These invented devices were known as primitive cannons and were small-sized, propped on a stand with a touch-hole for ignition. To ignite the touch-hole, the user used one hand to touch a lighted match and the other hand to brace the cannon against his chest. This instrument was very risky to use, as it barely had a range of thirty to forty yards to light the touch-hole. Users must have possessed iron nerves to use one of the projectiles against the opposite army. It wasn't a great influence in wars and battles though. The Chinese called these primitive cannons as first handguns which depicted 'fire-spears' and 'hand-cannons', technical name was guns with a 'cannon lock'. It is known that the man who designed the "Automatic Igniting Device for Firearms" in a more sophisticated type of matchlock was named Leonardo Da Vinci. These first handguns featured hollow bamboo poles acting as tubes which was used to fire sand particles (to blind and choke the foes). Also pieces of sharp metal and pottery fragments, lead pellets and large arrows covered with gunpowder were propelled against the invaders. These hand guns were ineffective and fragile but were still used by many countries to fight battles. Like the Egyptian Mamlukes, during the 1260s, used them against the Moguls in the battle of Ain Jalut and the Chinese used them in the war to stop the Mongol invaders. Eventually, the hollow perishable bamboo poles were replaced with casted-iron tubes and metals. This created a change in the weapon, from calling it, fire-spear to fire-tube. It was gradually observed that, the primitive firearms like the shrapnel were replaced by projectiles. The change in shape and size of this instrument filled the barrel more tightly. In this manner, the three discrete characteristics of the firearms were met: a barrel was made of metal, high amount of nitrate content in the gunpowder was used, and the projectile blocked the gun muzzle, so that the gunpowder propels with a full force. On the other hand, during the late 1400s in Europe, smaller and convenient hand-held cannons were built. As the centuries passed, these hand-held cannons were created into flintlock rifle, later into a breech loader and finally the automatic.
Hyatt Gun Shop
Friday, July 20, 2012
Primitive Guns: The Design and The Make
These invented devices were known as primitive cannons and were small-sized, propped on a stand with a touch-hole for ignition. To ignite the touch-hole, the user used one hand to touch a lighted match and the other hand to brace the cannon against his chest. This instrument was very risky to use, as it barely had a range of thirty to forty yards to light the touch-hole. Users must have possessed iron nerves to use one of the projectiles against the opposite army. It wasn't a great influence in wars and battles though. The Chinese called these primitive cannons as first handguns which depicted 'fire-spears' and 'hand-cannons', technical name was guns with a 'cannon lock'. It is known that the man who designed the "Automatic Igniting Device for Firearms" in a more sophisticated type of matchlock was named Leonardo Da Vinci. These first handguns featured hollow bamboo poles acting as tubes which was used to fire sand particles (to blind and choke the foes). Also pieces of sharp metal and pottery fragments, lead pellets and large arrows covered with gunpowder were propelled against the invaders. These hand guns were ineffective and fragile but were still used by many countries to fight battles. Like the Egyptian Mamlukes, during the 1260s, used them against the Moguls in the battle of Ain Jalut and the Chinese used them in the war to stop the Mongol invaders. Eventually, the hollow perishable bamboo poles were replaced with casted-iron tubes and metals. This created a change in the weapon, from calling it, fire-spear to fire-tube. It was gradually observed that, the primitive firearms like the shrapnel were replaced by projectiles. The change in shape and size of this instrument filled the barrel more tightly. In this manner, the three discrete characteristics of the firearms were met: a barrel was made of metal, high amount of nitrate content in the gunpowder was used, and the projectile blocked the gun muzzle, so that the gunpowder propels with a full force. On the other hand, during the late 1400s in Europe, smaller and convenient hand-held cannons were built. As the centuries passed, these hand-held cannons were created into flintlock rifle, later into a breech loader and finally the automatic.
