express rifle

American  

noun

1. a rifle designed for firing at game at short range.

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express rifle British  

noun

1. a high-velocity hunting rifle for big game shooting

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Etymology

Origin of express rifle

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

His white hunter will take him where the game is, stand by with an express rifle in case he misses.

From Time Magazine Archive

The man carrying the blankets dropped them and seized a heavy express rifle that some Englishman had left in the country.

From Bears I Have Met—and Others by Kelly, Allen

Both are armed with a double-barrelled express rifle, revolver of heavy calibre, and sheath knife.

From Haviland's Chum by Mitford, Bertram

An express rifle is what you send off and get, and they ship it to you by express.

From Back Home by Wood, Eugene

The velocity of a bullet rapidly decreases, and a ball shot from an express rifle, and driven by a heavy charge, soon begins to droop.

From The Life of the Fields by Jefferies, Richard