Rifles have been in nationally featured marksmanship events in Europe and the United States since at least the 18th century, when rifles were first becoming widely available.

In collaboration with Major Cunningham's Uganda Rifles, expeditions were organized against the Nandi who put up a strong resistance.

After the troops based in different parts of British East and Central Africa territories were placed under a central command, the regiment born thereof was officially designated “ King's African Rifles ” on 1 January 1902.

Accordingly, the former units of the King's African Rifles were transformed to the Kenyan Military Forces and the Independent Kenyan Government was legally empowered to assign names to the units as deemed necessary with effect from midnight, 12 December 1963.

The units that still survive are A Company 231 KRRC ( Paddington ) Rifles ACF, B Company 232 KRRC ( Westminster ) Rifles ACF, C Company 233 KRRC ( Camden ) Rifles ACF and up until recent years D Company 234 KRRC ( Putney ) RGJ ACF, which formed the London Oratory School RGJ ACF unit ( now CCF ) although they were rebadged as Irish Guards in 2010 ( making them the last remaining RGJ unit and also the first Irish Guards CCF unit ).

Rifles were created as an improvement in the accuracy of smooth bore muskets.

Rifles were initially single-shot, muzzle-loading weapons.

Mod era: Rickenbacker basses were seen as the stable bass of many 1970s / 1980s mod revival bands such as the Jam, with the notorious growl and clank sound featuring on hit records such as the Jam's " Eton Rifles " and " Going Underground ".

Most notably, Bassett's Toronto Northmen were forced to find a new home after the Canadian government threatened to ban any American football team from competing with the Canadian Football League ( despite the fact that the Toronto Rifles of the Continental Football League had played in Toronto just seven years prior ); though the Canadian Football Act never passed, the mere threat of it prompted Bassett to move the team to Memphis, where they became the Memphis Southmen, but were generally referred to by fans, local media, and even some official team materials as the " Grizzlies ".

Her parents were Major James Rutherford Lumley, who served in the 6th Gurkha Rifles, a regiment of the British Indian Army, and Beatrice Rose Weir.

After Louisiana seceded, two companies of militia were organized in West Baton Rouge, the Delta Rifles, headed by Captain Favrot and the Tirailleurs of Brusly Landing, a French-speaking company of creoles headed by Captain Williams.

Rifles were purchased or manufactured and kibbutz members drilled and practised shooting.

The 95th Rifles had advanced in open skirmish order ahead of the main assault force and were concealed in the ditch below the parapet, unable to advance further without support.

Some of the American volunteers at San Jacinto included the Kentucky Rifles, a uniformed company raised in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky by Sidney Sherman, who were one of the few troops in the Texian militia to wear formal uniforms.

For the Agikuyu soldiers who took part in the war as part of the King African Rifles ( KAR ), the war stimulated African nationalism and exposed the weakness of the Europeans who were oppressing them at home.

The Brockville Infantry Company and Brockville Rifle Company ( now The Brockville Rifles ) were mobilized to protect Brockville.

The 60th King's Royal Rifle Corps ( later part of the Royal Green Jackets ) fought alongside the Sirmoor Rifles and were so impressed that following the mutiny they insisted 2nd GR be awarded the honours of adopting their distinctive rifle green uniforms with scarlet edgings and rifle regiment traditions and that they should hold the title of riflemen rather than sepoys.

On 1 July 1994 the four rifle regiments were merged into one, the Royal Gurkha Rifles, and the three corps regiments ( the Gurkha Military Police having been disbanded in 1965 ) were reduced to squadron strength.

Between 1901 and 1906, the Gurkha regiments were renumbered from the 1st to the 10th and redesignated as the Gurkha Rifles.

Also, in 1949, the 10th Gurkha Rifles were renamed the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles in her honour.

Rifles or even a shotgun would be sufficient to persuade the crew to close all the hatches, and then the view from the tank is very limited ; a turret-mounted machine gun has a very slow traverse and cannot hope to fend off attackers coming from all directions.

Known used weapons include, but are not limited to, the Mk 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle, M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, MK11 / SR-25, the MK12 Mod X, the much elusive " SEAL Recon Rifle " and in some cases even regular M14 Rifles fitted with optical scopes.

During World War II, the role of the Assam Rifles evolved once more as they were called upon to undertake even more varied tasks due to their status as both a police and military organisation.

Since the Queen's Own Rifles have been continuously active in the Canadian military since 1860, the men who fell or were wounded at Limestone Ridge can be considered the first casualties of the Canadian Army ; even though it was not formally established as such until 1883.

