Were Blanco Encalada's nine-inch guns muzzle-loaders?

Were Blanco Encalada's nine-inch guns muzzle-loaders?

Yes. Crews ran them in after firing and reloaded manually from the muzzle, without a hydraulic ram.

Blanco Encalada's nine-inch rifles were muzzle-loaders. After firing, the crew ran each weapon inward and loaded it from the front with manual tools rather than a hydraulic ram. The guns were broadly comparable to weapons carried by HMS Warrior. Contemporary breech-loading systems were still developing, and an unreliable breech could create dangers that helped keep proven muzzle-loaders in service.