Rifles, Rangers & Revolution

Download or read book Rifles, Rangers & Revolution written by Jeff John and published by . This book was released on 2020-09-05 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MILITARY TECHNOLOGY was rapidly evolving in the 1770s and the American Revolution accelerated the creation of new arms and tactics. The one unit using all of Britain's new technologies most capably was the Queen's Loyal American Rangers. The Rangers did more with less and never lost a battle until their surrender at Yorktown. This book explores the variety of small arms the unit employed as well as the tactical philosophy ensuring their continued success. Rifles, Rangers & Revolution is a study of the fantastic arms of 1776 including the P1776 Ferguson Breechloading & the P1776 muzzleloading rifles, the Brown Bess musket, the Eliott Light Dragoon pistol, the Potter Saber and the little Grasshopper 3-pounder cannon. The shooting qualities of reproductions of the Ferguson and P1776 rifles are explored as well as the smoothbore Brown Bess musket and Eliott pistol. The making of the unique Ferguson ammunition as well as methods of using patched ball and the rolling of paper cartridges are detailed. In a strange twist, evidence is presented connecting Britain's newly revamped Woolwich Arsenal where the cannon were founded to the manufacture of the steam engine and the launch of the Industrial Revolution. Profusely illustrated with more than 140 photographs, including some rare prints depicting the Queen's Rangers from the 1780s, and the founding of cannon at Woolwich Arsenal! Published for the first time are pictures of the original Colours of the Queen's Rangers, which have been painstakingly restored, and hitherto unavailable for viewing by the public.