The Breech Rifle at Kings Mountain Battle
During the Battle of Kings Mountain, the militia used their "breech rifles". These were over-the-mountain-men and local hunters accustomed to shooting game while running. The remarkable feature of the gun is its perpendicular breech plug equipped with a screw device so as to make it possible to lower it by a revolution of the trigger guard which serves as a handle. When the breech plug is lowered, an opening is left in the top of the barrel at the breech. A spherical bullet dropped into this opening with the muzzle of the gun held downward rolls forward through the chamber where it is stopped by the lands of the rifling. A charge of powder then poured into the opening fills the chamber behind the bullet, whereupon one revolution of the trigger guard closes the breech and the weapon is ready for priming and firing.The Ferguson Rifle
The Ferguson Rifle, used by the British commander, Major Ferguson demonstrated that six aimed shots per minute could be fired with an accuracy creditable to any rifle. However, the natural hunting expertize of the South Carolinian far exceeded that of the typical red coat...more...
Index to North Carolina Wills and Estates
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