maillemaker
New member
So, the idea of an electrically fired muzzle loader has been done before, including commercially. Check out this guy's pages:
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/electric_ml/electricml.html
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/electric_ignition/eignition.html
Your idea of a fuze-lit muzzle loader with a touch hole is actually how the most ancient firearms were used. They were called "handgonnes" and were basically a small cannon on a stick. They could be touched off with a fuse, a slow match, or a hot wire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRKOoqJhCVE
Later, these evolved into firearms with actual lock/trigger mechanisms, with the most primitive being match locks, and then flint locks, etc.
Unless your "cartridge" extends beyond the muzzle of your "bore", you will never be able to extract it. The fouling in the bore will seal the cartridge in place.
Interestingly, the original Gatling used "cartridges" much like you are proposing. They were essentially single-bore revolver chambers, with a nipple for a percussion cap. However, these cartridges were inserted and extracted at the breech.
Your design has no provision for extracting or inserting the cartridge from the breech.
In addition, unless your "cartridge" is quite stiff/thick, it will fire-form to the "chamber" (bore) and again be stuck in there.
In fact, with your design you'd be better off making the "cartridge" basically a removable barrel, and the body of the gun (bore) being thin. Then the cartridge becomes a single-shot pistol and your "reloads" are just multiple pistols.
I would not want the touch hole pointing towards me, that's for sure. Better have a darn good blast deflector.
Steve
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/electric_ml/electricml.html
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/electric_ignition/eignition.html
Your idea of a fuze-lit muzzle loader with a touch hole is actually how the most ancient firearms were used. They were called "handgonnes" and were basically a small cannon on a stick. They could be touched off with a fuse, a slow match, or a hot wire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRKOoqJhCVE
Later, these evolved into firearms with actual lock/trigger mechanisms, with the most primitive being match locks, and then flint locks, etc.
Unless your "cartridge" extends beyond the muzzle of your "bore", you will never be able to extract it. The fouling in the bore will seal the cartridge in place.
Interestingly, the original Gatling used "cartridges" much like you are proposing. They were essentially single-bore revolver chambers, with a nipple for a percussion cap. However, these cartridges were inserted and extracted at the breech.
Your design has no provision for extracting or inserting the cartridge from the breech.
In addition, unless your "cartridge" is quite stiff/thick, it will fire-form to the "chamber" (bore) and again be stuck in there.
In fact, with your design you'd be better off making the "cartridge" basically a removable barrel, and the body of the gun (bore) being thin. Then the cartridge becomes a single-shot pistol and your "reloads" are just multiple pistols.
I would not want the touch hole pointing towards me, that's for sure. Better have a darn good blast deflector.
Steve