Ten Rifle Companies: Why Rifles, and Not Muskets? - Journal of the American Revolution (allthingsliberty.com) (https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/10/ten-rifle-companies-why-rifles-and-not-muskets/)
From the article" However, rifles were four- to five times more accurate, all the way out to 200 to 250 yards. Furthermore, at that time there was no industrial production capacity for the manufacture of rifles anywhere in North America. Although available in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Virginia, rifles were hand-produced and custom-made to the owner's specifications. Therefore, in specifying rifle companies, Congress made an explicit, purposeful choice in favor of weapons (and the resulting tactics demanded by such weapons) that were distinctly different from those favored by the regular military."