When Did Rifling Begin?

Barrel rifling was invented in Augsburg, Germany in 1498. In 1520 August Kotter, an armourer from Nuremberg, improved upon this work. Though true rifling dates from the mid-16th century, it did not become commonplace until the nineteenth century.

What was the first rifle with rifling?

The usual form of rifling was helical grooves in a round bore. Some early rifled firearms had barrels with a twisted polygonal bore. The Whitworth rifle was the first such type designed to spin the round for accuracy.

What was the first gun to have a rifled barrel?

The first rifling firearm dates from 1540, however, it did not become commonplace until the early part of the nineteenth century. Muskets, as opposed to rifling, had smooth bores and were large caliber weapons using ball-shaped ammunition fired at relatively low velocity.