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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How much powder does Cornish McManus use when he shoots his "sweet" rifle?
(a) 217 grains
(b) The amount that normally would be used for a .50 caliber rifle.
(c) The amount that normally would be used for a .40 caliber rifle.
(d) A handful

2. What object rekindles in Cornish McManus the desire to build a masterpiece of a rifle?
(a) A target shooting competition
(b) A newspaper article
(c) A rough-sawn "blank" of curly maple
(d) A woman's petticoat

3. How much does Harv Kline want to charge Tim Harrow for fixing his vehicle?
(a) $4,000
(b) $400
(c) $20
(d) Nothing

4. How much does Tim Harrow tell Harv Kline the "sweet" rifle is worth?
(a) Over one million dollars
(b) $700
(c) Nothing
(d) About $150,000 to the right buyer

5. After Cornish McManus sells his "sweet" rifle to John Byam, what happens to him [McManus]?
(a) He joins McNary's Rangers
(b) The British hang him as a traitor
(c) The Americans hang him as a traitor
(d) John Wainwright hires him again

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the twist rate of the rifling of the barrel of Cornish McManus' "sweet" rifle?

2. Who first buys the "sweet" rifle from Cornish McManus?

3. What does rifling do for a rifle?

4. Most rifles of the American Revolutionary War period were .58 to .75 caliber. What caliber was Cornish McManus' "sweet" rifle?

5. What is John Byam paid for joining a volunteer unit in fighting against the British?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does John Byam kill the first British officer that he kills?

2. The last time he loaded his rifle, John Byam used an extraordinary amount of care during the process. Do you think he always was so careful when loading?

3. Describe how the British are presented in the novel.

4. Cornish McManus is astounded when his "sweet" rifle puts three balls into one ragged hole at thirty paces (about 75 feet) while shooting from a solid rest. By today's accuracy standards is McManus' rifle's performance astounding?

5. Do you think that John Byam "got his money's worth" out of the "sweet" rifle?

6. In reading the novel, do you think of the "sweet" Rifle as a character or as an object?

7. What does John Byam use the "sweet" rifle for?

8. How long does Cornish McManus own his "sweet" rifle before he sells it?

9. Describe how life in the American army forces is presented in the novel.

10. Imagine you are the "sweet" rifle. Who would you rather be owned by--Cornish McManus or John Byam?

(see the answer keys)

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