MUZZLE-LOADING GUNS
Muzzle-loaders are guns which are loaded through the open end of barrel or "muzzle" of the gun. In the case of revolvers they are loaded through the open ends of the "cylinder".
A muzzle-loading gun can either have a "smooth bore" or "rifled barrel" and be a long barrelled, normally shoulder mounted weapon, or a "short" barrelled hand held pistol. A "smooth" bore gun can fire either a group of small round pellets or a single spherical ball, whilst a "rifled" barrel gun will normally fire a "bullet" shaped projectile, although some may still shoot a "ball".

SMOOTH BORE – LONG BARRELLED MUZZLE-LOADING GUNS:
You will need a section 2 shotgun certificate to aquire and possess a smooth barrelled long gun
The requirements for owning or possessing a smooth bore muzzle-loading gun are the same as for a shotgun. (Please see the shotgun section)

You will also need an explosives licence to acquire and possess black powder propellant.
Contact the MLAGB – Muzzle-Loaders Association of Great Britain for advice on certificates and licences.

RIFLED BARRELLED MUZZLE-LOADING LONG GUNS AND SMOOTH BORE OR RIFLED BARREL MUZZLE-LOADING PISTOLS;
You will need a section 1 firearms certificate to aquire and possess a rifled barrelled long gun or pistol.
The requirements for owning and possessing a section 1 muzzle-loading firearm are the same as for a modern cartridge rifle. (Please see the rifle section.

You will also need a licence to acquire and possess black powder propellant. Contact the MLAGB – Muzzle-Loaders Association of Great Britain for advice on certificates and licences.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MUZZLE-LOADING GUN
Muzzle-loading guns, albeit in their most primitive form, have been around since the 14th Century – well over 600 years!
In the earliest days the gun was "fired" by the shooter who ignited the gun powder charge with a hand- held glowing taper – cumbersome and almost requiring three hands!
The glowing taper was eventually fixed to a, pivoting arm and along with one of the first "trigger" devices the gun could be fired very much like modern firearms, i.e. more automated.
The Flintlock
The first really practical "ignition" firing mechanism was the "Flintlock", which appeared at the beginning of the 17th Century. As every schoolboy knows, a piece of flint will "spark" when struck against a piece of iron or steel. So with this development, a spark and therefore "ignition" could be accomplished, on demand, by just pulling a trigger. No need now to have a continually burning and potentially very hazardous taper attached to the gun!
Flintlocks though, were relatively complicated and had their drawbacks. Firstly a suitable piece of flint had to be found and shaped and this then had to be fixed to a holder called the "hammer" or the "cock". This assembly then had to be "set-up" to strike effectively on a piece of iron called the "frizzen" to make the spark, which in turn, had to ignite some loose powder, contained in a small concave receptacle, called a "pan" which, in turn had to burn through a small hole in the barrel to ignite the main gun powder charge!
Quite a sequence and nowhere near as rapid and simple as today's modern cartridge firearms. Add to this the vulnerability of the loose powder in the pan, to the ingress of rain or damp and the whole system was certainly less than perfect.

THE PERCUSSION CAP – A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH
In the early 1800's a Scottish clergyman, the Reverend Alexander Forsyth invented a simple detonating system, called the "percussion cap". The gun still had a small hole in the barrel through to the propellant charge but it was threaded allow the attachment of an "extension tube" with a "nipple" shaped end. The percussion cap, made of copper and about the same size as a grain of sweet corn, contained a compound called "fulminate of mercury" which explodes when struck sharply. The percussion cap was shaped to fit over the "nipple" on the "extension tube" and when struck by the spring loaded "hammer" it ignited, sending a "flame" straight down the hollow tube into the propellant charge. The benefits of the percussion cap were immediately obvious - Water or damp became much less of a problem and the construction was more reliable and much simpler than the flintlock. Probably the most important benefit was the more rapid speed of ignition from when the trigger was pulled. This certainly enabled the shooter to achieve greater accuracy when shooting game on the wing.

Loading a muzzle- loader
Firstly a "measure" of powder is poured into the open end of the barrel or "muzzle". (Or the open end of the chambers in the revolving cylinder of a "revolver"). This "charge" is then compacted using a suitable length "ramrod" before a lead ball, bullet (shaped projectile) or lead shot is inserted into the barrel and tapped into position against the powder charge with the "ramrod". A percussion cap is then placed on the "nipple" assembly or in the case of a flintlock the "pan" is primed with loose powder. The "hammer" or "cock" is pulled back to its full extent against the spring and the gun is then ready to fire.
THIS VERY BASIC AND SIMPLIFIED EXPLANATION DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL OF THE MANY OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS THAT NEED TO BE OBSERVED FOR THE SAFE LOADING AND FIRING OF AN ACTUAL GUN.
FOR A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION ON SAFE HANDLING AND LOADING PROCEDURES AND MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON MUZZLE-LOADERS AT **www.ictc.co.uk**

Shooting opportunities with muzzle-loading guns
A fascinating and fast growing sport...
Today many shooters enjoy the great diversity of muzzle-loading be it clay pigeon shooting, informal target practice on the local range or shooting in precision target competitions. The sport has grown out of all proportion to its humble beginnings to one of enormous participation worldwide.
One of the great attractions of muzzle-loading is that it is fun - people genuinely enjoy it. Given opportunity to shoot a muzzle-loader at an open or guest day event those that have 'had a go' will be easily identified by the grin on their face. There's something about handling on old firearm, whether original or a modern made reproduction, which is fascinating. With today's heightened sense of history new insights can be gained; how did a soldier fire his Brown Bess musket during the Battle of Waterloo, what is a Minié bullet and why were the Enfield and Springfield rifles so devastatingly effective at Gettysburg, how does the English percussion revolver compare to its American counterpart, or can I bag something for the pot with my muzzle-loading shotgun as my ancestor did?

Clay pigeon shooting (Try it at The British Shooting Show)
A percussion muzzle-loading shotgun is the most practical and generally preferred gun for clay shooting. Although there are opportunities to shoot in formal National & International competitions, most clay shooting with muzzle-loaders is undertaken amongst club shooters on an informal basis. It's great fun and a true test of marksmanship. (YOU CAN CLAY SHOOT WITH MUZZLE-LOADERS AT THE BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW 2012 WITH THE MLAGB).

Rifle & pistol shooting
Although muzzle-loading guns are "ancient" technology you'd be surprised at the incredible accuracy these guns are capable of. In 1876 a Mr JK Milner, using a Rigby Percussion Match rifle, shooting at 1000 yards at Creedmor in the USA fired 15 consecutive bulls-eyes without even the benefit of any sighting shots!
There are numerous opportunities to shoot rifle, pistol and shotguns at many clubs and ranges throughout the UK.

For the "club finder" list on the MLAGB website; mlagb.com

For getting started in muzzle-loading; MLAGB-surrey.org.uk

Where can I buy an antique muzzle-loading gun that's still in a safe & fireable condition?
Although original guns can still be obtained the simple answer is you do not have to buy an antique ... Due to the popularity of the sport a number of manufacturers now produce incredibly authentic replicas using modern manufacturing methods and the highest quality of materials.
Muzzle-loading gun supplier & manufacturer:
Henry Krank & Company Ltd for the henrykrank.com website.