Rifling as we know it was invented between 1450 and 1500. Rifles were in use in Germany and Italy as early as 1520, but for sporting purposes only. They were expensive - too good for 'common soldiers' - so were not issued to troops until over 150 years later, and then only in small numbers to specialised units. Experiments on the rifling of ordnance prior to the 19^th century failed to produce an effective system. In his book New Principles of Gunnery (1742), Benjamin Robins (1707-51) emphasised the advantages to be gained by the nation which developed rifled ordnance. He himself carried out experiments but his findings failed to impress.

In 1789 Joseph Manton (1760-1835), a maker of sporting guns, began to experiment with the rifling of ordnance, and invented a machine for that purpose. The following year the Master General of the Ordnance authorised the issue to him of a SBML 6-pr for preliminary testing. During the course of his experiments he rifled several guns with varying degrees of twist and depth of groove, firing many rounds in shot-for-shot comparison with service smooth-bores. He also invented a wooden cup or 'bottom' for attaching to roundshot, designed to expand when the gun fired, take up windage, and engage the rifling.