Yes, there were effective, efficient, and deadly military-specific weapons at the time the 2nd Amendment was written. I’d like to introduce you to the Brown Bess Musket.
Very interesting. I would have appreciated some expansion on the final section where you draw it all together. Do you have any stats about how many colonial men owned Brown Bess muskets? I think it’s a pretty solid argument that the Founders were okay with people owning “weapons of war” because people did (including some of them).
I couldn't give you specific numbers, but the popularity of the Brown Bess in America did actually decrease over time. First with the introduction of French made muskets after securing an alliance with them and then when Springfield started making American-based muskets in the 1890s. By the War of 1812, the British were still using the Brown Bess while Americans had almost entirely transitioned to Springfield muskets.
An interesting anecdote in the Constitution is Article I Section 8 where Congress granted authority to issue "letters of marque." A letter of marque is an official authorization to a private vessel to attack enemy vessels. Without the right to privately own cannon and small arms effective to overwhelm a Man o' War, the idea of issuing letters of marque to private vessels would be silly and suicidal.
Oh yeah I’ve thought of that too! Letters of marque not only indicate a tolerance for privately owned weapons of war, but downright encouragement of it.
Very interesting. I would have appreciated some expansion on the final section where you draw it all together. Do you have any stats about how many colonial men owned Brown Bess muskets? I think it’s a pretty solid argument that the Founders were okay with people owning “weapons of war” because people did (including some of them).
I couldn't give you specific numbers, but the popularity of the Brown Bess in America did actually decrease over time. First with the introduction of French made muskets after securing an alliance with them and then when Springfield started making American-based muskets in the 1890s. By the War of 1812, the British were still using the Brown Bess while Americans had almost entirely transitioned to Springfield muskets.
An interesting anecdote in the Constitution is Article I Section 8 where Congress granted authority to issue "letters of marque." A letter of marque is an official authorization to a private vessel to attack enemy vessels. Without the right to privately own cannon and small arms effective to overwhelm a Man o' War, the idea of issuing letters of marque to private vessels would be silly and suicidal.
Oh yeah I’ve thought of that too! Letters of marque not only indicate a tolerance for privately owned weapons of war, but downright encouragement of it.