How are pioneer guns different from modern guns?

Answer 1

Nearly all firearms before the mid 1800's were single shot muzzle loaders. For each shot, the shooter had to measure and load powder, patch and ball from the muzzle end of the gun. The charge was ignited by various means including touching it with a burning coal (matchlock) or striking a spark with flint and steel (wheel lock and flintlock). Sometimes guns (especially shotguns) had multiple barrels to get a quick second shot, but after the last shot, the shooter had to go through the same, slow muzzle loading sequence to reload the gun. Other later guns had revolving cylinders that were loaded in a similar way.

The invention of the metallic cartridge which contained a pre-measured powder charge, the bullet and a primer to ignite the powder enabled inventors to develop repeating firearms. This occurred in the middle of the 19th century.