Acts 1
Acts 1
Acts 1
Procedure: Trace the timeline indicating the beginning and development of fire arm
identification.
1232 - The Chinese who invented gunpowder (black powder) first used it in a weapon -
gunpowder-filled tubes aka rockets.
1364 - First recorded use of a firearm - shooter lit wicks by hand that ignited gunpowder
that was loaded into the gun barrel.
1509 - Wheel lock guns - wicks were replaced by the wheel lock that generated a spark
for igniting the gunpowder.
The next major advance, the wheel lock, generates a spark mechanically. With no wick
to keep lit, the wheel lock is easier to use, and more reliable than the matchlock.
However, wheel locks are expensive to produce. Matchlocks, at half the cost, remain in
common use. This is an early (ca. 1540) multi-shot, wheel-lock pistol, made for Emperor
Charles V. In this weapon, two locks are combined in one mechanism, to give each
barrel separate ignition.