
This spinning action resulted in a much more stable flight path for the projectile, or bullet. These grooves caused the projectile being fired to spin as it moved through the barrel, rather than just explode out like cannon or musket shot. This was the addition of “ rifling,” or a series of spiral grooves around the inside of the barrel.

The word “rifle” comes from the one unique feature that sets these firearms apart from the muskets and canons used for the centuries previous. By analyzing different rifle types, it is our hope you’ll get a better understanding of how these tools work and how to use them safely and effectively. In the following article, we’ll go over what defines a rifle, what was so innovative about its invention, and what types of rifles you’re most likely to encounter. Before the rifle, the only weapons that could fire projectiles were cannons and muskets, or some other variation of the two.
The rifle has been one of the most trusty pieces of weaponry and self-defense since its invention in the early 1700s.
