Muskets, the military assault rifles of the 18th century.
A musket with fixed bayonet wielded by trained infantrymen in massed ranks was formidable, indeed. The colonists lost many battles because most of their guns lacked bayonets.
But just think, an 18th or 19th century bayonet charge wasn’t much different technologically from a Spartan spear charge ca. 4th century B.C.
FWIW, Bonnie Watson Coleman represents NJ’s 12th district which is 75% white, 11% black. Go figure.