During the Peninsular War, Rifleman Thomas Plunkett of the 1st Battalion, 95th Rifles, shot the French General Auguste-Marie-François Colbert at a range that may have been even greater.

Rifles that were not a direct replacement for an existing smooth bore musket were not referred to as rifled muskets, even though they had similar mechanical characteristics such as a percussion lock and a long rifled barrel.

Dress uniforms are also devoid of implementations that provide a shine like buttons or collar dogs, which most units would have brass, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles have all black or dark green and are even required to darken their cap badge ( via marker or boot polish ).

As part of its military ties with El Salvador, the ROC sold T-65 Assault Rifles to El Salvador during the 1970s and 1980s, which are used by the National Civilian Police, and trained Salvadorian military officers during the civil war.

Rifles and shotguns are commonly used for hunting and often to defend a home or place of business.

" Rifles are used in warfare, hunting and shooting sports.

* Dalton Armoury, a Canadian Forces facility primarily used by the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada

Rifles were more accurate than smooth bore muskets, but Military commanders favored smooth bores on the battlefield, since the round from a rifle had to fit tightly into the barrel, and became very difficult to load after a few shots because the black powder used at the time quickly fouled the barrel.

The FN actions were also used by Sako of Finland as their Hi-Power Rifles, by Browning on the early Medallions, as Husqvarna Small Ring model 146 and Large Ring late model 640, and by Kodiak Arms, Connecticut.

The music used in Rhodesia was an original sixteen-bar arrangement by Captain Ken MacDonald, the bandmaster of the Rhodesian African Rifles.

They were riddled with bullets from Type 56 Rifles and G3 rifles used by the Maoists.

They also used Lend-Lease Tommy guns and American Browning Automatic Rifles.

In 1952, members of the Artists Rifles who had been involved in special operations in Malaya formed 22 SAS, the modern special forces regiment-the only time a Territorial Army unit has been used to form a unit in the Regular Army and remain a parent of a regular unit.

As part of this force, Assam Rifles platoons were used as covering forces during the latter stages of the Burma Campaign.

* A generally obsolete spelling of Sergeant, although still used in some English regiments, such as The Rifles, and for Serjeant-at-Arms

The QMAR belt is Black with a central Amber stripe as used by the original Queen Alexandra ’ s Mounted Rifles, they are also the colours of the Taranaki, where the unit ’ s foundations were laid in the early 1860s.

The rifle was used by what were considered elite units, such as the 5th battalion, and rifle companies of the 6th and 7th Battalions, of the 60th Regiment of Foot, that were deployed around the world, the three battalions of the 95th Regiment of Foot that served under the Duke of Wellington between 1808 and 1814 in the Peninsular War, the War of 1812 ( 3rd Batt ./ 95th ( Rifles ), at Battle of New Orleans ), and again in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo.

In India, the Maltese Cross is the symbol used by the Garhwal Rifles.

* In the United Kingdom, the Maltese Cross is the symbol used by Rifle Regiments, and has been incorporated into the badges of virtually all rifle units, including the capbadge of the Bermuda Regiment, officers cross belt of the Gurkha Rifles and now amalgamated, the Royal Green Jackets.

The Kohima ridge consisted of features such as Garrison Hill, Jail Hill, Field Supply Depot ( FSD ) Hill, and Detail Issue ( DIS ) Hill ; these areas, along with the Deputy Commissioner ( DC ) Charles Pawsey's Bungalow, were used as the main lines of defence which was held by 4th Royal West Kents and supporting troops from the Assam Rifles and Assam Regiment.

They were used by the 1st Mounted Rifles regiment, the 4th Mounted Rifles Regiment, The COMRECCE, the CVR-T group and all of the Reconnaissance platoons from the 8EA armoured Infantry and 6EA Tank Regiments.

Some cavalry units, such as dragoons and American Mounted Rifles units, had doctrines which emphasized that horses were to be used only as means of transportation, and soldiers dismount for battle.

To aid speed and mobility, the Rifles used bugles to transmit commands rather than the drums used by Line infantry and for the same reason did not carry Colours.

Known Pershing Rifles units past and present ( Note that some company numbers were used by more than one university or college over time ):

However, due to the battalions being used to supply replacements in a piecemeal fashion to depleted South African units taking part in the North African campaign, the Witwatersrand Rifles was only deployed as a coherent unit ( to Egypt ) in 1943.