SMITH GUNS.
The L. C. Smith hammerless gun, shown in Figure T, has a new mechanical movement for cocking tumblers or strikers, which is different from any device that has ever been used for the purpose, and commends itself for simplicity, relia bility and ease of manipulation. The simplicity and compactness of this device allows the use of a frame of the same dimensions as is used in the best propor tioned hammer guns, and have ample strength in the angle frame. The bolting, joint check, and extractor mechanism are identical with the hammer gun, and stand without a rival for strength and durability. The cocking mechanism is com posed of but two pieces, with no springs, pins or screws. The safety is simple and positive, and may be used as automatic or independent.
The automatic ejector is a feature much appreciated by American sportsmen. This mechanism is the simplest possible. The main-springs being the ejecting force, it requires no more power to open the gun than an ordinary hammerless. The drawing, Figure 2 (partly in section). with the left-hand lock removed, shows the cocking and safety mechanism, also the automatic ejector mechanism. This ejector mechanism is composed of a pair of tumblers located in the forend which bear upon the wrist-pins of the crank-shaft, both tumblers being locked bv a single sear until the breech end of the barrels is raised above the frame, when the sear is pushed out of engagement with the tumblers, and the lock or locks which have been snapped operate their respective tumblers and expel the fired case or cases.
Always ready to anticipate the wants of sportsmen, the Hunter Arms Com pany have produced a new grade of this gun known as the pigcon gun. In this
grade great strength and durability are combined with perfect fittings and un surpassed finish. The new nitro steel barrels are pronounced by all sportstnen as being a decided step in advance. They are harder than a Damascus, also stronger, and have become very popular. They are thick both at breech and muz zle, and are specially adapted to stand the tremendous strain of many heavy loads of nitro powder. The combined automatic and independent safety found in this gun is excellent. In an instant a shooter by a motion of the thumb can change from automatic to independent, or vice versa. Thus the gun at the trap or in the bough-house can be fired all day without moving safety-slide, and in the field can be used with automatic, which locks trigg-ers when the gun is opened for loading. The gun is distinctively a top-action gun. bolted or locked at as g,reat a distance as is practical from the Iiing(..,-joint, to utilize the advanta,:_ze of a long leverage, thus reducing the strain on the bolting mechanism to the lowest possible minimum. 'lite rotary-bolt is made from 01IC S011(1 pitTe of steel, and is provided with a strong- forward arm which passes completely through the mortise in the extension of the rib and under the solid metal of the frame three-sixteenths of an inch, which, together with the backward flange passing through the slot in the end of the extension, makes the strongest possible fastening.