Fact File: Who invented the Gun? Invention: Guns *** Date of Invention: c. 1250 A.D. *** Name of Inventor: Unknown *** Historical Period: Medieval Era *** Category: Weapons *** Country of Origin: Ancient China *** Fact 1: Who invented the Gun? The name of the inventor of the Gun is unknown but it is believed to have been invented in China c. 1250 A.D. during the Medieval Era era of inventions.
Fact 2: Who invented the Gun? Prior to the invention of guns c. 1250 A.D. stone weapons had given way to a variety of weapons with metal tips.
Fact 3: Who invented the Gun? A terrifying fiery substance known as 'Greek Fire' was invented in the 7th century and the famous black powder, which would become known as gunpowder was invented by the Chinese c. 1044 AD.
Fact 4: Who invented the Gun? The formula for gunpowder, of charcoal (carbon), sulfur and saltpetre (potassium nitrate), was kept a closely guarded secret and led to the invention of the gun about two hundred years later in 1250 A.D. Fact 5: Who invented the Gun? The 'pinyin' or fire lance was a gunpowder weapon that was invented in 10th century China during the Song Dynasty. The 'pinyin' or fire lance is considered to be a proto-gun, the predecessor of the hand cannon, and the ancestor of all firearms. A pellet wad that was stuffed in fire lance tube was used as a fire lance projectile, making it the first recorded bullet in history. Fact 6: Who invented the Gun? Gunpowder was first used in ancient hand guns in which a burning wick was held to a "touch hole" to ignite the gunpowder that had been loaded into the barrel of the weapon. By 1380 during the Ming Dynasty 10% of Chinese soldiers were gunners and totalled about 180,000 - there were more gun specialists in China than the number of English and French knights, soldiers and pages added together. Fact 7: Who invented the Gun? By the late 1200's gunpowder and guns had been introduced to Europe. The word 'gun' is believed to have been derived from the Old Norse word 'gunnr' meaning "battle." Fact 8: Who invented the Gun? Matcklock guns were developed by the Portuguese in 1400 to improve the dangerous, manual method of firing a gun. The Matcklock was the first mechanism, or "lock," invented to facilitate the firing of a hand-held firearm. Fact 9: Who invented the Gun? The Matcklock was ignited with a "slow match" consisting of a slender length of cord that had been chemically treated so that its end could be lit and would continue to burn or smoulder. Fact 10: Who invented the Gun? Early firearms had smooth barrels that fired projectiles without significant spin. Rifling was invented in the late 1400's in which twisting grooves down the interior length of the barrel, called 'rifling', imparting a spin to the bullet as it left the muzzle. Fact 11: Who invented the Gun? Wheel Lock guns were invented in 1509. Unlike the Matchlock guns that required a wick to ignite the gun, the Wheel Lock had a steel wheel that created a spark that ignited the weapon Fact 12: Who invented the Gun? Flintlock guns were invented in 1630. Flintlocks had a gunlock that had flint embedded in the hammer. The flint made a spark that ignited the charge. Fact 13: Who invented the Gun? Muskets emerged in the 16th century in Spain. Muskets were muzzle-loading shoulder gun with a long barrel that were originally fired by means of a match, or matchlock, then by flint as in the flintlock. Fact 14: Who invented the Gun? A Blunderbuss was a short musket of wide bore with a flared muzzle, more like a shotgun than a "longgun" musket Fact 15: Who invented the Gun? Percussion-cap muskets or Caplocks were invented by Reverend John Forsyth in 1825 in which an explosive percussion cap was struck by the hammer to set off the main charge. Fact 16:Who invented the Gun? The Colt revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1835 that enabled people to fire multiple shots without reloading
Fact 17: Who invented the Gun? The Percussion-cap guns superseded by various types of rifles, such as the Springfield Rifles (1840) and the Winchester Repeater Rifles (1866). The Carbine rifle was short enough to be loaded and fired from horseback. The Spencer Repeating Rifle was made in 1860 by the American inventor Christopher Miner Spencer. Fact 18: Who invented the Gun? The Minie Ball, a highly destructive bullet fired from a rifle, was invented in 1855 by the French inventor Claude Etienne Minie. Fact 19: Who invented the Gun? The Gatling Gun was invented in 1861 by the American inventor Dr. Richard J. Gatling. The Gatlings were six-barreled guns that were capable of firing up to 350 rounds per minute.
Fact 20: Who invented the Gun? Hiram Maxim was the inventor of the first portable, fully automatic machine guns called the Maxim Gun in 1862 and went on to invent the first commercially successful 'silencer' in 1909. In 1892 Automatic handguns were invented by Joseph Laumann Fact 21: Who invented the Gun? The Thompson Submachine Guns, the "Tommy Gun", the first handheld machine gun was invented by General John T. Thompson in 1918. At this point we come to the end of the history of the gun as modern technology advanced through the 20th and 21st centuries. Fast Info and Fact File: Who invented the Gun? Country of Origin: Ancient China *** Name of Inventor: Unknown *** Nationality of Inventor: Chinese *** Date of Invention: c. 1250 A.D. *** Invention: Gun *** Invention Era: Medieval Era *** Invention category: Weapons *** | 
