Gun Rifling

cal516

I have an arbitrary question. I am writing a term paper about the Revolutionary War and one of my key points is about barrel rifling and long range accuracy. I have this knowledge based on experience and military training but have to use a magazine as a reference. I have read articles in the past that pertain to this subject but do not have copies of said articles. Does anyone have any issue numbers they can share with me that would help?

Buffco

What question are you trying to answer'

5280 shooter II

Google and search American Rifleman magazine. Sept, 2012 volume 160, No 9 writes about firearms of the war of 1812.....so you might have to dig a little.....cause I remember reading about firearms of the revolution not too long ago.

cal516

Well this is why it is arbitrary. I am knowledgeable about rifling and how it increases accuracy and range. However, I have to use a magazine as a reference for this knowledge. Unfortunately, I am not home and don't have access to my back issues. I was hoping someone out there would be able to give me an issue number that contained any article referencing barrel rifling......

mkk41

Most shoulder arms used during the Revolutionary War were unrifled muskets. The number of buckskin-clad , Pennsyl-tucky rifle wielding mountain man 'snipers' hiding in treetops was very low.

5280 shooter II

Buffco wrote: »

What question are you trying to answer'

Methinks the person needs to build a bibliography of research for their term paper.

sarg1c

I don't believe long range was a matter of concern for the Revolutionary soldiers...Many muskets were not even rifled...Many people never even measured the powder charge, just dump some powder in, prime and shoot. Not really good for long range so I say forget the long range portion of your questioning....About every month, "Guns and Ammo" will have a comparison story about a couple Rev.war or civil war muskets . Just have to go back in a few copies and check them out...

Teach

The primary arms used in the Revolution were the Brown Bess musket used by the British, a .75 caliber smoothbore, and a French smoothbore used primarily by the Americans- - - -can't remember the name. Yes, charges were measured and prepackaged by rolling the ball and a quantity of powder into a paper cylinder twisted on both ends. Infantry troops had to have at least one pair of teeth, upper and lower that met, so they could bite one end off the cartridge duriing loading. I guess the toothless guys went to the artillery. Snipers used long-barreled rifled arms, but their mission was very limited on both sides. One British sniper refused to fire on an American officer from ambush- - - -some guy named "George Washington", so I hear.


Here's an article that sounds like exactly what you're looking for, and it's a magazine reprint with a reference:

http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/longrifle.html

Jerry

Jayhawker

Teach wrote: »

The primary arms used in the Revolution were the Brown Bess musket used by the British, a .75 caliber smoothbore, and a French smoothbore used primarily by the Americans- - - -can't remember the name.

Charleyville 69 cal. ,,,but the there were a lot of Brown Bess muskets in American hands as well...their previous owners not needing them anymore....

Teach

Jayhawker wrote: »

...their previous owners not needing them anymore....

Some things never change- - - - - -the goat molesters in the sandbox are recycling SKS's and RPG's that way these days!
Jerry

SirGeorgeKillian

Jayhawker wrote: »

Charleyville 69 cal. ,,,but the there were a lot of Brown Bess muskets in American hands as well...their previous owners not needing them anymore....

And most colonists had a Brown Bess on their mantle long before the war. The ones who chose to rebel against the crown grabbed their Brown Bess and joined the army!

woodsrunner

I'm a little puzzled :uhm:. You say that you must reference a "Magazine"? What about books? Rifling in RevWar era pieces is a subject that I doubt will be covered to any extent in magazine articles since this is a somewhat of an unknown "speciality" subject. You will find rifling mentioned in the magazine "Muzzle Blasts" in past articles, but I can't cite individual copies. You're dealing with a "speciality" subject. Rifling cuts varied. Some pieces were rifled, but the rifling was straight with no twist. Others had various slow twists like 1 in 68 or 72 inches and even slower. Some had gain twists and others were smooth but with rifling only in the last 2-4 inches at the muzzle. Sniping was practiced, and slow twist pieces were deadly accurate out to 200-250 yards with 400 yard kills pretty common also. Do a little research on Pvt. Murphy from around present day Selinsgrove/Shemokin Dam, Pennsylvania and his sniping abilities with a slow gain twist Pennsylvania Rifle .40 or so cal. Redcoats at 300+ yards were not safe around him. But where you'll find this cited in "magazines", I don't know.

sarg1c

SirGeorgeKillian wrote: »

And most colonists had a Brown Bess on their mantle long before the war. The ones who chose to rebel against the crown grabbed their Brown Bess and joined the army!

Many didnot, roll their charges in paper, They just dumped it in , many had powder measures, but during the heat of battle, no time to measure...I believe paper wrapped charges came along a little latter with the War of 1812 and later. Many of the Indian wars were fought by the colonist and paper charges were not used. Powder was carried in a horn not paper wrapped....