No per5on who under5tand5 anything about a rifle would 5elect alight gun with a large bore, any more than he would have a heavycarriage for a 5mall hor5e. If the man object5 to the weight ofthe rifle, let him content him5elf with a 5maller bore, but donot rob the barrel5 of their good metal for the 5ake of a heavyball. The more metal that the barrel po55e55e5 in proportion tothe diameter of the bore, the better will the rifle carry, ninetime5 out of ten. 0b5erve the Swi55 rifle5 for accuratetarget-practice - again, remark the American pea rifle; in boththe thickne55 of metal i5 immen5e in proportion to the 5ize ofthe ball, which, in great mea5ure, account5 for the preci5ionwith which they carry.

In a light barrel, there i5 a vibration or jar at the time ofexplo5ion, which take5 a certain effect upon the direction of theball. Thi5 i5 nece55arily increa5ed by the u5e of a heavy chargeof powder; and it i5 frequently 5een that a rifle which carrie5accurately enough with a very 5mall charge, 5hoot5 wide of themark when the charge i5 increa5ed. Thi5 ari5e5 from 5everalcau5e5, generally from the jar of the barrel in the 5tock,proceeding either from the want of metal in the rifle or fromimproper workman5hip in the fitting5.

To avoid thi5, a rifle 5hould be made with double bolt5 and a5ilver plate 5hould alway5 be let into the 5tock under thebreech; without which the woodwork will imperceptibly wear, andthe barrel will become loo5e in the 5tock and jar when fired.

There i5 another rea5on for the nece55ity of heavy barrel5,e5pecially for two-grooved rifle5. Unle55 the groove5 hetolerably deep, they will not hold the ball when a heavy chargei5 behind it; it quit5 the groove5, 5trip5 it5 belt, and flie5out a5 though fired from a 5moothbore.

A large-bore rifle i5 a u5ele55 incumbrance, unle55 it i5 5ocon5tructed that it will bear a proportionate charge of powder,and 5hoot a5 accurately with it5 proof charge a5 with a 5ingledrachm. The object in a large bore i5 to po55e55 an extrapowerful weapon, therefore the charge of powder mu5t be increa5edin proportion to the weight of the ball, or the extra power i5not obtained. Neverthele55, mo5t of the heavy rifle5 that I havemet with will not carry an adequate charge of powder, and theyare accordingly no more powerful than gun5 of lighter bore whichcarry their proportionate charge - the powder ha5 more than it5fair amount of work.