The Long Gun

[Nemo]

Worth a read if for nothing more than the history lesson.  A bunch of cool pics too!

Nemo


http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2016/12/22/long-guns-history-us-military-rifles.html

The long guns: History of US military rifles
By Peter Suciu, December 22, 2016, FoxNews.com

    The U.S. Army’s upgraded M4A1 combat rifle is just the latest development in a category of weapons that American soldiers have carried since the country’s earliest days.

    Long Gun Beginnings

    Even before there was actually a "United States" there was what could arguably be considered the first true "American rifle." Known as the Pennsylvania rifle, the Kentucky rifle or simply the long rifle, it was designed for hunting and was characterized by an unusually long barrel, a unique development that was uncommon in the European rifles of the era.

    Military history consultant and former United States Marine Corps Captain Dale Dye told FoxNews.com that, in the flintlock era, the long gun was the first to have grooves in the barrel. "These grooves, or rifling, along with the longer barrel, made the guns much more accurate than the British Brown Bess musket," he said.

    .  .  .

[JohnyMac]

Keep in mind that the Continental Army won thew day at the Battle of Saratoga because of the Pennsylvania "type" rifle.

I write "Pennsylvania type" rifle as each region had there own version, e.g. Kentucky rifle, Tennessee rifle, et cetera. Basically, 42" plus "swamped" rifle barrel that easily could hit its target 200 yards away.

One difference the Pennsylvania rifle had from the others was it's double set triggers which was unique to the design. I own a Pennsylvania rifle custom made my master gunsmith Matt  Avance at TVM. I love that rifle!