[Torg] Rifling

[Travis James Hall]

BTW, since I've recently had reason to research this subject for a
completely non-Torg game...

Every tech axiom chart I've yet checked, including the original one in the
Torg rulebook, puts rifling alongside or ahead of steam power, printing
presses and other 17th Century or later developments.

In the real world, according to the reading I've been doing, rifling was
known and used from about 1500AD onwards, at least. It just wasn't suitable
for military purposes that early.

Early rifling led to fouling problems and slow loading. This meant that it
could be (and was) used for hunting, because a hunter could take his time
loading and cleaning his barrel. Armies did not use it because they couldn't
afford for their soldiers to spend so much time between volleys.

Rifling came into military use when cleaner gunpowder and more suitable
bullets could be produced. Those advances had little to do with improvements
to rifling itself.

Rifling should be earlier on axiom charts, perhaps with a later entry
regarding gunpowder improvements and metallurgical advances.

Travis Hall