Wild Beasts And Their Ways Reminiscences of Europe Asia Africa And America

Forty years ago our troops were armed with a smooth-bore musket, and asmall force known as the "Rifle Brigade" was the exception to this rule.The military rifle carried a spherical bullet, and, like all others ofthe period, it necessitated the use of a mallet to strike the ball,which, being a size larger than the bore, required the blow to force itinto the rifling of the barrel in order to catch the grooves.Sporting rifles were of various sizes, but they were constructed upon aprinciple generall