The Trapper Sidelock from Traditions is a .50 caliber percussion muzzleloading pistol with a 9.75-inch octagonal blued barrel and a 15.5-inch overall length. It is a single-shot, single-action handgun with a select hardwood stock, double-set triggers that can be fired set or unset, and a primitive-style adjustable rear sight paired with a front blade. The barrel is not threaded and there is no provision for an optic.

It goes through a dealer here like any other handgun, so a Delaware buyer needs the state purchase permit or a current carry license and must be 21. On the range it is a slow, deliberate gun: load from the muzzle, cap the nipple, set the rear trigger and touch off the front one, and the long octagonal barrel with its adjustable sight gives a steady picture at pistol distances. Traditions pitches it as a back-up piece for a muzzleloading rifle shooter, and it pairs well with a percussion rifle on a primitive range day.

Key features

• .50 caliber percussion sidelock, single shot
• 9.75-inch octagonal blued barrel, 15.5 inches overall
• Select hardwood stock
• Double-set triggers, fire set or unset
• Primitive-style adjustable rear sight, front blade

This pistol ships to the Delaware FFL dealer you pick at checkout, where photo ID and Form 4473 are handled before transfer.