Firearm History PDF

Appendix 1 Important dates in the History of Firearms from 1247 Event Date The first record of the actual use of gunpowder in Europe is 1247 a state...

Appendix 1 Important dates in the History of Firearms from 1247 Event Date The first record of the actual use of gunpowder in Europe is 1247 a statement by Bishop Albertus Magnus in 1280 that it was used at the Siege of Seville in 1247. Roger Bacon gives an account of gunpowder in his Opus 1267 Majus (Actually, his account was written in cryptic form. See T. Explosives (Pelican Books, 1942)). Hand cannon had appeared in the field of battle during the 1364 reign of Edward III. Handguns were known in Italy in 1397, and in England they 1375 appear to have been used as early as 1375. The first mechanical device for firing the handgun made its 1424 appearance. We hear of armour being penetrated by bullets and the 1425 handgun showing signs of becoming a weapon capable of rudimentary precision. Henry VII organized the corps of Yeomen of the Guard, half 1485 of whom were to carry bows and arrows while the other half were equipped with harquebuses. This represents the first introduction of firearms as an official weapon of the Royal Guard. Rifling was invented. 1498 The first wheel lock or ‘rose lock’ was invented somewhere 1509 about this date. Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics: Examining and Interpreting Forensic Evidence Second Edition Brian J. Heard © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-69460-2 334 APPENDIX 1 IMPORTANT DATES Event Date Firearms were recognized as hunting arms as early as 1515, 1535 and a book (Balleates Mosetuetas y Areabuces Pablo del Fucar, Naples, 1535) on sporting firearms appeared in 1535. Rifled arms have been made since 1540. 1540 The hair trigger was a German invention of about 1540. 1540 The invention of the typical Spanish lock is attributed by 1560 some writers to Simon Macuarte the Second, about 1560. The snaphaunce lock, the forerunner of the true flintlock, 1580 was invented about, or considerably earlier than 1580. The standard flintlock gun came in. 1630 The London Gunmakers’ Company initiated proofs when it 1637 was first incorporated, but it is not clear whether private proofs or a trade proof house common to the Company was used (a crowned A was given as the mark). The screw or cannon barrel pistol came in probably prior to 1640 1640. The bayonet was introduced by the French; it was a long 1640 narrow blade with a wooden plug handle and was simply dropped into the muzzle of the musket. The London Gunmakers’ Company enjoyed powers which 1672 enabled them to enforce proof when the second charter was granted in 1672. A ring attachment was added to the bayonet so that it no 1680 longer served as a muzzle plug. The earliest known English breech-loading rifle was made by 1689 Willmore, who was apprenticed to Foad in 1689. The ‘Brown Bess’ was known in Ireland as a ‘King’s Arm’ 1690 from its use by William at the Battle of the Boyne. The whole English army was equipped with flintlocks. 1690 Snaphaunces continued to be made on the Continent until 1700 about 1700. In the reign of Queen Anne, the ‘Brown Bess’ was known as 1702–1714 the ‘Queen’s Arm’ in Ireland. The socket bayonet had appeared and was adopted in the 1710 British service. The letters G.R. were adopted as a mark in the reign of 1714–1830 George I (1714–1727), but successive Georges did not add any variant.  APPENDIX 1 IMPORTANT DATES 335 Event Date The broad arrow as a sign of government property was 1714–1727 adopted during the reign of George I, and the word TOWER was marked on the lock plate of many of these arms. The French established their ‘Manufacturers Royales’ at 1718 Charleville, St. Etienne and Maubeuge. The large box lock type of pistol made its appearance. 1730 A few hammerless flintlock sporting guns were made by 1730 Stanislaus Paczelt, of Prague in Bohemia. The use of pistols for duelling purposes became general as 1750–1765 the practice of carrying the rapier or small sword died out between 1750 and 1765. The duelling pistol was entirely unknown until about 1760. 1760 Note: Meetings were fought with horse pistols prior to this 1760–1775 date. The horse pistol showed a marked development into the true duelling pistol from 1760 to 1775. Double shotguns were rather peculiar arms, usually of the 1760 under- and over-revolving barrel type until about 1760. Duelling pistols became officially standardized weapons, then 1777 it was laid down that they should be 9 or 10 in. barrelled, smooth bore flintlocks of 1 in. bore, carrying a ball of 48 to the pound. The top rib in double-barrelled guns appeared. 