In the second half of the year the government purchased approximately 6,000 breech-loading rifles. |
This coincided with rapid improvement in firearms, with breech-loading rifles replacing the musket. |
The breech-loading principle was also adopted in them, and special provision to effect this satisfactorily was invented by him. |
Recoil systems and cartridge ammunition increased rates of fire of breech-loading weapons. |
Enterprise was armed with two 100-pounder smoothbore, muzzle-loading Somerset cannon and two rifled 110-pounder breech-loading guns. |
For the next 50 years breech-loading muskets and rifles were made in England as sporting guns. |