Belton Repeating Flintlock: A Semiautomatic Rifle in 1785
The Belton Repeating Flintlock, designed in 1785, featured an innovative seven-shot magazine and a unique 'port fire' mechanism. This system allowed for sequential firing by sliding an ignited slow-burning fuse to successive touch holes, approximating a semi-automatic action without re-priming. The mechanism utilized secondary triggers to control the fuse's movement.









