Guns have been apart of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was about six years old my dad came home one day and took me into the back yard. He told me he had something for me and that I needed to be vary careful with it. After I agreed to only using it while he was there to make sure I used it safely, he gave me my vary own BB gun. After a quick safety lesson it was time to start shooting, I had even drawn a target onto a cardboard box. After a few years of shooting and a few thousand BB’s later my dad took me out on my grandparents ranch. After a more serious talk about safety he gave me my first real gun. It wasn’t anything special just a little bolt-action .22 caliber rifle but it was a real gun. My collection of guns has grown over the years but I still shoot that .22 rifle to this day. Since I was younger I always wanted a lever action rifle. So when I turned eighteen I started looking to buy one. I though it was going to be simple just find a lever action and buy it, but as soon as I began to search I realized that it was not that simple. I saw that there are multiple different types of guns from all different time periods. I know the basics about guns but I do not know the details of their history.
What I would like to find out is who designed the first ever gun, how was it used, and was it affective? I also want to know which guns were used during important parts of history? There are numerous questions for each stage of history for different types of guns. For example when did the U.S. army first start using the flintlock muskets? How were these muskets improved over time? What was the ammunition that they were using in this time period? How was it made and was it difficult to make? What I how to achieve is a...
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...arms than I had before. I have always known the basics how to be safe with them and how to shoot them. I never stopped and thought why do my guns shoot every time I pull the trigger or how did they get as accurate as they are? I got to meet people at our local gun shop and become friends with them. I also found out on my last day of research that my father has a 17th century flintlock pistol, that he will pass on to me when he gets older.
At first I was scared of this paper and the amount of research that was involved. During my research though I quickly realized that the information was out there I just needed to know where to look. I also learned that a paper as long as this can be easily written if you put a solid effort into it. This paper was an absolute joy for me to write because it was a topic that I love. I have learned so much more than I ever expected.
I faced a lot of difficulties with this project, considering I have little to no knowledge on any kind of antiques dating before the 1900’s. I decided to go to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History for some inspiration. The museum has a small exhibit called “The Cattle Raisers Museum”, there I photographed an 1873 model lever – action repeating Winchester Rifle. I figured this certain model rifle held some significance, it being in the museum, especially when there are many models of Winchester Rifles and are still used today. I also knew that it was American made, the only amount of information I did know before researching. I sadly could not find a museum curator with any special knowledge on this rifle.
"Battleground America," written by Jill Lepore, provides a strong history of guns and the way they have changed in the eyes of the American through the years. She proves her point with strong evidence throughout her article, sprinkling it with opinion and argument that is strongly supported. She presents her argument to convince her audience that the open availability of guns allows citizens to undeservingly purchase them by displaying the credibility in her sources, using negative connotations in her speech, and the strength and objectivity only a strong logos appeal can provide.
I was sitting in the old rickety chair that looked as if it had been there for five years. The smell of gunpowder hung in the morning air as I leaned over the rifle rest. My finger wrapped around the trigger as my eye focused through the scope of my grandfather’s Springfield ’03. I took a deep breath and let half out. My finger tightened on the trigger as I awaited the recoil and crack of the gunpowder igniting. Finally, when my finger’s pull was enough to move the trigger, the gun went off. Moments like this are why I love shooting guns.
Although they may not be aware of it, complex philosophic principles influence the simple actions of the mass’s everyday lives. In fact, long lasting and well defined contentions of basic philosophy concerning the actions of human beings has not only affected individuals, but also entire countries. Some of the greatest nations on Earth have been formed around key thoughts and opinions of several great philosophers. Primarily amongst these, however, or John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, both of whom wrote on “The State of Nature”, or the state of absolute freedom. While Locke and Hobbes had vastly different opinions on the natural state of a human being, no matter who you are your life is somehow affected by their philosophic writings.
The next real step in the evolution of the gun came during the Civil War. Rifles were invented that ...
Carter, Gregg. Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2012. Print.
trying to implement laws that will keep weapons out of the hands of every one.
