Research on Guns

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

Group 6 | Mrs. Sybil Roldan | January 29, 2019

Brief History of Guns:
The American Revolution was fought—and won—with guns, and the
weapons have become ingrained in U.S. culture, but the invention of firearms
started long before colonists ever settled on North American soil. The origin of
firearms began with gunpowder and its invention, mostly likely in China, more than
1,000 years ago.

Gunpowder Invented

Historians estimate that as early as 850 A.D., alchemists in China stumbled

upon the explosive properties of gunpowder (a combination of potassium nitrate,
sulfur and charcoal) while seeking an elixir of life. A Chinese Buddhist alchemist
wrote the earliest known account of the substance, saying, “Some have heated
together the saltpeter, sulfur, and carbon of charcoal with honey; smoke and flames
result, so that their hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house
burnt down.” Initially black powder, as it was known, was used for fireworks, but
the substance soon found its way into weaponry. Cannons and grenades were among
the earliest weapons to incorporate gunpowder, followed by primitive handheld
firearms, which consisted of a hollow bamboo tubes, packed with gunpowder and
small projectiles. The devices had limited range and were likely used only in hand-
to-hand combat.

•Hand Cannons

Gunpowder weapons were invented by

the Chinese way back in the 10th century!
Firearms, devices that used gunpowder
to launch a projectile, first appeared in
the Yuan Dynasty during the 1200s. The
most famous of these early firearms is the
“hand cannon”, a primitive gun that required two men to fire. If you visit the
National Firearms Museum in Virginia, you can see a European hand cannon that
was found in the ruins of a castle that fell around 1350.

•Matchlocks

Early guns in the 1300s were awkwardly

ignited using a fuse reminiscent of July 4th
fireworks. This all changed with the invention
of the matchlock in the 1400s. These new

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firearms stored gunpowder in a “flash pan” that was ignited with a “match” (a wick)
that was located in a movable clamp. Matchlock technology greatly improved aim
because shooters could keep both hands on the gun.

•Rifles

The next major advance in accuracy

came with the 1498 discovery of
“rifling”: putting grooves in the
barrel of a gun. Rifled muskets, also
known as “rifles”, were better at
hitting their targets because the
grooves caused bullets to spin when they left the muzzle.

•Flintlock

Another hugely significant moment in the history

of guns came in 1640 with the invention of the
flintlock. Prior to the flintlock, guns featured a
manual lid that shooters had to open to expose
powder. The flintlock solved this problem by
pushing back the lid and sparking a flint at the
same time. This ignition system was used for the next two hundred years with
almost no changes.

•Colt Revolver

In 1835, the famous Colt revolver rocked the gun

world. This pistol was the first gun that could fire
multiple shots without reloading. Samuel Colt
mass produced his revolvers, which drove costs
down for consumers. Noted for their reliability
and accuracy, Colt revolvers were popular with both servicemen and hunters.

•Gatling Gun and the Maxim Gun

Invented by Dr. Richard Gatling in 1861, the

Gatling Gun was the world’s first real machine
gun. Driven by a hand crank, the Gatling Gun
could fire 200 rounds per minute. Dr. Gatling
erroneously believed that his invention would
put an end to the American Civil War by creating

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a “mutually assured destruction” scenario. A soldier aiming a Maxim gun in WWI.
Machine gun technology vastly improved with the introduction of the Maxim Gun
in 1883. Unlike the Gatling Gun, the Maxim gun didn’t require any hand cranking to
load new cartridges, as it was recoil-operated. The Maxim gun was used by both the
Entente Powers and the Central Powers in WWI, and versions of the firearm
remained in use into the 1960s.

•Uzi and AK-47

Two of the world’s most famous

guns debuted in the years
following WWII. The Uzi
submachine gun was invented by
Uziel Gal for the Israeli Army in
1948. This 9-mm weapon was one
of the first guns to use a
telescoping bolt, which allows for a
shorter, more compact firearm. Over 10 million Uzis have been made. In 1949,
Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47 for the Soviet Army. The Kalashnikov
assault rifle has been the weapon of choice for combatants around the globe because
it is relatively cheap, resistant to natural elements, and easy to maintain. With over
75 million AK-47s in circulation, the Kalashnikov is the world’s most popular gun.

•Glock 17

Created in 1982 by an Austrian curtain-rod

manufacturer, the Glock found enormous
success in America, where it is used by two-
thirds of all U.S. police departments. This
sleek 9-mm handgun is lightweight and has
a steady trigger pull. Made mostly from
plastic, the original Glock 17 contains only 36
parts and can hold 17 bullets in its magazine.

Guns have been in existence for more than a thousand years and have
affected warfare and society in general, in ways almost no other weapon can match.
Guns nearly made technical expertise an afterthought on the battlefield, changed
the faces of armies and prompted an era of combat at reduced cost.

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Philosophers/Inventors of Guns:
1. The first device identified as a gun, a bamboo tube that used gunpowder to
fire a spear, appeared in China around AD 1000. The Chinese had previously
invented gunpowder in the 9th century
2. The first successful rapid-fire firearm is the Gatling Gun, invented by
Richard Gatling and fielded by the Union forces during the American Civil
War in the 1860s.
3. The world's first sub-machine gun (a fully automatic firearm which fires
pistol cartridges) able to be maneuvered by a single soldier is the MP18.1,
invented by Theodor Bergmann. It was introduced into service in 1918 by
the German Army during World War I as the primary weapon of the
Stosstruppen (assault groups specialized in trench combat).
4. The first assault rifle was introduced during World War II by the Germans,
known as the StG44. It was the first firearm which bridges the gap between
long range rifles, machine guns, and short-range sub-machine guns. Since
the mid-20th century guns that fire beams of energy rather than solid
projectiles have been developed, and also guns that can be fired by means
other than the use of gunpowder.

