A .75-calibre Brown Bess flintlock musket, capable of firing a lead ball at 1,000 feet per second, carries the power to kill. Yet, despite this, weapons like those used by redcoats in 1776 are largely exempt from gun regulations across the United States.
This legal loophole stems from federal and most state laws, which do not technically classify many antique or replica guns as "firearms." Consequently, in numerous places, even convicted felons are permitted to own these potent historical weapons unrestricted.
