Pennsylvania Long Rifle- Lancaster, PA (Video)
Explore! State Firearm: PA Long Rifle
Institution: The State Museum of Pennsylvania
State: Pennsylvania
Object: Guns & Ammunition
Era: 18th Century
In 1775, Pennsylvania’s Committee of Safety ordered local gunsmiths to produce smooth bore muskets, bayonets and cartridge boxes for their new recruits. However, most Lancaster County gunsmiths specialized in long rifles.
The long rifle industry developed when German and Swiss immigrants settled in the early 1700s. Their expertise in German Jaegars eventually led to the development of the Pennsylvania and Kentucky Long Rifle. Despite their ability to shoot targets over 200 yards away, long rifles took incredibly long to load and could not be fitted with bayonets.
When the Committee of Safety realized that most men were armed with long rifles, they ordered Lancaster gun smiths to produce 600 new muskets (out of 4,500 arms total for Pennsylvania). By March of 1776, only 200 muskets were produced despite ongoing fighting in nearby New England (Siege of Boston). The committee resolved the shortage by collecting long rifles from “non associators” such as the Moravians and Mennonites.
The abundance of long riflemen effectively changed American battle tactics. While most riflemen served as light infantry, others were used as snipers. Instead of shooting in traditional, open volleys (that required bayonets), riflemen were able to conceal their location and ambush from a distance.
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Sources:
Andrews, JeanMarie. "Long Rifles of the American Revolution" Early American Life, April 2022.
