The Origin of the Modern Gun

Guns are now relatively commonplace in the generation that we live. We see guns everywhere in the media. Even a person who may have never held nor fired a gun in real life can experience firing a gun through a variety of video games, and be good at it. There are even sporting events showcasing one’s proficiency with a gun. Many sporting goods stores have guns for sale.

In the United States, guns as a hobby is widespread. Some states have strict gun laws while other states have permissive laws in owning firearms. The state of Utah is one of the states that have the most permissive gun laws. A typical gun store in Utah and will help you get started on owning a gun. California on the other hand, is the state with the strictest gun laws. A background check is required before anyone can purchase and own a firearm in California.

Most gun hobbyists like to meet at a local gun shop to interact with each other. According to hobbyists, shooting guns is challenging, fun, and enjoyable. Others prefer the collecting aspect of the hobby. They find the history behind each gun particularly interesting, and most own more than 10 guns.

According to history, the origins of the gun can be traced back to China. In the 9th century Chinese alchemists accidentally invented the black powder, which is now widely called gun powder. This discovery has paved the way for the invention of the firearm as we know it today.

The fire lance or fire spear, according to historians, was one of the very first gun powder weapons. This ancestor to the gun was made by attaching a bamboo tube containing gun powder and small projectiles to the end of a spear. Eventually, the paper and bamboo barrels were replaced with metal to better withstand the explosion. The projectiles were also specialized to be propelled through the barrel to maximize explosive power.

The oldest surviving firearm is the Heilongjiang hand cannon, which was dated to 1288. It was discovered in a site in China located in what is now the Acheng District. It was one of the firearms used in warfare during the Yuan Dynasty.

In the early modern age (early 15th Century until the 17th century), technological advancements were made. One of the early hand guns, called the Arquebuses, was invented during this period. It had a matchlock mechanism and was the first firearm with a “trigger”. It is the first mechanism, or “lock,” invented to make the firing of a hand-held firearm easier.
The invention of other ignition mechanisms such as the wheellock and the snaplock also occured during this time. The snaplock was improved upon and evolved into the flintlock. Flintlock firearms uses a flint striking ignition mechanism to fire. The percussion cap was invented later on to deal with problems associated with flintlock mechanisms. Reloading was a hassle during those times, which gave the need to innovate further. This gave rise repeating firearms that can be fired more than once before reloading.