On 15 December 1791, the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America were passed by Congress. The first ten amendments are known in the United States as "The Bill of Rights." The exact language of the second amendment is: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms,shall not be infringed." This Amendment II has not had the wording, or intent, changed since it was voted into national law, by the U S Congress, since 15 December 1791. That was 224 years and 6 months ago. At that point in time, the population of the United States was about 4 million. There were 13 states, the population density was 4.5 people per square mile, and 90 % of the heads of households considered their occupation to be a farmer. Today, the current population of the USA is about 320 million in 50 states, with a population density of 91 people per square mile. We have grown, as a nation, quite a bit...
Back in 1791, the most up-to-date weapon, that a person could easily carry, was the Kentucky rifle - also known as the long rifle, and as the Pennsylvania rifle, since it was developed and subsequently produced in the southeast corner of Pennsylvania. This rifle was used by Americans in the French and Indian War, the American Indian Wars, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. This was a black powder flintlock single shot rifle. It generally weighed 7 to 10 pounds, and the length was between 54 and 74 inches; the barrel itself could be 32 to over 48 inches in length. The caliber of the rifle also varied, from .25 to .62; the average caliber was between .42 and .48. An expert marksman or hunter could shoot 2 rounds per minute; some folks could fire three times in a minute, but their aim was quite poor due to their quickness of firing. Depending upon the quality and amount of powder used, the muzzle velocity of the long rifle could be between 1,200 and 1,600 feet per second. The rifle was effective at about 100 yards. A professional could be accurate at 200 yards.
Today, we have the Glock pistol and the AK-47 as weapons of choice in recent shootings. The Glock has mutliple variants available. This pistol was originally developed in Austria, and can be fired as a single shot, a semi-automatic or full automatic. The Glock uses 9 mm Parabellum ammunition. It can be carried without the magazine, or with the magazine in place. The detachable box magazine can hold from 10 to 33 rounds. The weight of the largest Glock is 31.74 ounces - less than 2 pounds - without a loaded magazine. The muzzle velocity is 1,230 feet per second; and, with an unlimited amount of ammunition, the firing rate can be 1,200 shots per minute on full automatic. The effective firing range of the Glock pistol is 165 feet, or 55 yards.
Then there's the AK-47, everyone's favorite assault rifle. The stock version of the Avtomat Kalashnikova was patented in 1947 (hence the AK-47). It is known for it's wood-stock finish on the butt, grip and barrel, which makes it easy to recognize. The AK-47 is designed off of a long-stroke piston model, which has a larger piston to help add force to the extraction, chambering, and locking of the next round. This weapon is known for being able to fire in harsh environments, even if they are not well-kept or cared for. The AK-47 weighs in at 6.8 pounds without a magazine attached. The cartridge for an AK-47 is 7.62 mm by 39 mm; and the rifle has a detachable box magazine that carries 30 rounds. The muzzle velocity of an AK-47 is 2,330 feet per second; with an unlimited ammunition feed, it can fire 775 rounds per minute. The maximum effective distance to aim and fire is at 984 feet, or 300 meters.
Showing posts with label Kentucky rifle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kentucky rifle. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
The United States in 1790
Why am I writing about the United States of 226 years ago? Because that time shaped our Constitution and the first ten Amendments added to it - the Bill of Rights.
On 8 January 1790, George Washington gave the first ever "State of the Union" address to Congress.
Benjamin Franklin died on 17 April of 1790.
The first Census of the United States was conducted on August first, and a few days thereafter. It was an attempt to count every person living within the 13 states that made up America. Alexander Hamilton was in charge of the enumeration, and he used 650 head counters. The number of people residing in the United States, both free and slave and/or bond servant, was 3,929,214. Ninety percent of the heads of households stated that their occupation was a farmer. The average population per square mile was 4.5 persons. And the center of population for the United States was 23 miles east of Baltimore, Maryland.
The top ten cities by population were:
1 New York City, New York 33,131
2 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 28,522
3 Boston, Massachusetts 18,320
4 Charleston, South Carolina 16,359
5 Baltimore, Maryland 13,503
6 North Liberties township, PA 9,913
7 Salem, Massachusetts 7,921
8 Newport, Rhode Island 6,716
9 Providence, Rhode Island 6,380
10 Marblehead, Massachusetts 5,661
In 1790, the states covered land from the east coast to about 255 miles westward, and parts of the frontier crossed the Appalachian Mountains during that year.
In 1790, James Watt's improved version of the steam engine offered a powerful, reliable power source that could be located almost anywhere; it helped speed up the Industrial Revolution.
