Editing Percussion cap (section)

==Later firearms evolution==
The percussion cap brought about the invention of the modern [[cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] case and made possible the general adoption of the breech-loading principle for all varieties of rifles, shotguns and pistols. After the American Civil War, Britain, France, and America began converting existing caplock guns to accept brass [[Rimfire ammunition|rimfire]] and [[centrefire]] cartridges. For muskets such as the [[1853 Enfield]] and [[1861 Springfield]], this involved installing a [[firing pin]] in place of the nipple, and a trapdoor in the breech to accept the new bullets. Examples include the [[Trapdoor Springfield]], [[Tabatière rifle]], [[Westley Richards]] and [[Snider–Enfield]] conversions. The British Army used Snider Enfields contemporaneously with the [[Martini–Henry]] rifle until the .303 [[bolt action]] [[Lee–Metford]] [[repeating rifle]] was introduced in the 1880s. Later, [[military surplus]] Sniders were purchased as hunting and defensive weapons by British colonists and trusted local natives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.militaryheritage.com/snider.htm |title=Loading and firing a Snider Enfield |publisher=Militaryheritage.com |access-date=2018-11-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Britain's+big+.577+Snider.-a0141344134 |title=Britain's big 577 |via=The Free Library|access-date=2018-11-05}}</ref>

Caplock revolvers such as the [[Colt Navy]] and [[Remington Arms|Remington]] were also widely converted during the late 19th century, by replacing the existing cylinder with one designed for modern ammunition. These were used extensively by the Turks in the [[Russo-Turkish War]], the [[US Cavalry]] during the [[Indian Wars]], and also by [[gunfighter]]s, lawmen, and outlaws in the old west.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theautry.org:80/the-colt-revolver-in-the-american-west/forced-to-adapt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422092942/http://theautry.org/the-colt-revolver-in-the-american-west/forced-to-adapt |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-04-22 |title=Colt revolver in the Old West |access-date=2018-11-05 }}</ref>

In the 1840s and 1850s, the percussion cap was first integrated into a metallic cartridge, where the bullet is held in by the casing, the casing is filled with gunpowder, and a [[Primer (firearm)|primer]] is placed on the end. By the 1860s and 1870s, [[breech-loading]] metallic cartridges had made the percussion cap system obsolete.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}

Today, reproduction percussion firearms are popular for recreational shooters and percussion caps are still available (though some modern muzzleloaders use [[primer (firearm)|shotshell primers]] instead of caps).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wheelgun-wednesday-american-gun-craft-roto-12-revolver-shotguns-44820202 | title=Wheelgun Wednesday: American Gun Craft ROTO 12 Revolver Shotguns | date=2 April 2025 }}</ref> Most percussion caps now use non-corrosive compounds such as [[lead styphnate]].<ref name="Fadala2006"/>