History of firearms and rifling Smoothbore

early firearms had smooth barrels fired projectiles without significant spin. minimize inaccuracy-inducing tumbling during flight projectiles required stable shape, such sphere. however, magnus effect causes spheres rotating randomly during flight curve when spinning on axis not parallel direction of travel.

rifling barrel spiral grooves or polygonal rifling imparts stabilizing gyroscopic spin projectile prevents tumbling in flight. not more counter magnus-induced drift, allows longer, heavier round fired same caliber barrel, increasing both range , power.

in eighteenth century, standard infantry arm smoothbore musket; although rifled muskets introduced in 18th century , had more power , range, did not become norm until middle of 19th century, when minié ball increased rate of fire match of smoothbores.

artillery weapons smoothbore until middle 19th century, , smoothbores continued in limited use until 1890s. rifled artillery pieces patented joseph whitworth , william armstrong in united kingdom in 1855. in united states, rifled small arms , artillery gradually adopted during american civil war. however, heavy coast defense rodman smoothbores persisted in until circa 1900 due tendency of civil war s heavy parrott rifles burst , lack of funding replacement weapons.