Anything not absolutely necessary is eliminated; he sees if some member cannot be dispensed with by making another fulfil two or even more functions.
This is how Nature works, many organs have several functions; the function of our tongues is not only speech but to help swallowing, to judge if what we put into our mouths is too hot or too cold to swallow, if it is fit for food, or corrosive, etc.
The automatic pistol is still capable of great improvement.
All the recoil is not made use of, some is wasted and diverts the aim by jumping the pistol about.
The noise of the discharge is an evil, it ought to be made to do work, not deafen.
To invent a sound-deadener to put on the pistol is working on wrong lines; it is not simplification but it is complication.
Instead of first making a noise and then inventing something to destroy that noise, why not avoid making that noise?
The idea that ugliness does not matter is also a fallacy.
I was objecting to a pistol a man was shooting (and of which he asked my opinion), on the ground that it was so ugly. "What has ugliness to do with a pistol?" he said. "In my opinion, everything," I answered.
Nothing correct mechanically is ugly, that is the Law of Nature.
The early, impractical, automatic pistols were extremely ugly; the best at present, the U. S. Army Colt, has graceful lines, and the perfect one will be beautiful.
The essence of architecture is beauty in utility.
Look at a first cla.s.s hand made gun built by an Artist; it has the graceful lines of a cla.s.sical piece of sculpture.
An automatic pistol should be as simple as possible, the simpler the less likely to go wrong.
The supposed antagonism between Art and Mechanics, between Science and Religion are imaginary.
If we simplify Art to its essential essence and perfection as the Ancient Greeks did--what do we find?
Sculpture is proportion and the essential planes.
What else is mechanics?
Science reduces all to the ONE UNIVERSAL FIRST CAUSE, and this is also the foundation of all religion.
In pistol shooting, all resolves itself into aligning the pistol and discharging the bullet.
The shortest distance from one point to another is the straight line.
Therefore do not "flourish" or "brandish" the pistol up and down before discharging it.
Merely bring it to alignment and discharge it in so doing.
Time is wasted if the trigger is pressed after alignment. Therefore begin pressing the trigger as the pistol is coming to the level.
This is the whole art of pistol shooting.
The way to advance any art, however humble, is for each to help the other with his experience.
Nothing is so inimical to success as convention.
All progress is made on the lines of pruning off all not absolutely essential, in other words by simplification.
APPENDIX A
I think it advisable to give the following World"s Records made by myself with revolvers and black powder as they are now unbeatable, the weapons and cartridges being obsolete.
They stand in the same category as the "high wheel" trotting records.
If there were similar records, diagrams, and details of scores made with sling, long bow, crossbow, Persian bow, American Indian bow, blow pipe, javelin, matchlock, wheellock, etc., available, of what inestimable value they would be to the historian and archeologist.
Instead, for want of such records, all knowledge of the capabilities of these weapons is vague and legendary.
Under each diagram I give all details. Most of diagrams are the actual size and all have the position of each bullet-hole accurately shown.
[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM 1. AUTHOR"S WORLD"S RECORD SCORE.
Stationary, 20 yards, 10 shots, South London Rifle Club, May 21, 1889; .45 Colt Cavalry Revolver, Military sights, Eley ammunition. Black powder.
(Full size.)]
[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM 2. AUTHOR"S WORLD"S RECORD SCORE.
Stationary, 20 yards, 11 shots, South London Rifle Club, August 21, 1888; .44 Smith & Wesson Revolver, U. M. C. gallery ammunition. Black powder.
(Full size.)]
[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM 3. AUTHOR"S WORLD"S RECORD SCORE.
Nine shots at 20 yards, North London Rifle Club, May 5, 1897. Black powder; .44 Smith & Wesson Revolver, gallery ammunition.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM 4. AUTHOR"S WORLD"S RECORD SCORE.
Twelve shots at 20 yards, at the North London Rifle Club, Sept. 4, 1895.
Black powder; .44 Smith & Wesson Revolver, gallery ammunition.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM 5. AUTHOR"S WORLD"S RECORD SCORE.
Nine shots at 20 yards, at South London Rifle Club, Sept. 22, 1892. Colt .45 Target Revolver. English "Mark I" regulation ammunition. Black powder.]