Hi David,
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Originally Posted by katana
... seeing the 'hammer' I assumed that the bullets had percussion caps. ... I wonder whether it would allow 'experimental' use of various amounts and types of gunpowder to alter the 'characteristics' of the projectiles speed/range/penetration.
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Gunpowder was tested before being cleared and put to service, or out in the market; in those days its strenght was highly variable and you couldn't risk to use it before checking the different lots. A device called (gun) powder tester or eprouvette, partly resembling a pistol but in fact with a dynamic mechanism, was used to measure its explosive strength.
Having it "homologated" for the distinct purposes, still you had the option to load your charge with a variable power, by adjusting the spout of your powder flask.
Bullets could also be round or pointy, depending on your preference.
BTW, just for curiosity, pointed projectiles were first introduced by Da Vinci.
Fernando