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1521
Muskets
A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in Europe. It was invented in the early 1500's. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musket#:~:text=A%20musket%20is%20a%20muzzle,capable%20of%20penetrating%20plate%20armour. -
The first true flintlock.
The flintlock solved a longstanding problem. Some time in the late 1500s, a lid was added to the flash pan design. To expose or protect the powder, the lid had to be moved manually. The flintlock mechanism was designed to push back the lid and spark a flint at the same time. https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/gun-timeline/ -
Duelling Pistols
A duelling pistol is a type of pistol that was manufactured in matching pairs to be used in a duel. The first recorded pistol duel was in 1711. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duelling_pistol https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/gun-timeline/ -
The first Colt revolver.
Samuel Colt developed the first mass-produced, multi-shot, revolving firearms. Colt was the first to apply Industrial Age machining tools to the idea. The first Colt revolver was invented in 1835. https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/gun-timeline/ -
True shotguns in common use.
The early shotgun compared to modern shotguns was the fowling piece, developed specifically for hunting birds. Among the upper classes, fowling was a leisure sport. It was invented in 1850 https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/gun-timeline/ -
Breech loaded guns in common use.
A breechloader is a firearm in which the user loads the ammunition from the breech end of the barrel. This made it easier to reload ammo. It was invented in 1856. https://www.britannica.com/technology/artillery/Breech-loading -
The Machine Gun is invented.
Most modern machine guns are of the locking type, and of these, most utilize the principle of gas-operated reloading, which taps off some of the propellant gas from the fired cartridge, using its mechanical pressure to unlock the bolt and cycle the action. The first of these was invented by the French brothers Claire, who patented a gas operated rifle, which included a gas cylinder, in 1892. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_gun