Guns developed through a series of logical steps, but are relatively new forms of protection considering that our early ancestors had to make do with sticks, stones and then later with spears and swords. The Chinese can be thanked for the discovery of gunpowder, but it was the Europeans who saw its potential as a weapon for war.
By the early sixteenth century the first matchlock rifle was the first truly hand held gun, though it was not a very accurate weapon. This early version used a slow burning match cord, which burned to ignite gunpowder that was poured into a pan. This then ignited the powder that had been poured into the barrel of the gun, propelling the lead shot towards an enemy or target.
Open flame near large amounts of gunpowder was naturally a dangerous combination and over time improvements were made to this overall design. The wheel lock was a much safer design, which utilized a serrated, spring loaded metal wheel which when released, struck against a solid piece of pyrite, creating sparks. These ignited the powder within the barrel.
The next step in the evolution of the gun was the flintlock. The name originated from the lock that was placed over the powder to prevent accidental ignition. A hammer designed for operation with the thumb was drawn back and released to hit the flint against the block. A single shot was released by this action and over time, for expediency, a double barrel version came into being.
The next advancement was the revolver, which had a cartridge cylinder that could contain up to six bullets. Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson developed the lever action pistol, which they first patented in 1854. The design became popular with lawmen and cowboys across the United States and the era of the modern gun was born.
The next design evolution was the semi-automatic gun, which used the energy of the firing mechanism to rotate the cylinder, lining up the next bullet in the barrel. Most guns used the recoil energy to implement this movement, but other designs, like the Desert Eagle hand gun, employ a gas powered action to do this.
Moving on from there, some guns are now fully automatic and include models like the Mauser C96 and the Glock 18, amongst others. These can be used either as traditional single shot weapons or can be set for the rapid fire of full automatic mode. These are lightweight, small weapons that are easy to carry and have become the preferred choice of civilians and soldiers the world over.
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