Smoothbore (Adjective)
Meaning
Of a firearm; not having rifling or internal spiral grooves inside the barrel.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The musket was a smoothbore firearm that used a lead ball and a charge of black powder to propel its projectiles.
- The smoothbore cannon made loading faster and easier due to the lack of rifling.
- In most cases, smoothbore flintlocks were inaccurate at long ranges but effective in close combat.
- The smoothbore pistol was an early type of handgun that was popular among civilians in the 18th century.
- Historically, smoothbore firearms were far more common than rifled ones due to their simplicity and lower production costs.