turnbarrel

noun

turnbarrel

noun

Etymology turn + barrel

1

Engineering, Firearms, Government, Military, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Politics, Tools, War, Weaponry A kind of rifle with a rotary barrel action.

Turnbarrels were not widely used during the muzzle-loading era despite their superior firepower. They were, of course, more expensive and more difficult to make than a conventional rifle.1974, George C. Nonte, Home Guide to Muzzle-loaders, page 50:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.