In 1790, American ships carried 40.5 percent of the value of goods carried in our nation's foreign trade. Having the government pass new shipping laws and incentives in 1789, by 1807 US ships were carrying 92 percent of the goods in foreign trade.
In 1790, the most up-to-date and reliable weapon was what is known as 'the Kentucky rifle.' It was a black powder, muzzle loading rifle that shot .60 caliber rounds. An expert hunter could reload and fire two to three times per minute. (The Girandoni Air Rifle was invented in 1779. It had a magazine of 20 to 22, and used .46 caliber rounds. This was the rifle used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but very few private citizens owned one.)
The other fairly widely used ordinance was the six-pound cannon. These cannons could accurately fire at a target 1500 yards away, and could be fired once every two minutes, with a well-trained gun crew. A variety of projectiles could be used - a solid cannon ball, an exploding cannon ball, grape shot, nails, junk metal, etc. Many of these small cannons were owned by towns, local militia, and a few private individuals. They were relatively easy to position to defend various properties.
Washington, the District of Columbia, was designated as the capital of the United States in 1791.
The Bill of Rights was voted into law by the U. S. Congress on 15 December 1791.
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According to various and sundry studies and compilations of information, 50 to 80 percent of households owned one working gun - whether a Brown Bess musket, a rifle, or a handgun - a single shot pistol. Americans were pushing west and south, and used the guns as personal protection of themselves and their families, and to kill game to eat. Since the United States was newly formed, most able-bodied men belonged to their local or state militia. The militias often provided guns for their members, to be certain that each man had a gun that would actually fire.
On 8 January 1790, George Washington gave the first ever "State of the Union" address to Congress.
Benjamin Franklin died on 17 April of 1790.
The first Census of the United States was conducted on August first, and a few days thereafter. It was an attempt to count every person living within the 13 states that made up America. Alexander Hamilton was in charge of the enumeration, and he used 650 head counters. The number of people residing in the United States, both free and slave and/or bond servant, was 3,929,214. Ninety percent of the heads of households stated that their occupation was a farmer. The average population per square mile was 4.5 persons. And the center of population for the United States was 23 miles east of Baltimore, Maryland.
The top ten cities by population were:
1 New York City, New York 33,131
2 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 28,522
3 Boston, Massachusetts 18,320
4 Charleston, South Carolina 16,359
5 Baltimore, Maryland 13,503
6 North Liberties township, PA 9,913
7 Salem, Massachusetts 7,921
8 Newport, Rhode Island 6,716
9 Providence, Rhode Island 6,380
10 Marblehead, Massachusetts 5,661
In 1790, the states covered land from the east coast to about 255 miles westward, and parts of the frontier crossed the Appalachian Mountains during that year.
In 1790, James Watt's improved version of the steam engine offered a powerful, reliable power source that could be located almost anywhere; it helped speed up the Industrial Revolution.
In 1790, American ships carried 40.5 percent of the value of goods carried in our nation's foreign trade. Having the government pass new shipping laws and incentives in 1789, by 1807 US ships were carrying 92 percent of the goods in foreign trade.
In 1790, the most up-to-date and reliable weapon was what is known as 'the Kentucky rifle.' It was a black powder, muzzle loading rifle that shot .60 caliber rounds. An expert hunter could reload and fire two to three times per minute. (The Girandoni Air Rifle was invented in 1779. It had a magazine of 20 to 22, and used .46 caliber rounds. This was the rifle used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but very few private citizens owned one.)
The other fairly widely used ordinance was the six-pound cannon. These cannons could accurately fire at a target 1500 yards away, and could be fired once every two minutes, with a well-trained gun crew. A variety of projectiles could be used - a solid cannon ball, an exploding cannon ball, grape shot, nails, junk metal, etc. Many of these small cannons were owned by towns, local militia, and a few private individuals. They were relatively easy to position to defend various properties.
Washington, the District of Columbia, was designated as the capital of the United States in 1791.
The Bill of Rights was voted into law by the U. S. Congress on 15 December 1791.
*********************************************
According to various and sundry studies and compilations of information, 50 to 80 percent of households owned one working gun - whether a Brown Bess musket, a rifle, or a handgun - a single shot pistol. Americans were pushing west and south, and used the guns as personal protection of themselves and their families, and to kill game to eat. Since the United States was newly formed, most able-bodied men belonged to their local or state militia. The militias often provided guns for their members, to be certain that each man had a gun that would actually fire.
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