The American Longrifle

The American longrifle, sometimes called the Pennsylvania rifle for where much of its development took place, generally called the Kentucky rifle for the frontier where it received so much use, is a unique product of the American colonies.

One of the first things you notice is that the weapon is very, very long. This can be a pain. Try finding a carry case for a weapon of this size. Try finding a cleaning rod. It's not easy. I had to drive to Concord.

But there are reasons for the very long barrel. The longer the barrel, the more accurate it is to aim. Instead of a short pistol where every twitch can throw off it off the mark by yards, a very long rifle is more stable physically and geometrically.

Also, black powder is actually not all that powerful as explosives go. So to take
Advantage of every bit of power in the charge you use a longer barrel to give the explosion’s gasses a greater opportunity to act on the round.

I’ve read that at about 42 inches is the break even point between the longer barrel getting more power from the charge and the bullet running into too much friction. That’s a 3 ½ foot gun barrel!

And the colonial riflemen often preferred a relatively small but well-powered ball to a heavier, slower projectile from a less efficient weapon. On the frontier where supplies were not always easy to come by, a gun that could kill the same number of deer using less lead and powder was a plus.

For more, check out: http://www.americanlongrifles.com/, www.airbum.com/NeatShtpix/LongRifle.html and http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/.