Rifle

A rifle is a firearm that uses a spiral groove cut into the barrel to spin a projectile (usually a bullet), thus improving accuracy and range of the projectile. It is the same principle that causes an American football to be more accuate when thrown correctly. Examples of non-rifled firearms are shotguns and muskets.

Overview

Originally, rifles were sharpshooter weapons, whilst the regular infantry made use of the greater firepower of massed muskets, which fired round balls of calibers up to 0.75 inch (19 mm). Benjamin Robins, an English mathematician, realized that an extruded bullet would retain the mass and kinetic force of a musket ball, but would slice through the air with much greater ease. The innovative work of Robins and others would take until the end of the 1700s to gain acceptance.

Related Topics:
Sharpshooter - Infantry - Benjamin Robins - Bullet - Musket ball - 1700s

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By the mid-19th century, however, manufacturing had advanced sufficiently that the Brown Bess was replaced by a range of—generally single-shot, breech-loading—rifles, designed for aimed, discretionary fire by individual soldiers. Then as now, rifles have a stock, either fixed or folding, which is braced against the shoulder. Until the early 20th century rifles tended to be very long—a Martini-Henry of 1890 was almost six feet (1.8 m) in length, with a fixed bayonet—and the demand for more compact weapons for cavalrymen led to the carbine, or shortened rifle.

Related Topics:
19th century - Brown Bess - 20th century - Martini-Henry - 1890 - Bayonet - Cavalry - Carbine

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Most rifles are firearms—powered by gunpowder—although some of the earliest rifled weapons were powered with compressed air. Air rifles remain popular today, for vermin control, hunting small game and casual shooting ("plinking")

Related Topics:
Firearm - Gunpowder - Air rifles - Plinking

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Some manufacturers make rifled shotguns.

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