Follow-up: I believe in the days of muskets it wasn't uncommon to pour/cast your own ammunition out of lead (I've seen tools specifically for this purpose in a lot of museums). With the advent of rifling around the time of the Wild West, was this no longer an option and did it affect the cost of owning and operating a firearm significantly, or did advances in production offset these costs?

Another follow up question(s). My grandfather was a gun smith and he always recycled his shells to remake his own bullets. Was it normal for people back then to do the same with something similar to the kits and presses you can buy today? If so, was it cost effective?

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