The Founder's Intent
He is right, if you look at the other weapons of the period during the American Revolution the muzzleloading flintlock musket was the assault weapon of its time, it could fire a shot every 15 seconds up to 75 yards or so. The other weapons common in use were cannon, cutting weapons, flintlock pistols and rifles, which loaded slower. Taking into consideration the British were still trying to fight the traditional European way in columns or squares in the open, the Americans could annihilate the British with their muskets. No doubt about it, the founders of this country wanted the general populace to have advanced weaponry to combat a tyrannical government if they wanted it.
Also, IIRC, the Americans had rifled muskets, while the British were still using the smoothbore “Brown Bess.”
“He is right, if you look at the other weapons of the period during the American Revolution the muzzleloading flintlock musket was the assault weapon of its time, it could fire a shot every 15 seconds up to 75 yards or so.”
You are absolutely correct. The “smoothbore” muzzeleloading flintlock was a “MILITARY” weapon. It was NOT suitable for hunting. A mussule loaded “rifle” was used for that purpose. A “rifle” of that period was accurate, but had a slow rate of fire...except for snipers it had little use as a military weapon.
It was “muzzleloading flintlock muskets” that the British military were attempting to seize from militia in April 1775 that touched off the Revolutionary War. So, the “shot heard around the world” was over a military grade weapon being confiscated by an oppressive British government.