Army and Weapons | Deadly The Americans Kentucky Rifle | The Americans had a secret weapon in the Revolutionary War, the Kentucky Rifle, or the Pennsylvania rifle, as it was called. It was mostly made in Pennsylvania by German immigrant gunsmiths, and later became known as the Kentucky rifle. The Kentucky rifle was an American refinement of existing technologies rifle, and was used with a tactic that the British were unchivalrous and rude. U.S. troops have developed the habit of shooting at officers specifically, from a distance, and the Kentucky rifle was known to the British as the widow maker.
The Kentucky rifle musket changed the standard of the day by having a longer barrel, lighter, shoot a smaller caliber, using threaded, and the use of a ball that was smaller than the barrel, with an oiled patch. Thread refers to spiral grooves in the barrel of the gun, which cause the ball to rotate, thereby greatly increasing the accuracy. Since a greased patch was used for the ball to seal the barrel, was a patch box in the stock, keeping the patches clean. These were all changes that the Kentucky rifle ideal for hunting in the forests of the colonies. It was also the first long-range sniper rifle.
Light in weight, graceful in line, fuel economy of powder and lead, deadly accurate, distinctly American, but immediately jumped in popularity, and for one hundred years was a model often varied slightly, but not radically changed.
Legend about the gun that were never confirmed drifted from the dusty past, errors have passed for facts. Few writers have more than a passing word to a weapon that a permanent place in history deserves, and it is a pleasure to present this to the data collected during the past ten years and to dedicate this work to the Kentucky rifle.
Legend about the gun that were never confirmed drifted from the dusty past, errors have passed for facts. Few writers have more than a passing word to a weapon that a permanent place in history deserves, and it is a pleasure to present this to the data collected during the past ten years and to dedicate this work to the Kentucky rifle.
The British made a point of capturing some American shooters and their guns, and they were sent to England. There they were forced to demonstrate marksmanship, to the amazement of the British. While a musket, as the Brown Bess was inaccurate at 100 meters, the Kentucky rifle was very accurate at 200 meters, and many shots were made on the 300 and even 400 meters.
A British officer, Colonel George Hanger, made this remark on the accuracy of a pioneer with a Kentucky rifle and an incident in South Carolina.
I've never in my life saw better rifles (or men who shot better) than those in America: they are primarily made in Lancaster, and two or three neighboring towns in that environment, in Pennsylvania. The barrels weigh about six pounds two or three ounces, and carry a ball no larger than thirty-six to the pound, at least I never saw one of a larger caliber, and I have hundreds and hundreds. I'm not going to just respect for the American war related, but one example, as a proof of most excellent skill of an American gunner. If someone show me an example of better shots, I stand corrected.
I've never in my life saw better rifles (or men who shot better) than those in America: they are primarily made in Lancaster, and two or three neighboring towns in that environment, in Pennsylvania. The barrels weigh about six pounds two or three ounces, and carry a ball no larger than thirty-six to the pound, at least I never saw one of a larger caliber, and I have hundreds and hundreds. I'm not going to just respect for the American war related, but one example, as a proof of most excellent skill of an American gunner. If someone show me an example of better shots, I stand corrected.
Colonel, now General Tart Stapleton, and myself, stood a few meters from a forest, taking into account the situation of part of the enemy we were planning to attack. There was a stream in front of the enemy, and a mill on which we stood directly with our horses heads frontman, observing their movements. It was an absolute plain field between us and the mill, not so much as a shrub. Our orderly-bugle stood behind us, about three meters, but with his horse's side to our horses' tails. A gun-man passed the mill-dam, evidently observing two officers, and lay down on his stomach, because in such positions, they always lie, a good chance to take a long distance. He took a cool and deliberate shot at my friend, to me, and the bugle-horn man. (I passed a few times on this earth, and has been observed with great attention, and I can positively say that the distance he fired at us, was full four hundred meters).
Now, see how good this guy shot. It was in August, and no wind was stirring. Colonel Tart Stapleton horse and mine, I am sure, not something like two meters apart, because we were in close contact, how to attack our troops 300 meters down into the wood, and could not be detected by the enemy. A rifle-ball passed between him and me, looking directly into the mill, I observed the flash of the powder. I told my friend: "I think we'd better move, or we need two or three of these gentlemen, short, funny at our expense." The words were barely out of my mouth, when the bugle horn man, behind us, and directly central, jumped from his horse, and said: "Sir, my horse was shot." The horse stumbled, fell and died. He was immediately shot dead behind the front leg, near the heart, at least where the major blood vessels lie, leading to the heart. He took the saddle and bridle off, went into the woods, and got another horse. We had some spare horses, led by negro boys.
The most famous use of the Kentucky rifle, the American shooter Timothy Murphy shot British General Simon Fraser of his horse at a distance of 500 meters, which is a respectable distance for a sniper in the modern age with an advanced scope.
Although the Kentucky rifle has some spectacular photos, and held the British officer corps in turmoil and distracted, the Kentucky rifle was not equipped with a bayonet, so the American soldiers who rank the Brown Bess musket with a bayonet and a poor accuracy. Riflemen were attached to the main army and special details, such as skirmishers, scouts and snipers. The British had their own long-range rifle, in the Ferguson breech loaded rifle, but it was not widely used.
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The most famous use of the Kentucky rifle, the American shooter Timothy Murphy shot British General Simon Fraser of his horse at a distance of 500 meters, which is a respectable distance for a sniper in the modern age with an advanced scope.
Although the Kentucky rifle has some spectacular photos, and held the British officer corps in turmoil and distracted, the Kentucky rifle was not equipped with a bayonet, so the American soldiers who rank the Brown Bess musket with a bayonet and a poor accuracy. Riflemen were attached to the main army and special details, such as skirmishers, scouts and snipers. The British had their own long-range rifle, in the Ferguson breech loaded rifle, but it was not widely used.
