The First Black Rifle?
This video explores the rare Norwegian Pillar Breech rifle, a firearm notable for its original black ordnance paint, earning it the nickname 'first black rifle.' It details the rifle's evolution from a 1774 Dutch smoothbore musket through 19th-century conversions to percussion and rifled barrels, culminating in the unique pillar breech mechanism. The video highlights how this system used a heavy ramrod to force a solid-base projectile against an internal pillar, expanding it to engage the rifling, a distinct approach compared to Minie ball technology.



