GUNMAKING, GUN-TRADE. Although the terms gunnery and gun relatp chiefly to great guns or cannon, the word gumnaking is always applied to the manufacture of r small-arms, comprising muskets, rifles, pistols, and carbines. In England the great seat of this trade was formerly London, whose workmen stood unrivaled throughout Europe for the excellence of their production; but of late years the gunmakers of . t Birmingham have succeeded, from local advantages; in turning out barrels of proved . -, power, at such a price as to defy competition. Since then the London makers have con fined themselves-to "finishing," or putting together, an art requiring tire -a e tum0. nicety; ; and even in this, the skilled labor of Dublin and Edinburgh has now nearly equaled them. There are, therefore, several centers, now in the United Kingdom whence! first rate arms are to be obtained. Americaland the leading continental nations are great manufacturers also, and each has its particular excellences. The chief continental gun factories are at St. Etienne, Liege, Vienna, and Still].
Machinery has been comparatively slow in being applied to the manufacture of arms. hut during the last few years it has made giant strides; and now the government '. manufactory at Enfield, in which numerous. ingenious machines have been immtluced from the United States, is fitted with every mechanical .appliance, and can turn out ' many thousand arms per annum, each of which so exactly corresponds to pattern, that all the constituent pieces are interchangeable. Bemis, instead of being forged by the hand-hammer, are rolled at once with a uniform pressure, and then welded at one heat. In the United States, barrels are at present made of east-steel. first formed in the solid, and then bored by a succession of borers of increasing diameter. These cast-steel barrels are rapidly superseding all others—at least for sporting purposes—in Great Britain, France, and America. Another favorite modern material for barrels is " laminated
steel." See HAMEL. Barrels well constructed with laminated steel resist a burst ing pressure of 82,000 lbs. on the square inch, one-eighth of an inch thick, whereas com mon "twist" barrels will only withstand about 34,000 lbs.
When the barrel is finished, however made, it is proved, under very heavy charges of powder. All non-government barrels made in England must be proved at the proof ing houses of London or Birmingham; government arms are tested at Enfield.
The portions of the lock (q. v.) arc made some of iron and some of steel, either forged by hand, or, as in the great manufactories, stamped out by a powerful machine. The stock is turned by machinery from strong light wood. On all accounts taken together, it is found that no Wood is so well adapted as Italian walnut. The finishing or putting together of guns is an art in itself, the utmost attentiou having to he devoted to every thing that will secure solidity, lightness, and the most minute accuracy of lilting. Skilled artificers in the gun-trade command excellent wages; rarely less than 40s., and often as much as £4 it week.
In fitting and finishing, London is generally admitted to stand unequaled; Paris, however, making a good and near second. For barrels, Birmingham; St. Etienne, and Li4re have the most repute. In all respects, Toledo, once famed for its blades, holds a high character in regard to its guns, both for sporting and military purposes. In the United States, Windsor and Hartford are the leading manufactories, with Harper's Ferry for government arms; but the quality of American workmanship is too often sac rificed to cheapness in the article turned out. The British export trade in small-arms is very great, the return for the year 1875 showing an exportation of n8,001 stand of all kinds, of the value of £655,160.