Give Me A Break

During the flood of innovations that made the late 19th century the most productive time in the history of firearms, no one considered marrying open breeches to loose powder and ball. The main effort was toward more powerful single-shot rifles (Sharps 1874, Remington's Rolling Block) and more reliable repeaters (Henry). The re-invention of the muzzleloader for modern sport hunting, from the Thompson/Center Hawken of 1970 to synthetic-stocked in-line models of today has included some odd couplings.

The latest include hinged-breech or break-action mechanisms on front-stuffers like the Traditions rifle I carried on a deer hunt last fall, and the CVA that accompanied me on another.

The Traditions rifle, the Pursuit Pro, is the latest in a series of highly regarded front-loaders that include dropping-block and bolt actions. With its trigger-guard latch, the Pursuit is among the easiest of hinged rifles to open. At the range, it gave me fine groups with saboted bullets. This eight-pound rifle comes with your choice of .45 or .50 bore, blued or nickeled steel and black or camo-finished stock. I've found it remarkably easy to clean. The breech-block comes out easily, provided you remember to put a dab of bore grease on its threads. I'd like to say this rifle took a big buck last fall. It didn't. But that was my fault, not the rifle's.

Incidentally, for 2007 Traditions has announced an over/under muzzleloader with a top opening lever. At a distance you could mistake the Express Double for a Browning Superposed. While regulating the barrels so they shoot accurately and to the same point of aim remains a headache (and responsible in no small way for the high price tag of double rifles), this front-stuffer is easily tuned by screws imbedded in a collar at the muzzle. I've seen the Express in action, and witnessed groups better than those you'd get from a Bond Street safari rifle.

The Optima Pro by CVA has the same appealing simplicity that attends every break-action rifle. While CVA also builds a muzzleloader on a bolt mechanism, the Optima Pro hinged-breech rifle is very strong. In fact, the company now lists it as the platform for a centerfire rifle in .243, .270 and .30-06--cartridges that generate pressures far higher than you'll see in black-powder guns. The Optima is relatively heavy, at just under nine pounds. It's available as a .45 or a .50, with a choice of metal and stock finishes.

Another hinged-breech smokepole is the Harrington & Richardson Sidekick. Not surprisingly, it's an adaption from the firm's well-known Topper shotguns and Handi-Rifle centerfires. Available in blued and stainless metal with wood or synthetic stocks, it features 209 primer ignition, with a primer carrier that's visible when the breech is closed. Fiber-optic open sights and a weight of just 6 1/2 pounds make this affordable .50-caliber rifle especially attractive.