In reply to:

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The earliest references I can find to rifling was that by the Frenchman Delvigne in 1826. This is 50 odd years after the American War of Independence!

The British did not adopt the Brunswick rifle until 1836, which was a complete failure for military purposes, even though it was successfully used by Purdey 20 years later for sporting rifles.

Spurred on by the abject failure of unrifled muskets in the Kaffir Wars in South Africa 1n 1846 where it was estimated that it took 3,200 rounds to disable a Kaffir, the British finally adopted the Minie rifling system in 1851.

One wonders why they it took 75 years or so after encountering these Pennsylvania rifles, for them, and the rest of the world to devise workable rifling?

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While at a local gunshow today I found an O/U muzzleloader with 'mule ear' hammers. It is a 40 caliber smoothbore, sights to 300 yards. It was made in Philidelphia, PA and the owner says it was late 1700's.

I have no way of knowing but the rifle appears to be a flintlock that has been modified to accept percussion caps.

He also has an O/U shotgun and rifle combo. A muzzleloader, also from PA., Lancaster. This appears to have always been a percussion gun.

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Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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