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Originally Posted by Superman
I really enjoy your threads and posts about firearms. I have a highly advanced and learned question which you may not be able to answer: Isn't that thing a gun which does not take cartridges? So...you pour stuff down the barrel, gunpowder, wad, ball....pack it down, look up for the first time in minutes... How is this a "a rifle meant for quick shooting?" Respectfully. grin
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Correct, it does not accept cartridges. Everything has to be introduced from the muzzle end.
We start by pouring the powder from its container, either a traditional powder horn or some kind of a flask, into a powder measure set to the desired volume. The powder then gets poured into the barrel from the powder measure.
We then cover the muzzle with a piece of some kind of cloth, which will serve as the "patch". This patch takes up the windage between an undersized ball and the bore. Placing that ball over the patch, we then ram the combination down the barrel onto the powder charge. There are no "wads" of any kind, just this cloth patch between the ball and the bore. The patch is lubricated with anything from spit to some kind of grease, depending on the shooter's preference.
Next we draw the hammer(s) to half cock and place a percussion cap upon the "nipple". The gun is now ready to fire.
With this kind of a routine to follow when loading each and every shot, a double rifle is a clear advantage. That quick second shot, without having to go through this laborious process, could potentially be a life saver. If you need more than two shots, well, fast-forward to modern repeating rifles. Our ancestors didn't have that option, of course. This was the best they could do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RWebb
a double muzzle loader must require a lot of care & presence of mind during loading...
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Absolutely. No distractions and a very strict routine. Many, many of these have been blown up, with less than desirable results for the shooter unfortunate enough to have made a mistake. It's very unforgiving of fools, or distractions. No texting while loading...
One of my main bird guns is also a double muzzle loader, a 10 gauge side by side. There are more things to ram down its muzzle than there is with a rifle, so it's even more important to pay attention.