Ah! Longer barrels mean more velocity and accuracy. As with black powder, as with with modern explosive compositions. Making it hilarious that we make saw-off shotguns (useless!) and short-barrelled rifles (useless!) illegal.
The real advantage in longer rifles was in the velocity, as you mentioned - earlier short rifles had superior precision to long-barreled muskets, but similar effective range. Longer rifles could double or triple the effective range for a skirmisher, which was (ha) revolutionary.
We generally restrict sawn-offs and carbines for reasons of concealability in civilian contexts, rather than military efficacy. Same reason why double-barreled sawn-offs (lupara) had a reputation as a bandit’s weapon in 19th and early 20th century Italy - it was something that could be hid under a mafioso’s coat and brought out on an unsuspecting target, then hid again. It won’t stand up to a dedicated search, but it’s much less obvious at a distance than a long-arm slung over your shoulder, decreasing the number and reliability of casual witnesses.
As you say, the National Firearms Act was mainly a dig on Italian mafioso. Not so relevant now.
And having experience, I say again that short barreled anything is near useless, ability to conceal notwithstanding. You can’t hit shit, and if you do, well, I’ve seen a .45LC through a 2" derringer bounce off a wooden pallet at 30’. Bounce. Imagine that same round through a 30" barrel. That’s for buffalo huntin’!
Ah! Longer barrels mean more velocity and accuracy. As with black powder, as with with modern explosive compositions. Making it hilarious that we make saw-off shotguns (useless!) and short-barrelled rifles (useless!) illegal.
The real advantage in longer rifles was in the velocity, as you mentioned - earlier short rifles had superior precision to long-barreled muskets, but similar effective range. Longer rifles could double or triple the effective range for a skirmisher, which was (ha) revolutionary.
We generally restrict sawn-offs and carbines for reasons of concealability in civilian contexts, rather than military efficacy. Same reason why double-barreled sawn-offs (lupara) had a reputation as a bandit’s weapon in 19th and early 20th century Italy - it was something that could be hid under a mafioso’s coat and brought out on an unsuspecting target, then hid again. It won’t stand up to a dedicated search, but it’s much less obvious at a distance than a long-arm slung over your shoulder, decreasing the number and reliability of casual witnesses.
As you say, the National Firearms Act was mainly a dig on Italian mafioso. Not so relevant now.
And having experience, I say again that short barreled anything is near useless, ability to conceal notwithstanding. You can’t hit shit, and if you do, well, I’ve seen a .45LC through a 2" derringer bounce off a wooden pallet at 30’. Bounce. Imagine that same round through a 30" barrel. That’s for buffalo huntin’!