history of firearms
DESCRIPTION
History of Firearms. Forensics. The Oldest Gun. Found in the ruins of the Castle of Monte Varino (Italy), which was destroyed in 1341. Simple design… Tube shape, open on one end to allow ball and powder to be packed. Slit cut into the back to allow a hot wire to fit inside. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
History of Firearms
Forensics
Found in the ruins of the Castle of Monte
Varino (Italy), which was destroyed in 1341. Simple design… Tube shape, open on one end to allow ball and
powder to be packed. Slit cut into the back to allow a hot wire to fit
inside. Most likely took two men to operate.
The Oldest Gun
Matchlocks
Major improvement over the simple “powder
and ball” design. Addition of a Serpentine, which held a length
of string treated with saltpeter. Serpentine would be cocked, string lit, and
trigger pulled. Can be operated by one man.
Matchlocks
Flintlocks
Simpler way to create a spark. Attach flint to the serpentine. Have it strike a piece of steel when trigger
pulled. Very popular… found in all shapes and sizes. Used during both the Revolutionary and Civil
Wars
Flintlocks
The modern-day bullet was invented by Daniel
Wesson around 1851. First time the gun powder and projectile could
be packaged as one. By 1866, most everyone had switched from
flintlocks to modern guns.
The first bullet
Daniel Wesson & Samuel Colt
Smith and Wesson paid Samuel Colt a royalty
of 15 cents per gun to produced guns that fired their bullets.
Colt exploited the technology even further, created the first revolver.
His revolver, called the Peacemaker, could fire 6 shots in just a few seconds.
Modern Guns
Colt Peacemaker
Colt provided the US military with guns The Mauser brothers created military guns for
most of Europe at the end of the 19th century. Machine guns were invented in 1883 by
American, Hiram Stevens Maxim. The weapon of choice today is the assault
rifle.
Military Guns
AR-15
AR-15