'Cap and Ball' Percussion Pistols:

Before I start this piece .. Here's a quote from a guy John Farnam (via Greg Ellifritz from a post about 'Criminal Motivation' .. linked below):

RULES OF STUPID.

“Don’t go stupid places. Don’t hang out with stupid people. Don’t do stupid things.”

I like it - Link (to read later):
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/criminal-motivation?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ActiveResponseTraining+%28Active+Response+Training%29

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Original "cap'n'ball" percussion pistols will likely cost good money to buy .. but you should be able to find reproductions of some types -  that may be legal to have in your locality.

The 'Percussion System' - using copper percussion caps to reliably fire a charge of gun powder - dates from around 1820 and was developed using freshly discovered chemicals that explode by impact .. There were various other mechanical cap systems tried including "discs", "pills" - and "tapes" (these were very much like my childhood toy 'Cap Guns'.)

Modern Percussion Caps.

Prior to the percussion cap - the flintlocks ruled for centuries and technically were also a 'percussion' technique - as they used hard flint stone to strike off a shower of white hot steel onto the gunpowder. - Before that - burning or smoldering fuses or red-hot iron pokers managed to mostly set-off the  BANG  and scare the horses.

A Belgian Two Barrel Percussion Pistol.

One impediment to shooting cap & ball may be that most original guns will be in poor condition from corrosion and wear - while those remaining in good working order may be too valuable to risk by shooting.

The percussion cap system had a clear run of around 46 years - until clever men modified it for use in self contained metallic cartridges & of-course it continues to be the way that all modern rifles, shotguns and pistols using 'cartridges' are fired today ..

A "MORMON AVENGER" .36" Caliber Cap'n'Ball Revolver (1861 Colt Navy).

- Pepper-Box Percussion Pistols were very popular and saw much use in early America ..

Cogswell Bar Hammer Double-Action Pepper Box "Revolver'.
(Earlier 'Pepperboxes' In The 1790s Were Flintlocks)

Development of self-contained metallic cartridges - one neat package containing bullet, powder and primer ended the "percussion era" - by making another giant step forward .. but this didn't change the effectiveness and utility of these earlier pattern firearms - & pioneers and hunters tend to be a cautious lot, slow to change:

Liegoise Dueling Pistols - Often Deadly.

The Berdan Primer for metal cartridges was patented March 1866 - and The Boxer Primer in England just 7 months later in October 1866.

Berdan (twin hole) Versus Boxer (with single hole).
(Sectioned Cases)

But a modern cap & ball percussion gun can still make for hours of effective shooting ..

Plenty of Different Forms of "Front-Stuffer - Cap'n'Balls"

My Ruger Old Army revolver demonstrates how 'black-powder' can be very forgiving and fun while offering gentle plinking load options - up to potent booming power levels.

Loading and firing 'Front Stuffers' can be very relaxing and entertaining - while the later stripping and scrubbing with boiling water and detergents and careful oiling can add to the experience by teaching discipline & good habits. 😍

Our New Zealand government has announced new ammunition restrictions Banning various types like sabot, duplex, tracer, exploding etc - but shooters using muzzle-loading guns will continue unaffected by these pointless limitations.

Marty K.