Rifling of the barrel
Rayado helicoidal del ánima
- Date
- c. 1480-1520 · confidence low
- Place
- Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany
- Credited to
- German gunsmiths (Gaspard Kollner of Vienna and Augustus Kotter of Nuremberg are cited)
- Field
- Conflict
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
Helical grooves inside the barrel that spin the bullet, stabilising it and greatly improving accuracy and range. The method originated in central Europe in the late 15th century but only became widespread with the Minié ball.
The attribution to Kollner (Vienna, c. 1498) or Kotter (Nuremberg, c. 1520) is traditional and rests on late testimony; the exact dating of the first rifling is debated.
What it led to
- hunting and sharpshooter rifles of the 16th-18th centuries
- the rifled infantry musket with the Minié ball
- modern exterior ballistics