HARRISBURG — Black lawmakers in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives walked off the floor Wednesday to protest the lack of progress on gun-control legislation, throwing the chamber into disarray and contributing to the postponement of an expected debate on open records.

The open-records debate was just getting under way when House members of the Legislative Black Caucus, all Democrats, suddenly asked to be put on leave. Five hours later, without resuming what was expected to be a lengthy debate over dozens of amendments to an open-records bill approved by the Senate, the House adjourned until Monday.

"We're not walking out on open records," but rather making the point that gun control should be a priority, said Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-Delaware, the caucus chairman. "We believe that when we have to walk by an open casket day in and day out, that our priority is to make sure that guns are taken off the streets and out of the hands of criminals."

The walkout was a powerful gesture in a chamber that Democrats control by a single vote. Though the House could have continued with its business, Democrats could not pass any legislation without the support of at least some Republicans.

Minority Leader Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, charged that Democratic leaders were paralyzed by the "friction" within their caucus.

Contrary to Kirkland's vow that none of the 16 black lawmakers who walked out would return to the floor Wednesday, at least eight had done so by the time the House adjourned. By then, however, other House Democrats were leaving early because of snow falling in many parts of the state, said a spokesman for Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene.