Small Arms Tech The invention and innovation of small firearms spans throughout the world and throughout multiple centuries. The main inventions during the early phases of small arms development quickly gave way to the next innovation, although they were slow to be adapted to military use due to the cost of their production. As time went on these innovations became more and more stagnant to the point of there being no major innovations in the field for close to two hundred years. However, after this stagnant period, there began another period of advanced innovation in the area of small arms technology. The goal of this essay is to understand and dissect the innovations that occurred during these two periods of advanced innovation and the cultural and historical factors that lead to them. The first small arms weapon to be developed was the hand cannon. A hand cannon is the oldest type of portable firearm, known as early as the thirteenth in China , as well as the simplest type of early firearm. Most examples of hand cannons require direct manual external ignition of the gunpowder through a hole without any form of firing mechanism. The hand cannon may be considered a predecessor to the modern handgun. The hand cannon was used in East Asia and Europe until it was replaced with the matchlock . The matchlock was the first mechanism, or "lock" invented for the shooting of a hand-held firearm and was invented during the fifteenth century . The matchlock was a piece of slow-burning rope that was lit ahead of time and then moved into position to light the gunpowder. The slow-burning rope was attached to a lever that moved with your finger to rotate it into position this being the first trigger . This design made it possible to have bot... ... middle of paper ... ...ut saw greater use during WWII. They offered greater advantages in trench warfare than standard rifles. They rose in popularity in the 20's and 30's being a preferred weapon of gangsters of that era. Also designed and invented during WWI, assault rifles have helped change the face of warfare by offering an alternative to dense infantry formation, allowing those who use them to instead rely on more guerrilla tactics. Small arms technology has been used in some capacity since the thirteenth century. It has helped to change the face of the world and of warfare. They are so engrained in our culture it is odd to think of a world without them. However, it is important to remember that firearms were not always as efficient as they are now. This allows us to take what are essentially tools of warfare and appreciate them for the marvelous feat of engineering that they are.
Weapons have been around from the Neanderthals of the post-ice age, to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Rocks became knives, sticks became spears, and bayonets became AK-47’s. The technology from the French and Indian War was revolutionized and manufactured by the newly opened weaponry companies. Colt and Winchester had a new end of the market during the times of conflict in the United States.
Prior to the invention of the Minié ball it was necessary for the bullet to be the same diameter as the barrel in order for it to engage the rifling. This made it difficult and time consuming to load because the bullet would have to be rammed down the barrel with some force. Due to this fact, muzzle loading rifles had not seen any previous use in combat. The Minié ball, however, changed this. The Minié bullet was slightly smaller in diameter than the rifle barrel, was conical in shape, and contained an iron plug in its hollow base. When fired the force of the expanding charge would force the iron plug into the base of the bullet, thus causing the base to expand slightly and engage the rifling. The Minié bullet, fired from a rifled musket, had an effective range of up to 250 yards, which was a vast improvement over earlier muskets and ammunition. The rifled musket firing the Minié ball became the most common firearm used by both sides during the Civil War, and the Springfield armory in Massachusetts produce nearly two million for the Union Army. (History.com, 2010)
Within World War I began a new age of warfare. As compared to previous engagements, the adoption of new weapons changed the way in World War I was fought. Not only did the concept of war change in terms of where battles were fought, how much revenue must be spent on the war and how much time a war could span; weapons changed. During the Indian Wars and War for independence, basic weapons were used. World War I began to become mobile. Use of planes, tanks and other technological advances had been implemented. The technological advances brought about were implemented within this war in an attempt to make the war last a shorter and to show prestige. Not only were mobile aerial and ground assets involved in war now, but other technology such as flamethrowers, machine guns and poisonous gas was also introduced.
This project is about some of the weapons used by American soldiers during World War II. The weapons included are some of the most used and reliable used by American infantrymen throughout the war. Of all of the weapons used by American infantrymen these weapons were produced in greater quantities than others and also were favorites of the American men that used to fight in World War II. Some of these weapons were manufactured and used before World War II, but were produced and used on a larger scale in World War II. Weapon descriptions, main uses and ammunition fired from them will be discussed in the report. How they were beneficial to the American soldiers that used them will also be discussed. Some of these weapons were thought to be superior to others used by American soldiers, as well as those used by enemy forces. These weapons are unique in their own way and used by soldiers with confidence that they were going to perform as they needed them to in battle.
