newbie question on muzzle loading pistols

[Primer]

This is a general question on muzzle loading pistols, having only been in the firearms scene for a year (shotguns for 5) (fired a .22 revolver 27 years ago at a police shooting range) how come muzzle loading pistols/revolvers didn't get included in the sec5 handgun ban or have to be 2ft long like the long barreled handguns are they deemed not as powerful as normal cartridge handguns?

I quite like the look of the nitro powder muzzle loaders on Westlakes website after a recent topic about them on here and might look at them more seriously over the lbr/lbp's

[meles meles]

I think the Powers That Be thought that nobody would be interested in using them, as they take so long to load and reload, and are perceived as being ye olde fashioned inaccurate bangenflashen gonnes...

[IainWR]

Someone put up a good argument in Parliament in 1997.

That's not a smart answer, it is literally true. A Member of Parliament spoke on behalf of the muzzle-loaders (I forget both who and in exactly what context) in one of the debates following the Dunblane atrocity and the revised Act was drafted so as to exempt ML pistols from the ban.

Be thankful for small mercies.

Iain

[pe4king]

The argument from the MLCGB IIRC was that give us an instance in the last 100 or so years, when a muzzle loading firearm was used in a crime

[Primer]

Thanks for the info, so can they be used for practical pistol shooting, instead of the lbp/lbr's? as I see on Westlake website you can purchase extra cylinders (after having the authority put on your license) so you can have several loaded up ready to change like a speed loader, I know it would be an expensive outlay , has anyone gone down that route?

[Sim G]

The argument from the MLCGB IIRC was that give us an instance in the last 100 or so years, when a muzzle loading firearm was used in a crime

That's about it in a nut shell. The work of the MLAGBNI had muzzle loaders exempted from the legislation. A great deal of hard work which paid off. The other organisations on the other hand maintained a "dignified silence".......

[Steve]

If you saw how long it takes me for example to load one you'd understand why they were not included in the ban. :lol:

[LeighC]

Having never participated in practical pistol, I am probably showing my ignorance, but I find that ML revolvers are ridiculously inaccurate at anything over 10 yards. I have a .44 Rogers & Spencer (Pedersoli rep) and it throws ball in the general direction of, that's about it. Even with swaged ball it's something of a lottery whether or not you'll get on target on a 25yd range.

Great fun, bugger to clean, stinks to high heaven.

[meles meles]

Oh no ooman, some of them can be very accurate. Even we have put 5 rounds into the black at 25 yards with a .45 Ruger Old Army...

[1066]

Having never participated in practical pistol, I am probably showing my ignorance, but I find that ML revolvers are ridiculously inaccurate at anything over 10 yards. I have a .44 Rogers & Spencer (Pedersoli rep) and it throws ball in the general direction of, that's about it. Even with swaged ball it's something of a lottery whether or not you'll get on target on a 25yd range.

Great fun, bugger to clean, stinks to high heaven.

A good ML pistol is just as accurate as normal pistol - the problem is it just takes a lot of practice to shoot a pistol well.

I remember winning the ML revolver comp at Bisley 1989ish AD meeting with a score of 95 with a .44 Remington copy. Thats shooting one handed at 25 yards with all shots going into about 2 inches.

I also have a Le Page .36 duelling pistol with set trigger that shoots very well.