breechloading

Loaded from behind

Breechloading describes firearms loaded from the rear of the barrel rather than the muzzle.

Before breechloading rifles became standard in the mid-nineteenth century, soldiers loaded powder and ball down the barrel—a slow process requiring the shooter to stand exposed.

A breechloading weapon accepts cartridges at the chamber end: a breechloading shotgun.

mechanism

cartridge

Sealed container for supplies

bolt-actionManual rifle mechanism
chamberEnclosed room or cavity
breechblockFirearm's rear-sealing mechanism

firing pin · extractor · ejector · receiver · lever-action · hinge · trapdoor · toggle · percussion cap · primer

innovation

Henry

Germanic masculine name

WinchesterLever-action repeating rifle
MauserGerman rifle manufacturer
FergusonCommon Scottish surname

Remington · Springfield · patent · gunsmith · conversion · rifling · repeating · magazine · standardization · interchangeable parts

safety

safety catch

Device preventing accidental firing

extractorDevice for removal
misfireFailure to discharge
hangfireDelayed ignition after trigger

pressure · headspace · unloading · clearing

advantage

rapid fire

In quick succession

rate of fireShots delivered per timeframe
accuracyDegree of correctness
rangeExtent of variation

weather resistance · sustained fire · tactical · efficiency · volley fire · suppression · firepower · battlefield · skirmish · trench warfare

breechloading

cartridge

Henry

safety catch

rapid fire

breechloading

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