Dear Piers - Celebrate the American Long-rifle on July 4th.
By the the mid-1700’s, the American long rifle had acquired an almost supernatural reputation. To the British troops who were unfortunate enough to come up against it in combat during the Revolutionary War, the rifle was more an affliction than a weapon. And the men who used it against them seemed to have a demonic talent for shooting—they never seemed to miss.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/long-rifle-gun-helped-america-gain-its-independence-33311