The in-line design has been around for years, as exemplified by Jean Samuel Pauley’s in-line system of 1812. The Germans also had an in-line flintlock design as early as 1738. So the belief that sidelock muzzleloaders are the more historically accurate traditional firearms is false. Unquestionably, the in-line style is more popular among today’s traditional hunters and shooters, says Tim Pancurak of Thompson/Center Arms. “In-lines represent the majority of our muzzleloader sales,” he said—an amazing statistic considering that T/C’s first true in-line muzzleloader was introduced in 1993. Dudley McGarity, national sales manager of Connecticut Valley Arms (CVA), says in-lines now make up about 80 percent of that company’s sales. “They have really come on strong in the past few years,” he said. “The in-line has enticed a lot of hunters to try muzzleloading. The in-line looks more familiar and is perceived to be easier to use. It is also perceived that they are more reliable and more accurate than the old traditional guns.”

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