Many "rifle" companies were formed in the late 1860s in towns and cities to promote the use and accurate shooting with the new "bolt action, breech-loading rifles" that were being introduced.  No more ramming the powder and bullet down the barrel and hoping that the bullet would travel strait and true.  I've never fired a muzzle loader, but I've been told it was a cumbersome weapon.  If you tilted the barrel down, the bullet might roll out.  And when you pulled the trigger, you had to maintain your aim on the target until the bullet cleared the barrel - only a fraction of a second but still longer than one might expect. >From what I've read, rifling was introduced before the bolt-action was developed.  But the guns were so different that it was felt that men should be trained on them while teh country was still at peace since peace never seemed to last very long.  And there were many people alive who remembered Napoleon's threats to invade England or recall the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837 and the Crimean war.         Lou ________________________________ From: Nivard Ovington <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 4:15 AM Subject: [LIN] Funny what pops up in the papers Another new find in the online papers I earlier found mentions of my grandfather and brothers in the Retford Rifles, it seems their father was also in a rifle volunteer regiment Stamford Mercury Feb 14th 1873 13th Lincolnshire Rifle Volunteers The 17th competition for the challenge cup took place on the 6th inst. Eight members competed: distances 200 and 600 yards, 5 shots at each. Private Edw. Fred. YOELL became the winner with 25 points. -- Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK)

Hi Lou There is a good piece on the Volunteer units here <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volunteer_Force_%28Great_Britain%29> Like a lot of things, Rifling was a much earlier invention but not really introduced until the 19th century for several reasons Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 22/04/2014 17:57, Louis Mills wrote: > Many "rifle" companies were formed in the late 1860s in towns and cities to promote the use and accurate shooting with the new "bolt action, breech-loading rifles" that were being introduced. No more ramming the powder and bullet down the barrel and hoping that the bullet would travel strait and true. I've never fired a muzzle loader, but I've been told it was a cumbersome weapon. If you tilted the barrel down, the bullet might roll out. And when you pulled the trigger, you had to maintain your aim on the target until the bullet cleared the barrel - only a fraction of a second but still longer than one might expect. > > >>From what I've read, rifling was introduced before the bolt-action was developed. But the guns were so different that it was felt that men should be trained on them while teh country was still at peace since peace never seemed to last very long. And there were many people alive who remembered Napoleon's threats to invade England or recall the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837 and the Crimean war. > > Lou