Later, my dad pushed me to buy a .243 rifle and a 20 gauge shotgun, but I didn’t want to spend all of my money on something that I didn’t want. It became time for me to start shooting things when we went hunting so I shot them, but it scared me a lot and I didn’t like it at all. My dad got me everything a girl could ask for to go hunting, including a huge, enclosed, and heated stand over an admirable food plot. I shot at many deer over the years, but I was so afraid that I would flinch every time and miss. I shot my first deer through the guts and I chased it all the way to my older brother’s stand who shot it for me. My second deer I shot with a broken scope and broke it’s back and I was too afraid of the gun so I had to wait for my dad to come and shoot it again. I figured out that I didn’t like shooting guns because I didn’t like the guns that I
“The invention of gunpowder as a means of hurling a projectile brought about a whole new era, not only in the development of weapons but also to all of history. Man had been on earth almost 1 million years before he made this discovery During that time physical strength had been the basis of power. The strongest man could hurl a spear the farthest and the hardest, bend the most powerful bow, and deal the heaviest strokes with his sword or ax. This gave him mastery in battle and control of his fellow men. With the coming of firearms, size and strength lost their importance. A small man with a gun was just as powerful as a big one (Peterson 9).”
My experience at the shooting range went differently than I had expected. Given that I have never shot a gun before, I have always looked at guns in a negative way. Going into the range I had a negative outlook on guns and was expecting to have a negative experience. Walking into the range I felt timid and scared. Hearing gunshots for the first time sent chills through my spine.
According to Michael Duffy, the machine gun was invented by Sir Hiram Maxim (1840-1916). He created the machine gun in his name. He signed up for and got the first of several patents when he was 26 years old for a hair curling iron which was followed by a machine that made helpful gas and engine headlight. He was given a job by the Electric Lighting Company of the United States which he served in the ability of chief engineer. While he was there he created a technique of making carbon thread. He then relocated to London and started to play around with issues related with the creation and production of automatic guns. This lead to his most famed innovation the Maxim Machine Gun he revealed in 1884. His machine gun design consisted of a plain, smart model, gas made by powder explosion in the holder of the gun which created a shrinking to control the gun machinery and no outer power needed. The original creation was for water to cool off and fed through a belt which permitted for no certain amount of fire for at least 600 rounds per minute; in 1891 he developed a smokeless holder and powder that upgraded the usefulness of the machine gun. Maxim also sold his new gun to the British and their army but there were a lot in the military’s high command that could not see the use of an everyday weapon in the war, but other armies voiced fascination in purchasing his gun like Germany. He accepted a knighthood or a rank from Queen Victoria in 1901. Due to his knighthood, his company (the Maxim Gun Company) later engaged into Vickers Ltd (British engineering) and became a director and also invented the Vickers machine gun. This gun became known as the standard issue weapon of its kind in the British military through the World War 1. Sir Hiram...
There is nothing better then realizing that each indigenous people evolved into something better or that they found ways to survive in situations they weren’t use too. There were many changes that happened over time that cause for situations to change for everyone around them. But it also has helped with being able to progress with the way they lived. Jared diamond the author of Guns, Germs and Steel interpret his famous theory oh how we came to be. How the geography luck helped each country developed more rapidly than others as well as being able to expand more. However they also had geography luck when it came to how many advantages they had with the technology nevertheless, germs also was a big part of how the conquered most of the lands because it would kill instantly millions of european and
The first record of guns being used dates back to 1364. Over the last 653 years guns have changed drastically. Bigger firepower, fully automatic modifications, bigger magazines, red dot sights, bump stocks, silencers. All of these modifications can make an AR-15 more boisterous to shoot, but at the same time more deadly. The newfangled issue with guns is not necessarily guns itself, but the easy access people have to get a hold of guns and using them to kill innocent lives. America, specifically radical left wings, are too quick to blame the firearm for the violence. An AR-15 or any firearm is absolutely feckless until it is picked up, made ready and fired. So how could one simply think to ban guns? What America needs is to not take away firearms, but arm more citizens. Take this for an example, can you count on police officers being by your side 24/7 protecting you in cases of an active shooter or any random acts of terror? Or do you think it would be a good idea to get a concealed carry licence, some tactical firearm training and actually be able to protect yourself as well as others from
This was the first organized research paper I had ever made. I learnt to accumulate and organize research data into useful information. This improved my skills to manage textual resources. Besides all this, I was able to study about something that I was really interested in. This experience has shown me the way to research on topics I want to know more about. I think now I can truly say, “Everything happens for a reason.”
Writing this paper has been rewarding to me. It has helped me come to know a different me. Set goals for myself and helped me put things into perspective.