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Guns are a relatively recent invention when compared to early mans first use of weaponry, which ranged from rocks to sticks and then later moved on to swords and spears. The Chinese invented gunpowder, but chose to use it to create pretty fireworks for festivals. It was only when European man discovered this explosive black powder that he thought up a more diabolical use for it.

Fast forward to the sixteenth century and the invention of the matchlock gun. A burning fuse was lit to ignite the gunpowder poured into the flash pan of a gun. This resulted in the ignition of the powder in the gun barrel, which forced the lead shot down the barrel and towards its potential target.

There were inherent dangers in open flames and gunpowder and so the design was modified and evolved into the wheel lock pistol. A spring loaded, serrated wheel, when released, hit against a pyrite block, creating enough sparks to ignite the gunpowder in the barrel.

The next step in the evolution of the gun was the flintlock. The name originated from the lock that was placed over the powder to prevent accidental ignition. A hammer designed for operation with the thumb was drawn back and released to hit the flint against the block. A single shot was released by this action and over time, for expediency, a double barrel version came into being.

The revolver solved the problem of multiple barrels, by replacing it with a spinning cylinder able to accommodate up to six bullets at one time. This design found its way to the patent office in 1854, the brainchild of Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson. The lever action pistol was the weapon of choice for officers of the law and outlaws alike.

The semi-automatic handgun is a natural evolution of the handgun, where one shot provides the energy to load the chamber for the next shot. The recoil energy is used for this, but models have been designed to be gas powered, like the Desert Eagle handgun.

Moving on from there, some guns are now fully automatic and include models like the Mauser C96 and the Glock 18, amongst others. These can be used either as traditional single shot weapons or can be set for the rapid fire of full automatic mode. These are lightweight, small weapons that are easy to carry and have become the preferred choice of civilians and soldiers the world over.

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