That list is, for lack of a better term, interesting. I don't see the logic in some of the included and excluded guns in the list. If this is a change due to herd control I guess it makes sense. It may help get some folks interested in older guns that would not have gone that route before. Time will tell.

I have seen pictures of inline guns that date back as far as the 1700's including both flintlock and percussion designs. Not all of them had exposed hammers either, some were of a plunger design similar to several of the so called modern inline designs. While it is true that many of them were not mass produced that was probably due more to the cost and complexity compared to therelatively simplesidelock designs that pre-existed the inline systems. This, to my mind, still gives the inline ignition a lineage that quallifies it as a viable muzzleloader. The inline ignition does offer a slight advantage to ignition over a regular sidelock that has to snake the fire to the main charge. This advantage does not necessarily hold true for other designs such as the under hammer which often has a even shorter path to the main charge than many inlines.

From an accuracy stand point, all other things being equal, the inline has no inherent advantage over the other ignition systems. Most any design will shoot as good and more often better than the person holding the gun. Manypracticed shooters can make accurate shots out to 150+ yards without the aid of a scope no matter what design they are shooting. Many bison were shot at quite long range with muzzleloaders of several designs and no scope in the old days by hunters who spent the time to learn how to shoot at those ranges.

Now don't mistake what I'm typing as an endorsement of the average hunter going out and trying long range hunting. Many hunters don't put in the range time to develop the skills needed to be effective at ranges much over 100 yards but that doesn't mean the gun is not cappable of those shots when properly loaded and practiced with.

Here's me getting off the soapbox now.