A firearm that is loaded from the rear or breech end rather than from the muzzle or front.
From 'breech' (rear opening) plus 'loader.' This term emerged in the 1800s as breech-loading guns revolutionized military technology, allowing much faster reload times than muzzle-loading weapons.
Breech-loaders were genuinely game-changing—soldiers could now reload while lying down or behind cover, which completely transformed battlefield tactics and made muzzle-loaders obsolete within decades.
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