When was the gun invented

The first firearms were created in China after the Chinese invented black powder in the 9 th century. The earliest depiction of a gun dates back to the 12 th century and the oldest existing firearm is from around

The invention of guns followed the development of the explosive black powder in China. The first guns were simple tubes from which to shoot explosive charges, but gradually they were made easier to load, aim, and fire. Guns revolutionized warfare and effectively ended the age of the armored knight and the castle stronghold. They have had a profound effect on human history. It was already being used in ninth-century China for making fireworks. Chinese books from as early as include recipes describing the necessary proportions of the three ingredients. The first primitive guns were probably bamboo tubes, fragile and ineffective firearms used in futile attempts to stop the Mongol invaders.

When was the gun invented

The Renaissance era saw the rise of the first guns in Western Europe, and they changed the face of warfare forever. This is their story of fire and steel. Although gunpowder first emerged in ancient China as an alchemical health treatment, its application in warfare shattered the medieval world. In many ways, it was the quintessential substance of the rapidly approaching modern era, with cultural exchange, scientific experimentation, and mass warfare all bound up with its history. Here, we shall examine the development of the first guns, personal firearms that created altogether different conventions from the sword and the horse. The critical ingredient for the rise of the first guns in the Renaissance era was gunpowder. The other three were the compass, paper, and printmaking, which were all also key components of the technological revolution which characterized Renaissance Western Europe. Gunpowder was, therefore, the archetypical technology of its time. Chemically, gunpowder is a mixture of sulfur, carbon, and potassium nitrate usually known as niter or saltpeter. It is a low explosive, as distinct from a high explosive, that burns comparatively slowly by modern standards. But to medieval people, this must have been the very crux of alchemy itself — the creation of fire, smoke, and violent force from the application of a small flame to some inert powders. Gunpowder was invented in China sometime in the mid-1st millennium CE, possibly as early as the late Eastern Han dynasty. It was likely discovered as a by-product of alchemical experimentation — Taoist texts from the era demonstrate a preoccupation with transmutation changing the chemical properties of materials, e. Before CE, this early gunpowder was applied militarily, used for slow-burning fire arrows.

Archived from the original on 9 October In the heavily armored cavalryman known as the knight still dominated the battlefields of central and western Europe, as he had… RevolverBackground The term "handgun" refers to any small firearm intended for use with one hand only. Mechanics and components.

A gun is a device designed to propel a projectile using pressure or explosive force. Solid projectiles may be free-flying as with bullets and artillery shells or tethered as with Tasers , spearguns and harpoon guns. A large- caliber gun is also called a cannon. The means of projectile propulsion vary according to designs, but are traditionally effected pneumatically by a high gas pressure contained within a barrel tube gun barrel , produced either through the rapid exothermic combustion of propellants as with firearms , or by mechanical compression as with air guns. The high-pressure gas is introduced behind the projectile, pushing and accelerating it down the length of the tube, imparting sufficient launch velocity to sustain its further travel towards the target once the propelling gas ceases acting upon it after it exits the muzzle.

The invention of guns followed the development of the explosive black powder in China. The first guns were simple tubes from which to shoot explosive charges, but gradually they were made easier to load, aim, and fire. Guns revolutionized warfare and effectively ended the age of the armored knight and the castle stronghold. They have had a profound effect on human history. It was already being used in ninth-century China for making fireworks.

When was the gun invented

Guns have had played both an indirect yet also tangible role in the rise and progression of global powers and industrial development over the course of history. In modern times, guns and the American gun culture hold an ambiguous role, from being a topic for dinner conversations to heated debates between aspiring politicians. The history of guns rides right along with the evolution of our armies and play a key role in changing the way wars were fought. This dates back to the early days of the 10th century and all the way up to modern times. During this time guns have experienced intense technical advances and economic developments that have increased the practicalness and also the lethality of guns. The first gun and gunpowder are widely regarded, although still disputed, to come from China during the 10th and 9th centuries, respectively. Huo Yao was an ancient Chinese invention that was actually used historically as a cure for indigestion.

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However, the smith ran into problems, which were not solved until the following year when a Portuguese gunsmith was brought to Japan. Although matchlock guns are older than wheellocks , very few examples survive. All rights reserved. The Invention of the Microscope. Flintlocks were commonly used over the next two centuries until the invention of the percussion lock. Hitherto, all of these early firearms had been lit by some external source of ignition — either a taper dropped into a touch-hole, or a slow match clamped in a trigger mechanism. The legendary German-speaking mercenaries known as Landsknechts began to use mixed-unit tactics, with arquebusiers and longsword wielders mixed into pike squares. What was the first fully automatic gun? An enormous step forward for the first guns came with the invention of the wheellock. This year period during which the classic gun dominated gives it its moniker.

They've existed for more than 1, years and have affected warfare — and society in general — in ways perhaps no other invention can match.

Gun Timeline Historical timeline of the development of modern weapons starting at with the first recorded use of a firearm and ending in with the introduction of automatic handguns. It was likely discovered as a by-product of alchemical experimentation — Taoist texts from the era demonstrate a preoccupation with transmutation changing the chemical properties of materials, e. The Europeans first started receiving gun powder from the Chinese, as well as silk and paper, via the Silk Road trade route. The technology further improved after the Portuguese capture of Malacca JSTOR Accessed February 24, 2. Easton, S. Simon and Schuster. Despite their greater accuracy, they were cumbersome weapons that required at least two minutes between firings. The semi-automatic rifle, the AR, rose to fame in when Armalite sold the design to Colt Manufacturing and has since grown to become one of the most common guns throughout the continental United States. Accounts of the Battle of Crecy CE contain some early mentions of gunpowder weaponry, including small-caliber hand cannons, larger cast-metal bombards, and even ribauldequins which could fire volleys of iron bolts. A formula for making it was discovered in writings dating from the year and attributed to Roger Bacon The new cartridge contained a conical bullet, a cardboard powder tube, and a copper base that incorporated a primer pellet. There are reports of soldiers adding homemade scopes onto their rifles but they were hard to zero and even harder to use effectively.