1780 Spring bayonets are common on blunderbusses and pistols of 1781 the period subsequent to the date of the patent (John Waters, Pat. No. 1284). The first patent for single trigger locks for double arms 1789 (James Templeman, Pat. No. 1707) was in 1789. Single trigger pistols, with side-by-side, and also under- and 1789 over-barrels, were made by Egg. The acorn pattern trigger guard extension toward the barrel 1790 used up to about 1790. Joseph Manton’s first patent (no. 1865) introduces the 1792 ‘break-off’ breech, into which the barrel fits with a lump instead of being secured by a tang and screw as previously used. The swivel ramrod attached to the piece by a stirrup 1800 appeared. The ‘First Baker Rifle’ was issued. 1800 The half-stocked pistol with the lower rib beneath the barrel 1800 fitted to carry the ramrod came in. 336 APPENDIX 1 IMPORTANT DATES Event Date The ‘Second Baker Rifle’ was introduced. 1807 Alexander Forsyth patented the detonating or percussion 1807 principle. The first serious military breech loader was an American 1811 invention, Colonel John H. Hall’s patent. This was made first as a flintlock, then as percussion, and is the first breech loader officially adopted by any army. The flintlocks were made until 1832, the percussion model from 1831. The copper percussion cap is not definitely alluded to in the 1814–1816 patent records until 1823, but appears to have been invented about 1814–1816. The saw handle was very popular, both in flint and 1815–1825 percussion pistols. The true flintlock revolver is the very rare weapon made by 1820 Collier. Flints were converted to percussion cap, and the flint 1820 principle lost favour. The percussion cap came into general use on private arms. 1826 The Delvigne (French) service rifle was invented. 1826 The ‘Third Baker Rifle’ was issued. 1830 The back action lock made its appearance. 1830 The Robert rifle was invented by Robert, a gunsmith of 1831 Paris. The percussion cap system of ignition was in common use 1843 before it was adopted for the service weapon. It was tested at Woolwich in 1843. Coach pistols supplied to the guard of public stage coaches 1835 are extremely rare, but were made with flintlocks and brass lock plates until 1835. Percussion cap locks fitted with a pierced platinum disc 1835 below the nipple gradually fell into disuse and are seldom found in arms subsequent to 1835. Colt claims the ratchet motion, locking the cylinder and 1835 centre fire position of the nipples as particular points of his specification. Colt did not know that the revolving principle was an old 1835 European idea until he visited England in 1835. The Enfield percussion carbine – 0.65 in. calibre with hinged 1835 spring triangular bayonet folding below the barrel was made for Constabulary service. Dreys released the first needle fire rifle. 1836  APPENDIX 1 IMPORTANT DATES 337 Event Date The true pinfire cartridge emerged. 1840 It was not until 1840 that we definitely found a breech- 1840 loading needle gun cartridge patented (Wm. Bush, Pat. No. 8513). The Brunswick rifle superseded the Baker model. 1840 Duelling declined in England after 1840. 1840 The period of decadence of duelling was noticeable for the 1840–1850 production of rather short-barrelled pistols. A few service arms were converted to the percussion cap 1842 system in 1839, and it was officially adopted in 1842. The service percussion musket was mainly experimental until 1844 1844. A double-barrelled 26 in. barrel, 0.67 in. calibre arm was 1845 issued for constabulary use. The Prussians concentrated on experiments with the needle 1848 gun in 1844, and it was used in the war of 1848. The shotgun or fowling piece began its separation from the 1850 musket in the latter half of the 18th century and divorce was completed by 1850. The Minie (English) service rifle was introduced. 1850 Minie’s patent for the self-expanding bullet was purchased 1851 and adopted by the British Government for the Enfield rifle. Muzzle loading was so unassailably established we do not 1851 find a single breech-loading cartridge weapon shown by a British firm at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Colt delivered a lecture on Colt revolvers before the Institute 1851 of Civil Engineers during his visit to London in 1851. Charles Lancaster brought out his central fire under lever 1852 gun with extractor and the first true centre fire cartridge. Colt procured a factory at Thames, Bank, Pimlico, London, 1853–1857 and produced replicas of his standard pistols marked on the barrel ‘Address Col. Colt, London’. The Pritchett bullet, a plain lead cylindroconoidal plug with 1853 a shallow base depression, was selected as the best type of bullet for the new Enfield rifle. Note: Later, this was superseded by the Enfield bullet. During the Crimean War, 25 000 Enfield rifles were made in 1854–1856 America. This war was the last war in which all combatants used muzzle loaders. 