▁held ▁the ▁bullet ▁firm ly ▁in ▁the ▁bar rel ▁and ▁against ▁the ▁pow der . ▁( B ul lets ▁not ▁firm ly ▁on ▁the ▁pow der ▁risk ed ▁expl oding ▁the ▁bar rel , ▁with ▁the ▁condition ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁" short ▁start ". ) ▁ ▁The ▁loading ▁of ▁mus k ets ▁was , ▁therefore , ▁easy ▁with ▁the ▁old ▁smooth - b ore ▁Brown ▁B ess ▁and ▁similar ▁military ▁mus k ets . ▁The ▁original ▁m uzz le - loading ▁rif le , ▁however , ▁was ▁loaded ▁with ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁le ather ▁or ▁cloth ▁wrapped ▁around ▁the ▁ball , ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁ball ▁to ▁eng age ▁the ▁gro ov es ▁in ▁the ▁bar rel . ▁ ▁Lo ading ▁was ▁a ▁bit ▁more ▁difficult , ▁particularly ▁when ▁the ▁bore ▁of ▁the ▁bar rel ▁was ▁fou led ▁from ▁previous ▁fir ings . ▁For ▁this ▁reason , ▁and ▁because ▁rif les ▁were ▁not ▁often ▁fitted ▁for ▁a ▁bay on et , ▁early ▁rif les ▁were ▁not ▁generally ▁used ▁for ▁military ▁purposes . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁saw ▁a ▁distinct ▁change ▁in ▁the ▁shape ▁and ▁function ▁of ▁the ▁bullet . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 6 , ▁Henri - G ust ave ▁Del v igne , ▁a ▁French ▁inf antry ▁officer , ▁invent ed ▁a ▁b ree ch ▁with ▁ab rupt ▁shoulders ▁on ▁which ▁a ▁spher ical ▁bullet ▁was ▁ram med ▁down ▁until ▁it ▁caught ▁the ▁rif ling ▁gro ov es . ▁Del v igne ' s ▁method ,