The term rifling refers to spiraled cuts machined into the bore of a firearm’s barrel. Whether the rifling is hammer-forged, broached, or buttoned, it is comprised of two distinct parts, lands and grooves. A major innovation that proved the decisive shift away from “smooth bore” muskets to the firearms we know today, rifling forces the bullet into a spin before it exits the muzzle. This spin helps stabilize the projectile and gives it greater range over a projectile fired from a smooth barrel. A way to describe this is to compare it to how a football quarterback throws a pass. Exerting a spiral motion on the ball stabilizes it, and extends its range compared to one thrown without a spiral. Too low of a twist rate can also exhibit deleterious effects on accuracy with certain bullet weights.