The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-01-15

uese ever maze use or IT, at an early
period they produced certain kinds of
fireworks. accounts OF which came
through Persia. Egypt and the Moorish
countries In southern Europe, but gun
powder for use In firearms. 1t is be,
heved originated In Italy, Spain or Ger,
many. While cannon of a sort were
built In the early part of the fourteenth
century. hand firearms were slow to
be adopted on account of their unre-
liability, and 1t was not until about
1881 that they are known to have ap-
peared In Germany. while Europe In
general did not take them up until the
middle OF the fifteenth century, when
they became known as hand cannon.
The earliest form OF hand gun was a
crude affair, fred by the application of
burning match to the touchhoie. The
nrst Improvement was the mounting of
the match on springless lock or cock,
which later. upon the addition of a
spring. became known as the match
lock. Examples OF this early weapon
from India. China, Afgha nistan. Japan,
Formosa, abba, Morocco and Mexico
are In the museum collection
The next development was the wheel
lock gun. about 1915 or 1917. fred by
spark struck on pyrites by roughened
wheel revolved by spring Speci.
mems of this type of gun and pistol
from Greece, Germany and England
are also included In the museum ex.
hibit
form OF fintiock, called the snap.
haunce. followed In 1910 This substi.
tuted In place OF the wheel lock.
which held In its Jaws a piece OF py.
rites and when released hit the cover
or the pan. striking spark, which ig.
nited the charge OF powder A pair OF
pistols OF this type from Constantine
pie illustrate the principle well Fur
ther improvements In the snaphaunce
resulted In the dintlock gun. In which
piece OF tiint replaced the pyrites
Examples OF this style are more com.
mon. and some sixty are included In
the museum collection, representing
nearly every country and well illustrat
ing the various changes and improve.
ments made
One OF the most interesting and val
liable arms In the collections is the
John Cookson t1intlock breech loading
magazine gun. made In 1886, which has
magazine In the stock capable OF
holding ten rounds of loose powder
and bullets.
One movement of the lever feeds the
ammunition into the barrel. cocks the
hammer and primes the pan In spite
of the English name of the maker, this
odd piece Is believed to be OF Spanish
origin ON account of its general type
and the style OF its decoration Ii was
probably brought TO Maryland by the
early English coionists. AT least Ii
was found In Baltimore and confiscat.
ed in 1863 and held by the government
until 1867. when Ii was thrown away.
In 1888 1t was purchased for q smaii
sum and put In its present perfect con.
dition by a gupsmitb OF Baltimore
from whom II was secured by an
American collector and presented to
the museum.
From military viewpoint. the de
sign OF this gun evidences great ad
vances OF its time. for, with the maya.
zine charging appurtenance ten shots
could be fred In little more time
than is required for modern maga
zine gun Altogether. the antiquity.
design. workmanship and beauty of
this gun make Ii q most valuable and
relic.
The collection also contains several
pillock. and the percussion cap guns.
which followed the flint lock. and the
Prussia needle gun. and the French
Chassepot which appeared somewhat
later.
The development of the gun and am
munition 10 the United States is well
Illustrated by series OF historical
casas showing the Upes used In the