guns in the New World
These are generalities with some specifics.
English settlers brought matchlocks, then the flintlock we shoot today.
Dutch settlers brought snaphaunces, an early flintlock design.
Spanish brought miquelets, another early flintlock design.
French brought flintlocks like we shoot today.
Germans brought flintlocks very much like we shoot today, but a little earlier than the English/French style.
Most of these guns were big bores for killing large animals, 4 legged and 2 legged. Most European gun owners were wealthy landowners or their gamekeepers. Peasants did not own guns. If someone wanted to hunt small animals and birds he would load with shot instead of a ball. Most game hunting guns had short barrels because they were used in the forest. Military guns had long barrels. Soldiers didn't do battle in the woods. We all know they lined up in ranks and died accordingly. The only thing that saved them was that those early military guns didn't have rear sights, plus recruits didn't own weapons and had never fired one before. The logic of battle was to fire volleys and fill the air with ball, hoping to hit someone. The range they had to shoot at before they were all killed with cannon fire was too great for smoothbore guns with no rear sight.
The German jaegers evolved in the eastern US, Pennsylvania especially, into having small caliber bores because there were no big game animals other than bears. Barrels got longer because early gunpowder was so poor and slowburning it was good to keep the ball in the barrel longer to get more muzzle velocity. Rear sights became more common for the obvious reason.
Rifling was supposedly invented in Germany. The grooves were to be a place for fouling to accumulate, leaving the bullet riding on the lands, allowing more shots between swabbing out the bore. Some say the grooves were parallel to the barrel until someone realized that spinning balls were like arrows, more accurate than when they don't rotate.
Plains rifles, some call them, evolved for needing bigger bores for killing the same animals as before, shorter barrels for traveling in the forest, especially on a horse or mule.
They are all fun to shoot. In fact, it's the only reason to shoot them. I shoot different types in the historic reenacting I do. A Hawken replica at rendezvous and at some Texas Revolution battles. Percussion guns were common enough by 1836. Long rifles are good for both, as are smoothbores. 99+% of the Mexican Army carried the British "army surplus" Brown Bess, a
.75 caliber musket with no rear sight, unfortunately for them. Some of Santa Anna's select troops carried Baker rifles, rifle being the key word. Beaver trappers carried English or French "trade guns" .62 caliber/20 bore to .75 caliber/12 bore smoothbore flintlocks with no rear sight. Fur traders had more percussion plains rifles. They were nearer the trading posts at forts and could afford a $25 rifle. English trade guns were $8.
Enough of this. You probably know what was used in your area and why.
