Ferguson rifle
E711468
The Ferguson rifle was an innovative 18th-century British breech-loading flintlock firearm, notable for its rapid rate of fire and association with Major Patrick Ferguson during the American Revolutionary War.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
18th-century firearm
ⓘ
breech-loading rifle ⓘ |
| barrelLength | approximately 32 inches ⓘ |
| caliber |
.65 inch
ⓘ
approximately 17 mm ⓘ |
| category |
experimental military small arms
ⓘ
historical firearms ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | Kingdom of Great Britain ⓘ |
| designer | Patrick Ferguson NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| effectiveRange | about 200 to 300 yards ⓘ |
| era | 18th century ⓘ |
| feature |
breech sealed by rotating screw plug
ⓘ
could be loaded in wet conditions more easily than muzzle-loaders ⓘ could be loaded while prone ⓘ rapid rate of fire compared to contemporary muskets ⓘ |
| feedSystem | single-shot ⓘ |
| firearmAction | breech-loading ⓘ |
| hasSafetyCharacteristic | relatively secure powder chamber when breech closed ⓘ |
| historicalSignificance | one of the first military-issue breech-loading rifles ⓘ |
| ignitionSystem | flintlock ⓘ |
| influencedBy | earlier screw-breech designs ⓘ |
| innovationComparedTo | Brown Bess musket NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| loadingMechanism | screw plug breech ⓘ |
| material |
steel barrel
ⓘ
wooden stock ⓘ |
| militaryUser | British Army NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| muzzleVelocity | approximately 1000 feet per second ⓘ |
| namedAfter | Patrick Ferguson NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableEngagement | Battle of Brandywine NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableUser | Patrick Ferguson NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| numberBuilt | approximately 100 to 200 units ⓘ |
| overallLength | approximately 49 inches ⓘ |
| productionStatus | limited production ⓘ |
| projectile | lead ball ⓘ |
| propellant | black powder ⓘ |
| rateOfFire | up to 6 to 7 rounds per minute in trained hands ⓘ |
| reasonForLimitedAdoption |
death of Patrick Ferguson
ⓘ
high manufacturing cost ⓘ mechanical complexity ⓘ |
| rifling | rifled barrel ⓘ |
| survivingExamples | held in museums and private collections ⓘ |
| usedByBranch | British light infantry ⓘ |
| usedByUnit | Ferguson’s rifle corps NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| usedInConflict | American Revolutionary War NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| weight | approximately 9 pounds ⓘ |
| yearOfIntroduction | 1776 ⓘ |
Referenced by (3)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.