The Barrel Racer Ornament
is 3½ inches tall and 5 inches across. The Western Christmas Ornaments are riding a tan horse with black mane. She is wearing a tan Cowboy Hat, off white shirt, brown vest, blue jeans, brown chaps and black boots. She is very expertly guiding her horse. The Barrel Racer Ornament hangs from a gold cord. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.

History of The Rifle.
A rifle is any gun with a rifled barrel. A rifled barrel has a series of spiral grooves on its inner surface to make the bullet spin rapidly as it leaves the gun. Any bullet except a ball will tumble as it flies through the air unless it is made to spin. A spinning bullet holds a steady course with the nose forward. Rifling is one of the most important discoveries in the history of guns.
Authorities do not agree as to the inventor of rifling. Some point to a record dated 1746, showing the invention of a weapon with a spirally grooved barrel. Others say the rifle was invented about 1520 by Gaspard Koller of Vienna. The first rifles were used by either hunters or for amusement.
Modern rifles developed from the crude, muzzle loading firearms of the 1400’s. Smooth bore firearms or ones without rifling could not be depended on to hit targets more than 100 steps away.
The Jaeger rifle of central and northern Europe was the first accurate rifle. It was developed about 1665. German immigrants brought Jaegers to Pennsylvania in the early 1700’s and gave them new features, including longer barrels. The Pennsylvania made Kentucky rifle developed from the Jaeger. Some Kentucky rifles were used in the Revolutionary War in America.
Rifles used round bullets until the 1850’s, when more accurate Minie bullets became popular. Minie bullets had hollow bases and pointed tips and were used in the U.S. Civil War. Improvements of the late 1800’s included repeating rifles, smokeless explosive powder and jacketed bullets, which have a tough metal cover over a lead or steel core. Select to view our Holiday Lights and Decorative Party Lights.

How a Rifle Works.
A rifle is ready to be fired when a cartridge has been fed into the firing chamber. Then the rifle is aimed and the trigger squeezed. The rifle’s hammer or firing pin strikes the rear end of the cartridge and ignites the primer. The primer in turn ignites the propeller powder in the cartridge. The powder burns rapidly creating pressure that drives the bullet down the barrel.
The rifling in the barrel makes the bullet spin. Without spin, a bullet would not stay pointed forward in flight, but would tumble over and over. The spinning motion increases the accuracy of a bullet. Check out our selection of Christmas Ornament Sets.