Ferguson Rifle

During the 1775-1776 Siege of Boston, British officers reported the deadly marksmanship of American riflemen. In response, Scottish officer Patrick Ferguson developed a rifled firearm that could be loaded from the breech, or rear of the barrel. This allowed the user to fire up to six rounds a minute, nearly twice the rate of fire of a musket, combined with the accuracy of a rifle. Some British officers purchased these “Ferguson” rifles, like this example, to use on campaign in North America.