Muskets like those from 1776 mostly exempt from modern gun laws
U.S. law generally excludes firearms made in or before 1898 from most regulations, saying stricter rules would place an undue burden on collectors and history enthusiasts.
With 165 grains of black powder in the barrel, a .75-caliber Brown Bess flintlock musket like the ones the redcoats carried in 1776 can hurl a lead ball at a velocity of around 1,000 feet (305 meters) per second.