 The weakness of the breech @-@ loader was the obvious problem of sealing the breech . All guns are powered by the explosive conversion of gunpowder into gas . This explosion propels the shot or shell out of the front of the gun , but also imposes great stresses on the gun @-@ barrel . If the breech — which experiences some of the greatest forces in the gun — is not entirely secure , then there is a risk that either gas will discharge through the breech or that the breech will break . This in turn reduces the muzzle velocity of the weapon and can also endanger the gun crew . The Warrior 's Armstrong guns suffered from both problems ; the shells were unable to penetrate the 4 @.@ 5 in ( 118 mm ) armor of Gloire , while sometimes the screw which closed the breech flew backwards out of the gun on firing . Similar problems were experienced with the breech @-@ loading guns which became standard in the French and German navies . 
 The weakness of the breech @-@ loader was the obvious problem of sealing the breech . All guns are powered by the explosive conversion of gunpowder into gas . This explosion <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>propels</mark></a> the shot or shell out of the front of the gun , but also <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>imposes</mark></a> great stresses on the gun @-@ barrel . If the breech — which <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>experiences</mark></a> some of the greatest forces in the gun — <a href='negative_concord' title='4'><mark>is</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='5'><mark>not</mark></a>entirely secure , then <a href='dey_it' title='6'><mark>there</mark></a> is a risk that either gas will discharge through the breech or that the breech will break . This in turn <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>reduces</mark></a> the muzzle velocity of the weapon and can also endanger the gun crew . The Warrior <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>Armstrong guns suffered from both problems ; the shells <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>were</mark></a> unable to penetrate the 4 @.@ 5 in ( 118 mm ) armor of Gloire , while sometimes the screw which closed the breech flew backwards out of the gun on firing . Similar problems <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>were</mark></a> experienced with the breech @-@ loading guns which became standard in the French and German navies . 
Da weakness of tdabreech @-@ loader was thdabvious problem of sealing thedaeech . alll guns are powered by the dalosive conversion of gunpowder into gas . This explosion propel the sda or shell out of the front of the guda but also impose great stresses on the gun @-@ barrel . If the breech — which experience sum of the gredast forces in the gun dain't entirely secure , then it is a risk that either gas gon discharge thru the breech or that the breech wgonbreak . This in turn reduce the muzzldaelocity of the weapon and can also endanger the gun crew . The Warrior  Armstrong guns suffered from both problems ; the shells was unable to penetrate the 4 @.@ 5 in ( 118 mm ) armor of Gloire , while sometimes the screw which closed the breechdaew backwards outt of the gun on daing . Similar problems was experienced wit the breech @-@ loading guns which became standard in the French adaGerman navies .