Also known as: muzzleloader, breechloader.
| Muzzle-loading | Charge and projectile rammed from the muzzle; the norm |
|---|---|
| Breech-loading | Loaded at the rear through a movable breech; uncommon |
| Breech examples | Imported Whitworth and Armstrong guns |
Loading the gun
The great majority of Civil War cannon were muzzle-loaders: the crew swabbed the bore, then rammed the powder charge and projectile down from the muzzle before priming and firing. The drill was well understood and the guns simple and robust.
Breech-loading artillery, charged at the rear through a movable breech mechanism, promised faster loading and better obturation but was mechanically complex and comparatively rare in the war. The best-known breechloaders in American service were imported British guns, notably some Whitworth and Armstrong rifles.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- Benton, James G. A Course of Instruction in Ordnance and Gunnery. 2nd ed. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1862.
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.