Rifles and Tactics

Paper Summary:

This paper details how the introduction of shoulder held rifles dramatically changed tactical strategies in the mid-19th century. It looks at how the switch to breech loading rifles was largely inspired by the great difficulty in pushing a bullet down through the grooves of a rifle without further trapping soot and deforming the lead head. The paper also discusses the various significant changes in the functionality of these particular rifles, compared to earlier weapons.

From the Paper:

"Reading over the functionality of the rifle, one can see two obvious implications for tactical adjustment. First, the rifle is far more accurate at a far greater difference, which makes it capable of being used successfully by snipers and long-range warriors. Snipers have the potential to inflict significant damage to an enemy with minimal losses, and also to play a vital part in strategic interests. For example, invaders moving through unfamiliar territory could theoretically be decimated by well-placed and mobile snipers covering their movements -- a tactic which would both reduce numbers and slow progress. One story from the Vietnam war tells of a rifle-bearing sniper who single-handedly wiped out an entire north Vietnamese company. "The enemy could not effectively return fire and Hathcock kept them suppressed because they knew that if they were to show themselves they would die."

More papers on Rifles and Tactics:

• Research Paper # 116626 : "Weapons and Warfare"
• Term Paper # 101449 : "The National Rifle Association"
• Descriptive Essay # 131490 : "The National Rifle Association"

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