Lincoln Personally Test-fired Rifles Outside The White House

One of the interesting facts about Abraham Lincoln, the Lincolns had two rifles and an antique smoothbore musket for defense and hunting. A few months later, the youngster chose "a rifle gun" and, "standing inside, shot through a gap and killed one of them" as he observed a flock of wild turkeys cautiously approach the family's new cabin.

Despite a law prohibiting firing weapons in the District of Columbia, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America, personally tested rifles outside the White House. Additionally, he used to go to cannon and artillery testing. Given his love of gadgets, Lincoln was a hands-on commander-in-chief who took a strong interest in the weapons deployed by his Union troops during the Civil War. Lincoln observed the testing of cannons and artillery while meeting with inventors showcasing military prototypes at the White House. Lincoln even test-fired muskets and repeating rifles on the grassy areas surrounding the White House, now known as the Ellipse and the National Mall, despite a district-wide ban on gunfire.

At his following court-martial, Lincoln was mandated to carry a wooden sword. The militia quickly mustered him out after feeling a great deal of relief. Lincoln's military career was not very impressive, but the experience allowed him to become more familiar with a wider range of military weapons.