![]() gun makers got their start then, including Eliphalet Remington, who began producing flintlock rifles in 1816. government and some states began hiring smaller gun-making outfits to produce guns or gun parts, based on the weapons being produced at the U.S. Remington ArmsĪround the same time, the U.S. ![]() At first the armory stored ammunition and gun carriages, but by the 1790s the armory began to manufacture muskets and eventually other guns.įollowing the Revolutionary War, Congress also established Harpers Ferry Armory in West Virginia in 1798 to boost weapon and ammunition production. In order to boost the fledgling nation’s home-grown arsenal, General George Washington ordered the establishment of the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1776. A well-trained soldier could generally fire and reload a flintlock weapon three times a minute, whereas the American long rifle required a more tightly loaded bullet and generally took a minute to load and fire a single shot. The spark used to ignite gun powder in early American-made smoothbore weapons was usually generated by a piece of flint striking a metal plate or “pan” coated in gun powder. As demand increased to arm the American Revolution, local gunsmiths began to manufacture their own versions of the European-made muskets. These smoothbore weapons offered less precision in aim, but were faster to reload. Revolutionary War Firearmsĭuring the Revolutionary War, some American militia fighters engaged in guerilla-style tactics using their hunting rifles to take out British soldiers from distant cover.īut most militia and continental soldiers used a combination of British Brown Bess and French Charleville muskets. Improved aim was especially critical for early settlers when hunting game for a meal. These grooves guided a lead ball or other projectile to spin as it exited the barrel, ensuring a straighter line shot and better aim for the gunner. These rifles were sometimes elaborately carved and decorated with finely etched brass or silver plates.īut the rifle’s most critical quality was its extended barrel that featured twisting grooves along the interior bore. These skilled metalsmiths developed the American long rifle, which also became known as the Kentucky, Ohio or Pennsylvania rifle. American Gunsmithsįor early settlers pioneering the wilderness of North America, gunsmiths became vital members of small settlements. Thanks in part to the Silk Road and adventurous traders like Marco Polo, by the 13th century ancestors of the modern firearm had spread from Asia to Europe, where they were further developed as weapons in the form of matchlock, wheel lock and flintlock firearms.īy the time early colonists arrived in America in the 15th century, firearm design had advanced significantly and the weapons were routinely included in journeys to the New World.Īmong the firearms commonly associated with the early colonists was the German-made blunderbuss, an early version of the shotgun that featured a flared muzzle and a broad opening at the top, which made for faster and easier loading.Ĭolonists also carried matchlock muskets, which used a match-in the form of a small piece of burning rope-to ignite gunpowder through a small hole in the gun’s loaded barrel. ![]() ![]() The devices had limited range and were likely used only in hand-to-hand combat. 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. Initially black powder, as it was known, was used for fireworks, but the substance soon found its way into weaponry. 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.Ī 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.” The origin of firearms began with gunpowder and its invention, mostly likely in China, more than 1,000 years ago. culture, but the invention of firearms started long before colonists ever settled on North American soil. The American Revolution was fought-and won-with guns, and the weapons have become ingrained in U.S.
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