Quote Originally Posted by Fisherking View Post
It seems odd that the most truly effective military rifle of the time was so short lived.

The Ferguson breech loading rifle was superior in every regard to other small arms of the day but because of higher causalities in the unit, (due mostly to seeing more action than other units), the unit was disband and the rifles taken out of service.

No doubt a lucky thing for Washington and his troops…

Can you imagine 6 + rounds per minute and loading and firing prone where everyone else has to stand to load and are standing in massed ranks.
The only downside being a tendency to explode :P