IN LINE muzzle loaders were new kids on the block….. - HuntNetwork

And you thought (hammerless)
<strong>IN</strong> L<strong>IN</strong>E <strong>muzzle</strong> <strong>loaders</strong> <strong>were</strong>
<strong>new</strong> <strong>kids</strong> on the block…..
Well they’re not!
Hammerless or as they are now known “<strong>IN</strong> L<strong>IN</strong>E” <strong>muzzle</strong> <strong>loaders</strong> have
been around for a long, long time with the first hammerless flint lock
in lines made by Stanislaus Paczelt, of Prague in Bohemia about
1730.
Hammerless in line by Stanislaus Paczelt, of Prague in Bohemia about 1730.
The mechanism of this firearm is almost exactly the same as many
“modern” <strong>IN</strong> L<strong>IN</strong>E <strong>muzzle</strong> <strong>loaders</strong> in that it utilizes coil springs and has a
striker (plunger) which holds the flint. The firearm is cocked by means of
a cocking trigger which draws the striker (plunger) backwards until it
engages the trigger. When fired the striker (plunger) which contains the
flint is driven forward by the coil spring, the flint engages the frizzen
which is hinged into the barrel breech and which moves up and out of the
way when struck by the flint thus exposing the small pan in the barrel
breech.
German double barrelled <strong>IN</strong> L<strong>IN</strong>E exhibited at the Munich National museum
This German made firearm is a double barrelled smoothbore which uses
the same action for each barrel and is cocked by small cocking knobs on
each side of the barrel, exactly the same as a “modern’ in line.

Flint lock hammerless in line <strong>muzzle</strong>loader shown in W.W. Greeners book
The Gun and its development.
The receiver of this firearm is of chiselled brass, the hammer is fixed on a
hinge and kept in position over the flash pan by means of a spring; the
flash pan is at the base of the barrel in the body. The flint is fixed to a
plunger working in the body and is actuated by means of a spiral spring.
To cock the gun the flint is drawn back by means of the knob underneath
the barrel, there is a notch in the plunger which engages the sear.
In the Paris museum there are two other examples, one not differing
from the one illustrated in Greeners book, but is better made.
In 1812 Jean Samuel Pauley patented a “superior mechanism for the
firing of firearms” it was a plunger type of firearm, with another following
in 1816, U.K. patent # 4026, most modern plunger type <strong>muzzle</strong> <strong>loaders</strong>
are based on this design
As you can see even in these “early" gunmaking days the
advantages of an uncomplicated mechanism <strong>were</strong> appreciated.
One therefore asks oneself as to why there are so few <strong>IN</strong> L<strong>IN</strong>ES <strong>muzzle</strong>
<strong>loaders</strong> currently available in South Africa other than those excellent ones
made right here in South Africa by Mkonto Manufacturing cc which are
currently made using Pauley’s design ?.

Mr Hanco Roux with a zebra shot using a .72 by Mkonto Manufacturing
.451 by Mkonto Manufacturing
.72 by Mkonto Manufacturing
100meter target shot using Mkonto’s .451 On the
firing line
The answer to this lies in the fact that as more than 80% of the <strong>muzzle</strong>
<strong>loaders</strong> sold in the U.S.A. , the worlds largest market by far, are <strong>IN</strong> L<strong>IN</strong>E
<strong>muzzle</strong> <strong>loaders</strong> and this market likes to use Black Powder substitutes like

PYRODEX®. These substitutes are much safer and cleaner to use than
Black Powder but that comes at a price, they need a much hotter ignition
source.
The ignition source of choice in the U.S.A. is a shotgun 209 primer. In
South Africa this is a BIG problem as a primer constitutes to ammunition
and as such needs a firearm licence. This is further compounded by the
fact that most major firearm manufactures want to become involved in
this large market and many have chosen to adapt their current range or
develop <strong>new</strong> designs to become part their Black Powder range as standard
components can easily be used with a 209 primer.
The current South African law requires that a <strong>muzzle</strong> loader be antique or
be of a design prior to 1 January 1900 and as a result of this most <strong>IN</strong>
L<strong>IN</strong>ES on the International market today just don’t qualify.
The problem is further compounded by the fact that there is much
ignorance around <strong>IN</strong> L<strong>IN</strong>E <strong>muzzle</strong> <strong>loaders</strong> as many authorities do not
recognise them as being “traditional <strong>muzzle</strong> <strong>loaders</strong>” despite them being
around since the early 1700’s!
By “Die Hans Khaki” ©