In times of war, millions of gun flints were needed and in the United Kingdom, mining flint and then knapping it became a substantial cottage industry around Brandon, Suffolk, an area that previously saw large scale flint mining in the Neolithic area. [9] In 1804, Brandon was supplying over 400,000 flints a month to the British military. [7] However flint knappers suffered from silicosis, known as Knappers Rot due to the inhalation of flint dust. [10] It has been claimed this was responsible for the early death of three-quarters of Brandon gun flint makers. [11]

The powder ignites, and the flash passes through a small hole in the barrel (called a vent or touchhole) that leads to the combustion chamber where it ignites the main powder charge, and the gun discharges. For the beginner the best choice of muzzle loading shotgun is the percussion gun, either single or double barrel, because of its simplicity and reliability. Most muzzle loading shooters prefer to shoot original guns as there is a plentiful supply of good shooting guns in this country and they tend to handle much better than most reproduction guns. Ramrods: The ramrods fitted to most sporting muzzle loading shotguns are unsuitable for general loading use for clay pigeon shooting. A stouter, more robust ramrod is required. These may be easily made from either hard wood dowel or a rigid plastic rod, such as nylon. The ramrod should have a ball like feature at the end for comfortable loading and safety. We have found that wooden drawer knobs or snooker Harvey Walklate MORTIMERSon of Samuel Mortimer, born 1753. Apprenticed to father, 1772; free of Farriers Co., 1782; elected Assistant, 1807. Gunmaker, at Mr Greens ironmonger, 6 Kings Street, Lincolns Inn Fields, 1779; 89 Fleet Street, 1782-99. Appointed Gunmaker to George III, 1783. Contractor to East India Co., 1796-1806. Specialised in repeating pistols and gold mounted guns for the Eastern market. Advertised For the Inspection of the Curious, just finished, Three pair of Elegant Pistols, mounted in solid gold value 547 intended as a present to a foreign Prince, 1784 (Morning Herald, 20 August). Registered mark as small worker at Goldsmiths Hall, 1798. Made gold-mounted firearms set with diamonds for the U.S. Government as present for Bey of Tunis, 1801-2. Member of Law Association Volunteers, provided their muskets, 1803. His own musket in Inns of Court Museum, London. Became H. W. Mortimer, Son & T. Mortimer. Retired, 1811. Died 1819.

Batty Shaw, A (1981). "Knapper's Rot, Silicosis in East Anglian Flint Knappers". Medical History. 25 (2): 151–168. doi: 10.1017/s0025727300034359. PMC 1139012. PMID 7012479. The Guns: To own an original muzzle loading gun requires no licence as it is classed as an antique. However, should you wish to shoot your original muzzle loading shotgun, it will require to be held on a shotgun certificate. Applications for shotgun certificates may be obtained through your local police force. Many police forces now hold their application forms on line. It should be noted that replica muzzle loading shotguns may only be owned when held on a shotgun certificate whether they are used or not. A condition of the shotgun licence is that guns are stored securely. This generally means that they are stored in an approved gun safe.

Henry Tatham and Joseph Egg were Gunmakers to George III and are recorded in partnership at 37 Charing Cross, London from 1801-1814. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sourcesin this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2022) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) The flash pan is primed with a small amount of very finely ground gunpowder, and the flashpan lid or frizzen is closed. HISTORIC 42” BARREL SHORT LAND BROWN BESS MUSKET OF AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR ‘EMERGENCY PRODUCTION’ PATTERN 1779-S WITH AMERICAN COLONIST UNIT MARKINGS COMPLETE WITH A LATER BAYONET People who possess such firearms can apply to their local police firearms licensing department to retain them on a firearms certificate. Applications must be made before the transition period ends at 11:59pm on 21 September 2021. As long as a person has applied for a firearm certificate, they will remain in lawful possession of their firearm even if their application remains outstanding or is the subject of an outstanding appeal when the transition period ends.The Law: The following legal requirements may seem a little complex, but in reality they are generally straightforward. In our experience the Firearms Licensing sections of local police forces and the HSE are helpful and efficient. The UK has some of the strictest gun control legislation in the world and comparatively low levels of gun crime. These changes will help to further restrict access of criminals to firearms and better protect the public. There are of course legitimate reasons for owning a firearm that is an antique or was previously regarded as an antique, and their owners are not involved in any wrongdoing. They may be owned by a collector or as a family heirloom, for example. is placed in the phial. The measuring may be by means of flask dispensing, or shot/powder scoops. For the inexperienced muzzle loader phials, when set out in equal numbers of shot and powder are a useful aid to correct loading as there is a visual indication that the corresponding numbers of powder and shot phials have been used. Also there is an important safety aspect to using phials in that only a small amount of powder is exposed at any time. Insurance: Although not a legal requirement, it is responsible and sensible to join a shooting association that offers both personal and third party liability insurance against accidents from shooting sports. Associations such as the MLAGB, CPSA