guard.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE 5. HOW TO HOLD THE DUELLING PISTOL (1)]

I am sorry to find that some still cling to the absurd practice of using the second finger to press the trigger, holding the first finger along the pistol.

There is nothing to recommend this and everything to condemn it, and I have never seen it used by a good shot.

It is only a fashion, like the new one of jerking the elbow out at right angles to look at the wrist watch, or turning up the collar, and the bottom of the trousers, on a hot dry day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE 6. HOW TO HOLD THE DUELLING PISTOL WITH SPUR (2)]

Using the second finger for the trigger deprives the hand of a third of its grip on the stock. It employs a less sensitive finger for the trigger, as the first finger is always used for sensitive work, the second being only a gripper. Moreover, the first finger, if extended along the barrel when shooting an automatic, not only gets burnt and cut, as it lies along where the spent cartridge cases and powder gases escape, but it is apt to get jammed into this opening and stop the action of the pistol.

I shot an automatic pistol alternately with another man, which jammed when my companion shot it but not with me. I found he kept getting his first finger into the mechanism, as he was using his second for the trigger.

Now as to holding the stock of an automatic pistol. The United States Regulation Colt .45 Automatic has the best grip of any, and one can hold it, as I have advised for the duelling pistol, right up hard against the projection over which the recoil slide operates.

The smaller Civilian and Police Colt have not quite as good a stock, rather more upright; the same applies to the Savage and the Smith & Wesson.

The German Military Regulation Automatic has a nice stock but it is rather too thick. It is well balanced and at the proper angle.

The "Hammer Head" stock attachment to the barrel of some automatic pistols I find most awkward to hold, and impossible to get a sense of direction with. One finds oneself far below the object one wants to hit and the muzzle has to be canted up with a most wrist-spraining movement. The recoil comes on the wrist at the same angle as if you put the first joints of your fingers on a table, and the palm of your hand against a leg of the table whilst keeping the arm horizontal.

I can neither hold nor shoot in this position; it is all so awkward. If a man lowers his head, he can look along the sights, but if he keeps his head up as he should and does in shooting any other pistol, it is very difficult to align the sights except by bending the arm and raising the elbow. In any case I cannot shoot with such a stock, so can give no instruction in its use.

In a later chapter I will give my ideas of what should be altered in automatic pistols from a shooter's point of view; the "Hammer Head" or "right-angle" stocks being one of these.

Not knowing how to hold and shoot a pistol, has given rise to all those inventions of a portable rifle stock to fit on a pistol, so that the pistol can be shot like a rifle.

To begin with, such a stock puts the sights too close to the eyes, the noise is deafening and the accuracy very bad, compared with holding the same pistol at arm's length as it should be held. It is merely the attempt to try and hold it steady by men who cannot shoot a pistol.