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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. What type of lock does Cornish McManus fit into his "sweet" rifle?
(a) A Browning lock
(b) A padlock
(c) A match lock
(d) A flintlock

2. Why does Cornish McManus cast bullets that are a little too small for the rifle's bore?
(a) Because he doesn't know what he's doing
(b) So they will be inaccurate
(c) So they can be loaded quickly
(d) So they can be used with a patch

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

4. What kills most of the soldiers during the American Revolutionary War?
(a) Snipers
(b) Rifles
(c) Dysentery
(d) Cannon

5. Where does the "sweet" rifle remain from c. 1776 until 1993?
(a) In a carriage in a garage
(b) In an attic in a house in Connecticut
(c) In a museum
(d) In the personal collection of Tim Harrow

Short Answer Questions

1. During the Revolutionary war period a typical rifle was accurate at what distance?

2. What event in American history does Tim Harrow know the most about?

3. What does rifling do for a rifle?

4. How much money does Tim Harrow have hidden in his mobile home?

5. According to the novel, how much would the "sweet" rifle be worth if its provenance were known and proved?

Short Essay Questions

1. The "sweet" rifle shoots a .40 caliber ball; most rifles of the period shot a much, much larger ball. Does the small caliber of the "sweet" rifle reduce its killing capability?

2. Does the "sweet" rifle have a will of its own?

3. The novel spends many pages describing the construction of the rifle. Do you have a clear mental image of the processes involved in hand-making a muzzle-loading rifle?

4. Do you think that John Waynewright would have valued Cornish McManus's "sweet" rifle?

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

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

7. 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?

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

9. In reviewing John Byam's actions in the novel, would you consider him a hero?

10. Cornish McManus is a superb gunsmith with great vision and skill. Describe his shooting ability.

(see the answer keys)

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