What exactly is a 'black powder' handgun?

I have, whilst surfing the net, seen sites advertising 'black powder' handguns, which caught my eye as I'm in the UK and yet these seem to be legal, and look either like Wild West revolvers or old pirate-style flintlocks.





Are they legal here? What exactly is 'black powder'- does that mean that the gun does not fire a regular bullet?





ThanksWhat exactly is a 'black powder' handgun?
I'm sure you are talking about muzzleloading pistols such as single shots, 1860 colts 1858 Remington. there are a long list of these available in a wide variety of calibers from .22 to .54 these are also refereed to as cap and ball revolvers. they use black powder for propellant not modern smokeless powder. the powder is measured out, put directly into the cylinder. a lead ball is ran into cylinder. and a cap is put on the nipple. these ';black powder'; handguns are lots of fun to shoot.


i live in the us and cant tell you if they are legal in the uk. i'd check local laws there before purchasingWhat exactly is a 'black powder' handgun?
They are usually muzzle loaders using percussion caps.A particular expertise is needed with these weapons.exponents of these weapons generally mix their own powder which affects the muzzle velocity.
Gun powder packing guns are very basic.. Like the first versions..
Sounds more like a musket type gun to me, where gunpowder is poured into the barrel and the shot is rammed down on top of that.
It`s a gun that fires bullets that use black powder as an accelerant instead of nitro based accelerant.
These are usually the cap and ball revolvers and rifles. Back in 1873 when Colt intoduced the first domestic cartridge handgun, the Colt Single Action Army, the .45 Colt round was loaded with black powder. Smokeless propellent which we use today didn't come along until the 20th century.
I don't know about the legality of them.





The Black powder pistol is a muzzle loaded pistol. Loose black powder poured down the barrel, a clothe wad is then rammed in the barrel, and then the round(a lead or steel ball the size of the barrel) is rammed down the barrel. A primer is placed on the hammer and then you aim and squeeze the trigger. Hold the weapon steady until the primer ignites the powder and firing the round out of the barrel.





Have fun firing this weapon, but use extreme caution as the sparks with fly all over and could ignite any powder laying in the open.
It means that you had to put the gun powder in with a powder horn and then place the steel ball and use this thin steel rod called a ramrod to push the ball down the barrel.


Then,you pulled back the hammer and placed a little more powder on the plate and aligned the flint so when you pull the trigger,the flint will make a spark igniting the powder and discharging the pistol.


What a pain in the bum ,eh?
Black powder guns are one in which the gunpowder and projectile are loaded separately, guns from or like those used in another era that has passed


Not modern - age weapons


Also, in America, there are special hunting seasons for black powder guns versus modern era rifles %26amp; pistols
Orion 2506 Is exactly on the mark here. You would not use a steel ball as a projectile, and brass or wood ramrods are preferred, so you wont damage the rifling in your barrel.





That's not counting some of the old reproductions, which have a built in ramrod.





And yes, you may load all six chambers, although if carrying for hunting, one chamber was left empty, and the cylinder was rotated to that position, just in case the handgun was dropped, you didn't have an accidental discharge.
Your correct they are legal in the uk we fire them sometimes, its really just powder packing and a piece of shot... in otherwords there is no casing like a regular round, they are more unpredictable and you may get flash backs if all is not well............ we make our own powder but im not telling you how lol
Cheers:


One of the better places to look is on the attached link...


Most of the repro guns are Italian; Pietta or Uberti. Each port on the cylinder is loaded with powder, [possibly a 'Wonder Wad] lead ball and sealed with 'bore butter'.


My 1858 Remington repro uses .451 dia lead balls- when pressed into the top of the cylinder, a small circle of lead is shaved off, indicating a gas-tight seal between ball and wall.


No- it does not use a regular bullet.


Unsure of UK legality- you are quite restricted over there, but there may be clubs and such... I hope so.





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cheaperthandirt [link] will not ship out of the US. I'll keep looking.


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not a pistol link, but a procedures site...good info.
It's a gun where the gunpowder and bullet are separate. I don't believe any type of gun is legal in the UK, but it could be considered a collector's item.