2007-05-25 08:32:52 · 5 answers · asked by IshotJR 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
I believe rifles are called rifles because of the rifling of the barrel.
2007-05-25 08:41:31 · answer #1 · answered by James T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word 'rifle' actually means 'to groove spirally' so the weapon that we call a rifle is so-called because it's barrel has been 'rifled'. The word originates from Old French 'rifler' , to scratch, and German 'riefeln' also to scratch.
2007-05-25 15:51:49 · answer #2 · answered by quatt47 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
rifle comes from the French "rifler", to scratch, to plunder.
It means : firearm with a rifled bore.
2007-05-25 15:41:38 · answer #3 · answered by odisseo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rifling was used in field cannon before being used in small arms, and was referred to as "rifling" even then.
2007-05-25 17:52:17 · answer #4 · answered by open4one 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
(In the late 1800s, the term "rifled musket" was used to distinguish between smoothbore and rifled long arms.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifle
2007-05-25 15:43:48 · answer #5 · answered by jsardi56 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