Produced by Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) [Illustration] HINTS ON THE USE AND HANDLING OF FIREARMS GENERALLY, AND THE REVOLVER IN PARTICULAR. BY LIEUT. H. ONSLOW CURLING, C. L. A. B. _'Nunquam non paratus.'_ LONDON: DULAU & CO., 37 SOHO SQUARE. _All Rights Reserved._ 1885. LONDON: PRINTED BY STRANGEWAYS AND SONS, Tower Street, Upper St. Martin's Lane. HINTS ON THE USE AND HANDLING OF FIREARMS, _&c._ _&c._ 'He, that rides at high speed, and with His pistol kills a sparrow flying.' SHAKESPEARE: _Henry IV._ THE National Rifle Association may fairly claim the honour of introducing, at their meeting in July 1885, the subject of Military Revolver practice in this country. For years past the want of such a movement has been felt, but the many obstacles to be overcome have been so vast that no one seems to have cared to venture upon the matter, and so it has slept. The great drawback has been, and is now, to find suitable ranges anywhere near London. Such ranges, the use of which is enjoyed by our Citizen Army, are insufficient, and the expense of keeping them up is considerable, falling heavily upon the corps to whom they belong. The National Rifle Association, although they offered some 40_l._ in prizes, and provided not only revolvers but ammunition, for a small consideration, or entrance fee, met with but poor support; but it should be borne in mind that this was the first year of such a competition, and it was in consequence not generally known of. Very little was known of the movement till it actually took place, and then only when noticed by the press the day after its introduction. Again, it should be remembered that the entries were restricted to officers, warrant officers, and petty officers, of her Majesty's land and sea forces, and doubtless this restriction accounted for the spare attendance. Every Englishman belonging to the auxiliary forces should hail with pleasure the opportunity offered of making himself master of this useful weapon; one that in skilled hands is most deadly at long or short ranges, and a thorough knowledge of the use of which might at any moment be the means of saving another's life from an opposing force when no other weapon was at hand.