breech-loader
noun
A gun designed to have ammunition inserted at the breech rather than through the muzzle.Rifles became breech-loaders, then repeaters....
- The cartridges fired by these early breech-loaders were lacking in power when compared to muskets.
- The field officers who opposed the breech-loaders saw their job as controlling the troops.
Derivatives
breech-loading
/ adjective ...- For the next 50 years breech-loading muskets and rifles were made in England as sporting guns.
- The breech-loading cannons were set to fire in only one fixed direction and were of little use.
- This coincided with rapid improvement in firearms, with breech-loading rifles replacing the musket.