"Their rifles were muzzle loaders-I've often and often tried to find just the size ball they used, but I can't find such exact mention of their weapons-but they were light and inefficient single-shot rifles, as we now look at it, even in the hands of exact riflemen, as all those men were.
"The Young Alaskans on the Missouri"
Emerson Hough
Our men were armed with breech-loaders, so that no time was lost in loading.
"In the Track of the Troops"
R.M. Ballantyne
Advancing as far as possible under cover of their bullock-wagons, the Turks began to play their part with vigour, but the Russians opened on them from one of their batteries with shell and shrapnel, whilst the men in the trenches sent a rain of bullets from their Berdan breech-loaders.
"In the Track of the Troops"
R.M. Ballantyne