The flintlock musket was the weapon used the most in the revolutionary war. The flintlock musket was the most essential weapon used in the revolutionary war. This was the primary weapon for multiple soldiers. This gun was very long it was about five feet and it weighed about nine pounds. The downfall to having this gun though was the fact that it only shot one shot at a time. After each shot the soldiers had to put gun powder in the barrel. What held the flint were two jaws, when the flint hit the frizzen it would create a spark. When the spark was created it would make the powder react, which made the
The crossbow is a weapon of antiquity. There is plausible evidence that the Chinese developed the weapon as early as 1500 BC Surviving examples exist in China from as far back as the third century BC These Han dynasty relics display a great deal of sophistication. The lock (chi) is comprised of a cast bronze box which holds a rotating nut and a two-lever seer and trigger that locks the release in a set position. Roman soldiers captured and ransomed in Sogdiana in central Asia in the first decades of modern reckoning are credited with bringing the technology of the crossbow to the West.
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...
A majority of weapons used in World War II were improved weapons from World War II. Most guns increased in power and abilities. In World War II people thought that pistols were useless but this was proved wrong due to the fact that the U.S. Mi...
Colonel Mathew Moten once said, “Professions are not professions simply because they say they are. Their clients, society as a whole, have to accept their claims and trust the professions with jurisdiction over important areas of human endeavor”.
With the creation of gun powder the Chinese were anxious to use this, in order to do that they needed something to be created so they made the fire lance it was a small cannon on a stick several feet long this is the earliest firearm ever discovered it is thought to be from the late 12th century. This was more of an addition to the soldiers spear than a gun it was not until later that the first hand cannon was made unlike the fire lance this was a weapon of its own and could shoot almost anything that the soldier could jam in the barrel that they could find on the battlefield. Both of these were fired...
The next real step in the evolution of the gun came during the Civil War. Rifles were invented that ...
Firearms: A Global History to 1700 provides a knowledgeable narrative on why there were such stark differences between the militaries of Europe and Asia, as well as other societies in and around the Oikoumene. This monograph will appeal to anyone interested in learning about the development of firearms and its close relationship with
“Volley Guns” (Chivers, 2010, p.26) or also known as “Organ Guns” (Ellis, 1975, p.10) were first attempts at increasing firepower by adding several barrels at the firing itself, rather than simply attempting to increase the rate of fire. “Gunsmiths had long ago learned to place barrels side by side on frames to create firearms capable of discharging projectiles in rapid succession. These unwieldy devices, or volley guns, were capable in theory of blasting a hole in a line of advancing soldiers” (Chivers, 2010, p.26). An example of such weapons can be seen on July 28, 1835 when Giuseppe Fieshi unleashed terror on King Louis-Phillipe in Paris, France. He fired his 25 barrel “volley gun”, killing 18 of the king's entourage and grazing the King's skull. The weapon was ineffective however. Four of the barrels failed and another four ruptured. Two other barrels had exploded inside, grievously wounding Giuseppe. (Chivers, 2010, p. 27)
For several decades, there have been many cases where small arms and light weapons have been used to kill and injure people on an enormous scale. In the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive, firearms killed around 13,286 people and 26,819 people were injured in 2015, 1 as recently reported by the BBC in January 2016. However, this does not limit such issues only to the larger nations, but also to smaller nations in South East Asia, such as Sri Lanka. Over the past few years, Sri Lanka has seen a rise in the use of small arms and light weapons, which is a concern for the security and safety of civilians, further development from the stage of less economically developed country (LEDC) and is an impediment for a brighter and safer
Revolvers – these can be described as pistols with revolving chamber which enables you to fire several shots without reloading. Revolvers were popular in the end of XIX - beginning of XX century because they are quite easy to use, reliable, and cheap, but were soon replaced by pistols because of their limited capacity and mobility. However, revolvers are still used by the policemen -- large-caliber bullets they use (“Magnum” 45 or 36 millimeter) can knock out an outlaw at first shot, even if fired in foot. Revolvers usually hold 5, 6, or 7 bullets. There are 2 major types of revolvers: with single and simultaneous extraction of fired shells. In the first case, after you’re done shooting, you have to take out every single shell using some sharp object to push on it from the front holes of the chamber. In the second case, the revolver usually opens up, “breaking into two pieces” and you pull out every single shell, or the chamber is shifted left and emptied by pushing on the special rod in the front (i.e. “Colt” or “Smith-Wesson”). Revolvers are also divided into manual and automatic ones. In the manual revolver you have to draw back the firing lever each time to make a shot, in automatic it moves back itself, each time you pull on the trigger.