Hello Bernard: It was nice to meet you here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada after enjoying your books. It was late in the day and you appeared tired so I was loath to pump you with questions. I have a question regarding the rifles in the Sharpe series. How were they different from a musket? My understanding (correct me if I am wrong) is that the word rifle comes from the term rifling, the barrel grooves that give a bullet its spin and prevents it from tumbling in flight. Sharpe’s rifles were muzzle loaders, were they rifled? What would be the advantage of putting a spin on a ball? Thanks for the great reads.
Frank Greenough