Rifle regiment

Though rifles still took about twice as long to load as a musket the increase in accuracy and change in tactics more than compensated for this delay.

As muskets took so long to reload and were rather inaccurate at more than one or two hundred yards a mass volley was often followed by a bayonet charge.

These tactics proved ineffective versus the French troops and their Native American allies in the often wooded terrain of North America in the middle of the 18th century.

Unofficial experiments with troops wearing homemade dark green or brown coloured jackets and carrying lighter gear were carried out by 60th (Royal American) Regiment under the inspiration of 1st battalion commander Henri Bouquet.

A sister battalion, the 5/60 that was raised from foreign troops later fought in the Peninsular War equipped as a normal regiment.

These troops were distinguished by wearing dark green instead of scarlet jackets (rifle green), a black stripe down the outside of each trouser leg instead of red, black horn buttons instead of polished brass, and black belts instead of white (all to act as camouflage), being armed with the Baker rifle instead of a musket, travelling in dispersed formation, often in pairs, instead of a marching in file and were instructed to aim and be selective of targets.

Having neither Colours to act as a rally point nor drums to issue commands the riflemen used bugles as signals.

Rifle regiments were notable for disciplinary proceedings somewhat less harsh than other units, such as less frequent flogging.

With the formation of the part-time Volunteer Force after the Crimean War, most of its units were Volunteer Rifle Corps, although most of these lost their identities through a succession of reforms of Britain's military reserves that saw most Militia infantry and Volunteer Rifle Corps units re-titled as numbered battalions of county infantry regiments, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of which were typically regular army, and most of which were identified as line infantry.

The Canadian Army Primary Reserve has seven rifle regiments (two armoured reconnaissance, five infantry).

The RR is a counter-insurgency force made up of soldiers deputed from other Indian Army combat arms and services.