Does percission = black powder? Are they one and the same?
Thanks,
Bill
Does percission = black powder? Are they one and the same?
Thanks,
Bill
No.
Percussion caps are used on many of the later black powder weapons, but black powder is also ignited by flintlock, matchlock, wheellock, electric arc, fuse, etc.
Technically, most modern firearms use percussion to ignite their primers.
So, in common use, "percussion" is used to differentiate between certain types of black powder weapons, but in reality almost all modern firearms are percussion-ignited.
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Thanks Waldo.
As far as locks would go you'd have from Matchlocks, Wheel Locks, Filintlocks, percusion Musket locks, converted Flintlocks to Musket locks,
Percusion locks i.e. Tennessee Mountan Poorboy .50, single shot pistol locks. And yur Wheel Gun C&B Revolver six shoooters(perc.)
Them's more than I use but that's alot of the list.
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No, percussion is the means of ignition. Black powder is the propellant.Does percission = black powder? Are they one and the same?
I can't think of a percussion cap gun that does not use black powder or substitute.
Black powder is also used in cartridge guns.
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Percussion caps MAY be the high water mark of the muzzle loader, but they lasted a relatively short time on the over-all muzzle loading scene!
Depending on what or who you believe, black powder firearms in some form appeared SOMETIME before 1500.
Wikipedia says the percussion cap was developed around 1830.
While the percussion cap was used for much longer and is still in some use today, it was obsolete by 1865 with the .22 Short and the Henry and Spencer repeating rifles.
So you have a 300+ year time span versus a 30 year time span.
They were so thoroughly adopted so quickly becasue they were such an improvement, they were relatively impervious to rain, at least compared to a flintlock.
Buckshot
The percussion cap was actually invented in 1807, at least that's when the patent was from. But it took some time for the patent to expire before everyone could copy it.
A piece of trivia that I personally like is that it was specifically invented with the purpose of duck hunting. Lots of people try to claim that all gun inventions have been with the purpose of war, but the percussion cap was developed by a scottish clergyman because he wanted a better way to hunt ducks, with faster ignition. It was so quickly adopted by everyone because it was so successful, and I believe that once you had a percussion cap it was only a matter of time before someone put the cap and the propellant together and created the cartridge. I've even heard that the first cartridges was basically a percussion cap with a small bullet stuck in it. So it can very well be argued that the invention of cartridges for guns was an invention with the purpose of duck hunting, not war.
a metal strip of percussion caps that was inserted into a slot at the top of the lock and advanced when the hammer was pulled back. Sadly, none of the replicas has included this feature.
During the 1800's you have a speeding up of technology not only in firearms but in life in general. No time in history was like it. In 1800 firearms were generally single or double barrel, using flintlock ignition-black powder-lead round ball projectiles. In 1900 firearms had multiple magazines either fixed, tubular or removable-round or inline shot out of a single barrel, using cartridges that had bullet, propellant-smokeless powder and ignition-center or rimfire in one self contained cartridge. Talk about a quantum leap in technology. It did not happen all at once and the intermediate technologies had to be invented, accepted, and then superseded. I find this 100 year span to be the interesting era of firearms development. The 1900-2000 time period inventions and improvements in firearms technology were built upon the 1800-1900 inventions and improvements but it also amazing to see how many of the are still with us today.
Last edited by Gaucho Gringo; February 3rd, 2010 at 09:42 PM.
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12 Ga Shotgun, 16Ga Shotgun, Remington Rolling Block Rifle in .43 Spanish BP, Taurus Gaucho .357, Heritage Arms Rough Rider .22, 2-Pietta 1858 .44 Remingtons, Pietta & ASM 1851 .36 Colt Navy's, Uberti .31 4" 1849 & .36 2" Pocket Police
Wulf,
A FEW of the Slant Breech (paper cartridge) Sharps rifles used the primer system you speak of. The Military Contract ones used in the American Civil War DID NOT use it.
The M1855 .58 cal. US arms used the Maynard Tape Priming System. It did not work well and the next model, the M1861, DROPPED IT.
These do not appear except as a dummy boss on the lockplate of the M1855 reproductions.
Buckshot
"...appeared SOMETIME before 1500..." Well before 1500. There are rumours of very early cannon being used at Crecy in 1346.
A 1326 manuscript, written for Edward III, shows a cannon. Henry V used cannon at Harfleur in 1415 too.
The City Republic of Florence was ordering cannon ammunition in 1326. There are surviving documents.
Earliest, surviving, hand 'gonne' dates from the late 14th Century. Found in the Baltic, as I recall. Believe it's in a Stockholm museum.
The NAA and Freedom Arms minis can use smokeless powder.I can't think of a percussion cap gun that does not use black powder or substitute.
Sic semper tyrannis
That's an exception I should have know, I have an NAA.
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