Usage of Guns:
What is the Purpose of a Gun?
WRITTEN BY: KEN HONEYWELL | July 17, 2014
FEATURES, INDIANAPOLIS Automatic_Pistol_Ad_COD_1922
In Indianapolis, we have a growing problem with murder and gun violence.
Everybody’s talking about it. And talking. And talking. And talking. Everybody’s
talking about what we need to do. That’s good. We need to talk, and there are no
easy answers. The answers may be as much about education and income stability as
anything. Still: It’s just too damned easy to get and carry a gun. Too. Damned. Easy.

What, after all, is the purpose of a gun? The purpose of a gun–if we’re being
honest–is to kill something. It’s a tool that has enough power, when used properly
(and very often improperly) to kill. Hunting rifles and shotguns are for killing
animals. Handguns–if we’re being honest–are for killing people. That’s the purpose
behind their design–they are portable, concealable, easy-to-use tools for killing a
person. You may feel protected when you carry a gun, but guns are not for
protection: They are for killing. Were I a paranoid person or on some sort of

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mystery-solving adventure, I might also feel safer if I carried my eight-inch chef’s
knife that is for chopping vegetables. I might feel safer carrying a baseball bat or
accompanied by a dog. (P.S.: The purpose of a dog is not to protect you. As far as I
can tell, the purpose of a dog is to be a dog.) But guns are only for killing. So, we
have laws that make it easy for you and me and just about anybody to go to the gun
store and buy a gun, and carry it damn near anywhere we please in Indiana,
including our state parks. It only stands to reason that when lots of people are
walking around the streets with tools that are made to kill people, people are going
to die.

I’m sure that if people were walking around with butcher knives, more people
would get stuck. I’m also pretty sure that if more people were walking around with
shovels, more people would get whacked in the melon with shovels. But I’ll bet more
holes would get dug, too. And a gun is not for anything else. Except killing. Yes,
target practice. But there’s a reason those targets are shaped like humans. Most of
the rest of the civilized world does not permit its citizens to walk around with guns.
But we have so many guns that you don’t even have to buy them to load up on them.
Apparently, lots of the guns used in crimes have been stolen. Apparently, you can
ram your car into the side of a pawn shop and steal a bunch of guns. We have
stockrooms full of guns just waiting for buyers (and thieves). So: Yes to more police.
Yes to a more alert citizenry. Yes to more lights and more better control in areas
where drunken idiots congregate. Yes–a million times yes–to programs that are
trying to educate our kids and achieve some modicum of income equality in this
very unequal nation. But no to guns, too. And if we’re going to make guns easy to
have, let’s not be so outraged when people use them for their intended purpose. And
let’s admit that it’s more important to us to cowboy up than to keep our streets safer
from gun violence. We are in no way a safe society if we all carry guns. It was called
“the Wild West” for a reason.

On the other hand:

Guns are not only for killing people

WRITTEN BY: eddallen1958
There are too many people out there that think guns are just for killing
people. That is not the case. Guns are good when in the right hands and used by
the right people. There are many uses for guns and shooting at people is not
they're only purpose. The people should think about this. Here is just a small list of

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the things they are useful for.

 Collecting: There are many gun collectors out there. Some that have no
other reason for owning a gun other than collecting and others like
collecting and shooting. Rare guns can be worth thousands of dollars.

 Conversation: Some people just like to sit around and BS about their guns.
When someone gets a new gun they usually like to show it off to some of
their friends. So, what's wrong with that.

 Sporting: Target shooting is a great sport and done every day by thousands
of people. There is also combat shooting which a lot of people enjoy.

 Hunting: Meat is a food source; We all have to eat. Some people like to
hunt their own meat. Meat packers shoot those cows and pigs too. Does
anyone put down a gun for that?

 Self Defense: One never know when or where he/she is going to be in a

situation where they will need to defend themselves from a fatal attack.
This could be on the street on even in your own home. Face it, we need to
be able to protect ourselves and we have that right to do that.

 Defense for Others: Here's a scenario. Suppose you're walking past a dark
alley and notice some guy holding this a knife at some ladies’ throat. He is
trying to remove her clothing and she is terrified. Being the good citizen
that you are and carrying your gun, you decide you're not going to allow
this to happen. It turns out that you just had to shoot this guy because he
tried to stab you. You just stopped a rape and/or a murder. The lady clings
onto you as you wait for the police to arrive.

 Just Plain Having Fun: How many gun owners like to just go out and
shoot them up. Go out to the desert or wherever and shoot at cans or
anything they see (of course being lawful about it). Plinking is fun and lots
of people do it. I have even known some people to pick up some of the trash
they shot at left by others. So, tell me how that is bad.

Carry Your Gun - Exercise Your Rights

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Sources:

http://www.punchnels.com/2014/07/17/what-is-the-purpose-of-a-gun/

https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/firearms

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/this-is-what-gun-ownership-looks-like-
around-the-world/

https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/inventions/who-invented-the-first-
gun.htm

http://www.leadthecompetition.in/GK/inventors-of-weapons.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun

https://forum.opencarry.org/index.php?threads/guns-are-not-only-for-killing-
people.89148/

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