9 Oldest Guns in the World
After the invention of black powder in the 9th century, the Chinese developed the first firearms. The first depiction of a gun dates from the 12th century, and the oldest known weapon dates from 1288. Early guns had to be manually fired by sticking a burning wick to a touch hole before firing mechanisms were invented. As numerous empires waged war, gun technology progressed quickly after the first weapons were introduced. Since guns are so common, their history and early examples are well known. This is a list of some of the earliest and best examples of various early firearms.
9. Gatling Gun
Year Created: 1862
Country of Origin: United States of America
Gunsmith: Dr. Richard J. Gatling
The Gatling gun, which was the forerunner to the modern machine gun, is considered the best example of early rapid fire guns. Richard Gatling invented the pistol in 1861, and it was patented the following year. During the American Civil War, the Gatling gun was first used in combat. Union commanders bought twelve guns and used them during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia.
The Gatling gun was used in foreign wars such as the Boshin War and the Anglo-Zulu War after the American Civil War. During the Spanish-American War, it was also used by American forces at the Battle of San Juan Hill. The Gatling gun inspired the design of many automatic rotary machine guns that are still in use today.
8. Colt Revolver
Year Created: 1836
Country of Origin: United States of America
Gunsmith: Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt's revolvers were the first truly effective revolvers, despite the fact that manually revolving arms had existed for decades. In 1835, Colt secured the first patent for his revolving device in the United Kingdom, and a year later, he received the patent in the United States. In Paterson, New Jersey, Colt established the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company in 1836. After a series of mixed results, Colt continued to produce guns at this company until 1842.
Colt couldn't get a government contract for his weapons until 1846, when the Mexican-American War was in full swing. General Zachary Taylor ordered 1,000 Colt revolvers after Colt worked with Captain Samuel H. Walker to improve his revolver. Colt's weapons grew in popularity over time, and the Colt Manufacturing Company is now one of the world's most well-known gun manufacturers.
7. Musket Modèle 1777
Year Created: 1777
Country of Origin: France
Gunsmith: Charleville armoury and others
In continental Europe, the musket Modèle 1777 was one of the most commonly used guns. It was originally designed for the French Army in 1777. With this musket, trained French infantrymen were supposed to be able to fire three volleys per minute. Around 7 million Modèle 1777 muskets were made between 1777 and 1826; this amount was not surpassed until World War I.
Napoleon Bonaparte had the muskets slightly reworked after the French Revolutionary Wars in the early 1800s. The “Modèle 1777 corrigé,” a corrected model, had slight changes to the bolt, bayonet, and stock. In 1816 and 1822, the musket received minor improvements.
6. Puckle Gun
Year Created: 1718
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Gunsmith: James Puckle
While the Puckle Gun was one of the first firearms to be labeled as a "machine gun," its mechanisms are nothing like those used in modern machine guns. In 1718, James Puckle patented the rifle. It was a single-barrel flintlock pistol fixed on a tripod with a manually controlled rotating cylinder. It could be used as an anti-boarding gun on ships, according to Puckle.
The Puckle gun failed to attract a large number of buyers, and Puckle was unable to sell the weapons to the British military. Boughton House and Beaulieu Palace also have original examples of the Puckle gun on display. In 1722, John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, Master-General of the Ordnance, purchased these guns.
5. King Louis XIII’s Flintlock Gun
Year Created: c.1620
Country of Origin: Lisieux, France
Gunsmith: Pierre Le Bourgeois and Marin Le Bourgeois
The invention of the flintlock mechanism was one of the most significant advances in weapons technology. In the early 17th century, the first true flintlocks were developed in France. Flintlocks were widely used for the next two centuries, before the percussion lock was invented.
The gun owned by King Louis XIII is an early example of a French flintlock gun (pictured above). It was made in Marin Le Bourgeois' workshop, which was directed by Pierre Le Bourgeois' brother. He is widely credited with inventing the flintlock mechanism. The crowned monogram of Louis XIII is engraved on the rifle, and the scroll-shaped end is a one-of-a-kind feature. The flintlock gun of King Louis XIII is currently on show in Gallery 375 of The Met Fifth Avenue.
4. Georg von Reichwein’s Revolver
Year Created: 1597
Country of Origin: Nuremburg, Germany
Gunsmith: Hans Stopler
The revolver owned by Georg von Reichwein, a German officer in the mid-seventeenth century, is the world's oldest revolver. The revolver was designed by Hans Stopler, a German arms blacksmith, in 1597, according to stamp marks on the pistol. The gun is adorned with brass, bone, and Mother of Pearl and was created for someone of high status. This pistol, unlike modern revolvers, had to be manually rotated.
The gun was last owned by Georg von Reichwein, who purchased it in 1636 when he was promoted to major and commander of the forces at Bergenhus fortress in Norway. The revolver is currently stored in the Maihaugen Folk Museum's storage rooms in Lillehammer, Norway. It was on show for a limited period in 2014 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution.
3. Tanegashima
Year Created: c.1543
Country of Origin: Japan
Gunsmith: Yaita – first commissioned by Lord Tanegashima Tokitaka
Tanegashima were Japanese matchlock weapons used by the samurai and their foot soldiers. The Portuguese were the first to bring matchlock weapons to Japan in 1543.
During a storm, Portuguese explorers were forced to land on Tanegashima island.
Tanegashima Tokitaka, the island's lord, bought two matchlock muskets from the Portuguese and had a swordsmith copy the weapons' mechanisms. The smith, however, ran into difficulties that were not resolved until the following year, when a Portuguese gunsmith was brought to Japan. Over 300,000 Tanegashima guns were made over the next decade, forever altering Japanese warfare.
2. Emperor Charles V’s Wheellock Pistol
Year Created: c. 1540 – 1545
Country of Origin: Munich, Germany
Gunsmith: Peter Peck
Different firing mechanisms were developed as gun technology advanced. Despite the fact that matchlocks are older than wheel locks, only a few examples have survived. However, several wheel locks dating back to the early 1500s are still in use today. Wheellock pistols were the first self-igniting weapons, allowing them to be shot with only one hand.
The King Charles V double-barreled wheellock pistol (pictured above) is one of the oldest surviving handguns, dated from about 1540–1545. It was designed by Peter Peck, a fine watchmaker from Germany. This gun had two locks fused into a single firing mechanism, allowing each barrel to be ignited independently. It bears Charles V's personal emblems: the double-headed eagle and the Hercules pillars with the Latin motto PLVS VLTRA (meaning "More Beyond").
1. Heilongjiang Hand Cannon
Year Created: c.1288
Country of Origin: Banlachengzi, Heilongjian province, China
Gunsmith: Unknown
The Heilongjiang hand cannon is considered to be the world's oldest firearm. Although not technically a gun, the hand cannon was one of the first weapons ever manufactured and acted as a forerunner to modern guns. This hand cannon was discovered during a 1970 excavation in the Chinese village of Banlachengzi.
The hand cannon is thought to have been used in fights between 1287 and 1288, according to researchers. A commander named Li Ting led a group of soldiers armed with hand cannons as part of the Yuan dynasty's anti-rebellion campaign, according to an account from the time period called History of Yuan. The hand cannon is now on display in Harbin, China, at the Heilongjiang Provincial Museum.
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