suppose the firing of several loads in succession would give to 

 those loads in the breech the best ramming ever known. But 

 for this ramming to excess this invention went very near to a 

 more perfect success than any modern magazine weapon. The 

 trouble with all the latter is what to do with the empty cartridge- 

 case. But this old weapon had no cartridge-case. Its ignition 

 was from the outside, and was always ready. It is true that the 

 difference of length of movement of shot within the barrel would 

 make some difference to the velocity of each shot, but not more 

 than would be equalised by a very small extra dose of powder 

 for those charges nearest the muzzle. 



Another form of repeater was a breech-loader which carried 

 several charges of powder in the stock, which, in turn, were 

 shaken into a revolving chamber, in front of which, before it was 

 in place for firing, the bullet was inserted for each load, as its 

 turn came round. Other repeaters were simple revolvers, much 

 like the weapon in use now, but of course used without cartridges 

 of self-contained ignition material. 



Indeed, the ingenuity expended on breech-loading before the 

 advent of detonating powder for ignition was really greater than 

 the more modern efforts to do a much more simple thing. At 

 the same time, had they succeeded, as they very nearly did, by 

 doing without a removable cartridge-case, they would have 

 accomplished that which is still required for the perfect working 

 of magazine and automatic weapons. 



The most elaborate of all the old repeaters was a revolving 

 double-chambered German weapon. It had ten chambers, and 

 each of these carried two charges, with a touch-hole for each. 

 The majority of the old breech-loaders had movable blocks on 

 the principle of the Martini, but instead of the hinged blocks 

 being solid, as in that weapon, they were mostly hollowed out 

 to take the charge and the bullet ; sometimes held in a cartridge, 

 but generally with the powder loose, and always loose when in 

 the chamber, in order that there should be free communication 

 with the touch-hole. 



Sometimes the barrel was hinged in order to drop down at 

 right angles with the stock, and this was really the forerunner 



