The two rifles shown are examples of muzzle loading rifles loaded through a false muzzle and using a bullet starter and then a long rod to seat the bullet into the rifling just ahead of the black powder charge. The rifle is placed on a shooting rest then primed for the shot. A long loading rod , similar to a cleaning rod, is used to seat the bullet to the exact same point in the barrel for each shot. The rear rifle appears to have its loading rod in the bore. The handle is sticking out of the false muzzle. The Ballard conversion in the gallery is an improvement over the muzzle loading percussion rifles.