muzzleloaded

A muzzleloader, or muzzle-loaded firearm, is a firearm that is loaded through the muzzle, the open end of the barrel, rather than from the breech. This loading method was common from the 16th through the mid-19th century and was used for muskets, rifles, and pistols. The term also describes the loading process: a powder charge is placed in the barrel, followed by a projectile, sometimes with wadding or a patch to engage rifling, and then the assembly is rammed down with a ramrod.

Historically, muzzleloaders evolved from matchlock and wheellock mechanisms to flintlock designs, and later to percussion locks. Each system used a different ignition method to ignite the propellant, with flintlocks employing a steel frizzen and percussion caps providing a primer in the 19th century. The rise of cartridge ammunition led to the decline of per-muzzle loading in military and civilian markets, but the technique persisted in hunting, sport shooting, and reenactment.

In modern use, muzzleloaders are primarily employed for hunting in jurisdictions that regulate them separately from centerfire rifles, as well as for historical reenactments and target shooting. They commonly use black powder or substitutes and projectiles such as round balls or rifled bullets with sabots. Inline muzzleloaders, which use contemporary ignition systems at the breech while maintaining the muzzle-loading charge, are popular for their easier priming and handling. Safety remains a central consideration, including treating every muzzleloader as loaded and adhering to local regulations.