What Were the Weapons?

Most Colonists fought using muskets. These guns had a smooth barrel or bore, and they fired a lead ball. Muskets could be reloaded fairly quickly, but they were accurate only for limited distances - about a hundred yards, or the length of a football field.

Some men fought using rifles. These guns had long barrels with grooves on the inside. This made rifles accurate at far greater distances. However, rifles took much longer to reload than muskets. As a result, they were used by small groups, or in situations where their accuracy was important.