![The pleasures of black powder](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5179/659195/60b461c7213cd/The-pleasures-of-black-powder.jpg)
Ever since the first gun was made, man tried over the centuries to make it into a multi-shot weapon. Many ingenious methods were tried but it was not until the Colt Paterson revolver was patented in 1836 that a practical and easily manufactured solution was found: the muzzle-loading revolver.
The operation of muzzle-loading revolvers made in the USA (where they are known as cap and ball) is simple. Powder and ball are loaded into the chambers and then the percussion cap put in place. To fire takes two actions: the first is to pull the hammer fully back, which rotates the chamber, bringing the charge into line with the barrel; the second is to pull the trigger to release the hammer and fire the cap. This is why they are known as single-action revolvers.
This system of firing continued to be used by Colt even when cartridge revolvers superseded muzzle-loaders. In the UK and Europe, muzzle-loading revolvers made by Webley and Tranter, to name but two, used what we call double action, whereby pulling the trigger the hammer is pulled back, the chamber is rotated and the hammer is released, detonating the cap. This was a more complicated mechanical operation and was not as reliable as the single action.
Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av The Field.
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Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av The Field.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Helping hot dogs chill out](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/5irat8pXt1720173886466/HELPING-HOT-DOGS-CHILL-OUT.jpg)
Helping hot dogs chill out
From cool coats to clippers, there are a whole host of ways to keep your canine companion comfortable as the summer heat intensifies, says David Tomlinson
![Art in the field](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/2jA3Ejnz11720173711703/ART-IN-THE-FIELD.jpg)
Art in the field
Sculpting his wild subjects from life, Fred Gordon is breaking new ground in bronze, says Janet Menzies
![How to canapé](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/3uHQxYLWu1720173396081/HOW-TO-CANAP.jpg)
How to canapé
A summer celebration is nothing without these tiny works of art. Devised by the country's best canapé cooks, they are just the thing to make your party swing
![Ginger-beer childhoods](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/GBiR3_9Aa1720173019473/GINGERBEER-CHILDHOODS.jpg)
Ginger-beer childhoods
Summer holidays filled with outdoor adventures are the perfect way to foster a love of the countryside and a lifetime enthusiasm for the field
![Glamour, intelligence and drive as standard](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/JPlhHRNHQ1720172553467/GLAMOUR-INTELLIGENCE-AND-DRIVE-AS-STANDARD.jpg)
Glamour, intelligence and drive as standard
Retrieving birds with pace, energy and undeniable elan, these sporting poodles are winning over even traditional gundog breed enthusiasts
![The cycle begins](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/zFa07PuJt1720172195147/THE-CYCLE-BEGINS.jpg)
The cycle begins
Though it may lie forgotten for much of the year, the kennel bicycle is indispensable in summer when hound exercise gets under way
![Turning the tide on the Tyne](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/ssaj004tV1720171829137/TURNING-THE-TIDE-ON-THE-TYNE.jpg)
Turning the tide on the Tyne
The industrial age brought prosperity to Newcastle but at great cost to the Tyne and its salmon. Today its waters are a haven for fish and anglers alike
![En garde: a guide to fencing](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/-ACb9XpaI1720171481095/EN-GARDE-A-GUIDE-TO-FENCING.jpg)
En garde: a guide to fencing
Not just a clash of swords and some fancy footwork, this ancient sport is an art form that demands agility, discipline and control
![Who was Baron Pierre de Coubertin?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/1OqPSNemM1720171376732/WHO-WAS-BARON-PIERRE-DE-COUBERTIN.jpg)
Who was Baron Pierre de Coubertin?
It was a diminutive, 19th-century French aristocrat, Baron Pierre de Coubertin (pictured, left), who came up with the idea of reviving the Olympic Games while studying in Paris. He was a sporting sort himself, and had also long despaired of what he perceived as French degeneracy; his country had been humiliated by the loss of the Franco-Prussian War and he attributed this to his countrymen's lack of moral fibre.
![A gold-medal guide to Olympic shooting](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/VOHyFpkMX1720170750608/A-GOLDMEDAL-GUIDE-TO-OLYMPIC-SHOOTING.jpg)
A gold-medal guide to Olympic shooting
Everything you need to know, from history, disciplines, rules and regulations to the British sportsmen and women striving for glory