Long rifle
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The long rifle, also known as the Kentucky rifle, Pennsylvania rifle, or American long rifle, is a muzzle-loading firearm used for hunting and warfare. It was one of the first commonly used rifles. Th
John Spitzer Kentucky Rifle Walters 511434 Side A
Long rifles of various Pennsylvania and Massachusetts manufacturers displayed at the Huntington Museum of Art
Minié ball
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The Minié ball, or Minie ball, is a type of hollow-based bullet designed by Claude-Étienne Minié for muzzle-loaded, rifled muskets. Invented in 1849 shortly followed by the Minié rifle, the Minié ball
Long rifle
…to fouling of the bore after prolonged use, which would ultimately prevent loading and make the weapon useless until cleaned. The invention of the Minié ball in 1847 resolved the technical disadvantages and allowed the rifle to replace the musket. The long rifle was made popular by German gunsmiths who…
Various types of Minié balls. The four on the right are provided with Tamisier ball grooves for holding grease.
James H. Burton's 1855 Minié ball design (.58 caliber, 500 grains) from the Harpers Ferry Armory
Gunshot fracture of the left femur by a Minié ball, 1863
Private Milton E. Wallen of Company C, 1st Kentucky Cavalry, wounded by a Minié ball, while in prison at Richmond, July 4, 1863, being treated for gangrene