The later history of the hand firearm used in the Army is interesting. "In 1635 a patent was taken out for making rifles in England. In the first half of the next century Benjamin Robins, a gunsmith, who died in 1751, made an alteration in the centre of gravity in the rifle by placing it nearer the forepart, and he also made the bullets oval instead of round. He discovered the true theory of the rifle: 'That the spinning of a rifle ball, like the rotation of an arrow, kept the axis of either in the same direction throughout their flight, and, to a great extent, prevented the irregularities caused by the inequalities in the substance of the bullet when driven from a shot-gun or musket.' But strangely enough Robins, though by far the ablest writer on projectiles of his own and many succeeding generations, exercised but a slight influence on his contemporaries. The Government of his day was not moved by his representations, or convinced by his theory. The Ministers of that day were slow in adopting improvements, a common failing of Ministers as a body, and riflemen were unknown among English troops until the necessity for them was made evident in the American War. The rifle was necessary to the existence of the backwoodsmen. Practice made them excellent shots, and when the Colonial irregulars were able to obtain suitable cover, regular troops could not stand before them. After a time foreign aid was resorted to. Hessian, Hanoverian, and Danish riflemen were engaged to serve against the revolted colonists; and it was not until upwards of ten years after the independence of America was recognized that the first English rifle regiment was formed."[14] [13] See article on "Firearms" in _Chambers's Encyclopædia_. [14] W. G. Clifford, "Peeps at the British Army," p. 68. During the first half of the nineteenth century all infantry regiments, with the exception of the Rifle Corps, were served with smooth-bored muskets, but after 1851 the Minié rifle was universally used. This weapon showed a distinct advance, but it had one serious drawback--it was heavy, as many of the men who fought in the Crimea learned by bitter experience. In 1853 the long Enfield rifle, a much lighter implement, was given to our soldiers. This was followed in 1860 by the short pattern Enfield; in 1864 by the Snider; in 1871 by the Martini-Henri; in 1886 by the Enfield-Martini; in 1887 by the Lee-Metford, Mark I, and the Mark II in 1898; whilst to-day the Service pattern is the Lee-Enfield, Mark III. * * * * * Swords are interesting weapons from the collector's point of view. As the antique specimens were stoutly made, of material that did not easily perish, it is quite possible to buy them, two or three hundred years old, at no very great cost.