Historian Tonio Andrade, specializing in gunpowder technology, defines a "true gun" as a firearm that fires a fitting bullet into the barrel, distinguishing it from those like the shrapnel-shooting fire lance. The fire lance, emerging between the 10th and 12th centuries AD, along with other early metal barrel gunpowder weapons, is categorized as "proto-guns" because they precede the development of firearms that shoot appropriately sized bullets. This distinction underscores the evolution of gun technology over time.
According to historians, firearms assumed the form of a "classic gun" in the 1480s, maintaining this design until the mid-18th century. The "classic" version was characterized by longer, lighter, more efficient, and more accurate features compared to its predecessors from just three decades earlier. Remarkably, this design remained largely unchanged for nearly 300 years, with cannons from the 1480s showing little difference from those in the 1750s. This extended period of dominance earned it the name "classic gun" or "modern ordnance synthesis."
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Gun Encyclopedia
AcakA firearm, an essential component of modern weaponry, is a portable and hand-held device designed for launching projectiles at high speeds. The primary components include a barrel, which guides the projectile's trajectory, a firing mechanism to init...
