The Rifle

Rifles gained popularity through the Civil War. Many used muskets during the war, but the practice of rifling increased the maximum distance a bullet could go. in this process, you would bore holes in the barrel of your musket, which would then allow bullets to go further.

Spencer Repeating Rifle#

The repeating rifle was a weapon that was very powerful for its time. Compared to muskets, which could only shoot 2 to 3 rounds per minute, the repeating rifle could shoot up to 20 rounds per minute. The War Department foresaw a logistics problem with the rifles, they predicted that a rifle which shot so fast would consume the ammunition supplies of the US too quickly.

Because of this logistics problem, the War Department declined to provide a government contract for the rifles at first.