Muzzle Loaders
A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the bullet is loaded from the muzzle of the gun (open end of the gun barrel).
Modern muzzleloading firearms range from reproductions of sidelock, flintlock and percussion long guns, to in-line rifles that use modern inventions such as a closed breech, sealed primer and fast rifling to allow for considerable accuracy at long ranges. Mortars are a type of short-range artillery that are muzzle-loaded.
Muzzleloading can apply to anything from cannons to pistols but in modern parlance the term most commonly applies to black powder small arms. It usually, but not always, involves the use of a loose propellant (i.e. gun powder) and projectile, as well as a separate method of ignition or priming.
Muzzle Loading
In general, the sequence of loading is to put in:
* gunpowder, either by inserting premeasured pellets, pouring in
loose powder, or by inserting a pre-measured bag of gunpowder
usually called a "cartridge"
* wadding, soft material like cloth or paper; in shotguns, this is
placed in before and after the shot. With round balls, it is wrapped
around the base of the ball and called a "patch", the purpose of
which is to grip the rifling and impart spin to the loose fitting
ball. In the Enfield rifle and other Minie rifles, no patch is used
as the projectile has a hollow base which expands to grip the
rifling.
* the projectile, which may range from a solid lead ball to jacketed
sabots to shot. The gunpowder used is typically blackpowder or
blackpowder substitutes like Pyrodex.
Since the items are generally tight-fitting, and the barrel long, a
tool called a "ramrod" is used to push the items down.
When aiming for ultimate accuracy, Muzzle-loaders are usually
cleaned ("swabbed") before reloading, so that there is no residue
left in the barrel to reduce accuracy, though in competitions run by
the international governing body, the MLAIC, this is prohibited.
Large calibre muzzle-loaders such as cannon are always swabbed
between shots to prevent accidents.
Muzzleloading
Muzzleloading is the term used to describe the sport, or pastime of
firing muzzleloading guns. Muzzleloading guns, both antique and
reproduction, are used for target shooting, hunting, historical
re-enactment and historical research. The sport originated in the
United States in the 1930's, just as the last original users and
makers of muzzleloading arms were dying out. The sport received a
tremendous boost in the 1960's and 1970's, and a flourishing
industry manufacturing working reproductions of historic firearms
now exists in the United States and Europe, particularly in northern
Italy near Gardone.
The National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association holds two national
tournaments a year at Friendship, Indiana.