338 APPENDIX 1 IMPORTANT DATES Event Date There never was an official British State-maintained arms 1855 factory until the government established Enfield as a government factory when the Birmingham gunmakers struck for higher wages in the middle of the Crimean War. Whitworth rifles were produced. 1857 Duelling continued in India to the date of the Mutiny. 1857–1858 The first recorded European revolver for central fire 1859 cartridges appears to be that patented by Perrin and Delmas in 1859. The first effective and widely used magazine repeater was 1860 undoubtedly the Spencer carbine, patented in the United States in 1860. Tyler F. Henry brought out the Henry rifle. 1860 In the American Civil War, both breech and muzzle loader 1860–1865 were used. Breech loaders were coming into general use by 1861. 1861 The first central fire repeater appears to have been Ball’s 1863 carbine made by the Lamson Arms Co., Windsor, Vermont, USA in 1863. For all practical purposes, metallic cartridges were not 1863–1864 widely introduced until 1863–1864. The first cartridge repeater shotgun appears to have been the 1866 Roper of 1866. The Snider service rifle was issued. 1866 The Henry was merged into the Winchester. 1866 Claims have been made for an American origin for choke 1866 boring, but these have never been proved, and there is no doubt that it was the invention of Pape of Newcastle in 1866. Duels were fought in Ireland until as late as 1868. 1868 The Martini–Henry rifle was issued. 1869 The first European magazine military arm was the Swiss 1869–1871 Vetterli rifle of 1869–1871. In 1866, the Chassepot was authorized and all branches of 1870 the French army were equipped with the weapon by 1870. The Franco-German War was almost entirely a breech- 1870–1871 loading affair. The first true hammerless gun appears to have been that of 1871–1871 Murcott in 1871–1871. The first bolt action military repeater seems to be the Edge 1874–1875 rifle (Pat. No. 3643) of 1874–1875.  APPENDIX 1 IMPORTANT DATES 339 Event Date First double action revolver. 1877 Lee patented his box magazine. 1879 The French adopted the Lebel rifle. 1886 The Gras–Kropatschek rifle was issued for the French 1886–1887 Marine. Winchester repeating shotguns were first introduced. 1887 The Maxim was officially adopted in the army as a machine 1887 gun. The Lee–Metford rifle was adopted by Great Britain. 1888 The first self-loading weapon to appear on the market was 1893 the Borchardt pistol in 1893. The Bergmann pistol appeared. 1894 The first Mannlicher self-loading pistol was introduced. 1894 The Mauser combination self-loading pistol or carbine, the 1898 wooden holster serving as a stock attachment was introduced. The Browning self-loading pistol of 0.32 in. calibre, made its 1898 appearance. The Webley Fosberry 0.455 self-loading revolver was 1901 introduced. All self-loading pistols were of small bore until 1903. 1903 The Winchester Firearms Company brought out the first 1903 widely sold self-loading rifle. The Webley self-loading 0.455 in. pistol was adopted for the 1905 British Navy. German 9 mm PB Luger introduced. 1908 Broom-handled 7.63 mm Military Mauser introduced. 1912 Browning 9 mm PB HP introduced. 1935 British 0.303 Bren MG. 1936 German MG42 7.92 × 57 mm introduced. 1938 British Lanchester 9 mm PB sub-machine gun introduced. 1940 British Sten Mk I 9 mm PB smg introduced. 1941 Thompson M1 0.45ACP smg introduced. 1942 Kalashnikov AK47 7.62 × 39 mm assault rifle. 1947 Israeli 9 mm PB Uzi smg introduced. 1953 British Sterling 9 mm PB smg introduced. 1953 Chinese 7.62 × 25 mm Type 54 introduced. This is a direct 1954 copy of the Russian TT. 0.44 Remington Magnum introduced. 1955 Chinese Type 58 7.62 × 39 mm assault rifle introduced. This 1956 is an exact copy of the Russian AK47. 340 APPENDIX 1 IMPORTANT DATES Event Date 0.454 Casull Cartridge introduced. 1959 Czechoslovakian 7.65 mm ACP Skorpion introduced. 1960 H&K MP5 9 mm PB introduced. 1965 Beretta 92 introduced. 1976 Steyr–Manlicher AUG 5.56 × 45 or 7.62 × 51 mm NATO. 1978 Israeli 0.257 Magnum Desert Eagle introduced. 1982 Glock 17 9 mm PB introduced. 1983 Barrett M82A1 0.50 Browning long range sniping rifle 1983 introduced. Enfield L85A1 5.56 × 45 mm NATO introduced. 1985 Israeli 0.50 Action Express Desert Eagle introduced. 1991