The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-01-14
]HE FIRST CANNON
ley Were In Use Long Before
Hand Firearms Appeared.
JUDE GUNS OF EARLY DAYS

*Ht~H ~ "0U(tg 0dfU dnOuS
,oiIection In the National Museum.
ipecfmens OF military and other
sme of firearms from England.
auce Russia. Japan. Germany and
my other countries. are to be seen
the small arms exhibition of the
lifted States national museum. The
hjblt includes some 1,4O0 Individual
ece4 and comprises probably the best
neral collection In the United States,
nsi0ering that there are represented
lnmples of military rifles, pistols and
voiyers, sporting shotguns and rifles.
rget rifles and pistols, and numer.
odd and unusual pieces relating
the development of firearms.
Afhough the discovery of gunpowder
attributed by some to China, there
no positive evidence that the Chi.
De ever made use of It. At an early
Rod they produced certain kinds of
eworks, accounts of which came
cough Persia, Egypt and the Moorish
unfries In southern Europe. but gun
WIDER for use In firearms. It Is be
we'd originated In Italy. Spain or Ger
my While cannon of a sort were
1T In the early part Of the fourteenth
injury. hand firearms were slow to
adopted on account of their unre
bility. and II was not until about
81 that they are known to have ap
AIRED In Germany. while Europe In
neral did not take them up until the
ddle of the fifteenth century. when
ey became known as hand cannon.
the earliest form of hand gun was
ode AFFAIR. fred by the application of
burning match to the touchhole The
81 Improvement was the mounting OF
3 match on springless lock or cock.
nich later. upon the addition Of
ring. became known as the match
TX. Examples Of this early weapon
pm India. China, Afghanistan. Japan.
,rmosa. Arabia. Morocco and Mexico
Q In the museum collection.
The next development was the wheel
* gun. about 1915 or 1917. fred by a
ark struck on pyrites by roughened
heel revolved by a spring Speci
ems Of this type OF gun and pistol
ON Greece, Germany and England
. also included in the museum ex-
Bit
A form OF fiintlock, called the snap
Iunce. followed in 1870 This substi.
ted In place OF the wheel a lock.
hich held In its Jaws a piece Of py-
tes and when released hit the cover
the pan, striking a spark. which ig
ted the charge Of powder. pair of
stols of this type from Constantine
. Illustrate the principle well. Fur
er improvements In the snaphaunce
suited In the flintlock gun. In which
piece OF flint replaced the pyrites
xomples of this style are more com
on. and some sixty are included in
ID museum collection. representing
sarly every country and well illustrat
& the various changes and improve
ents made
One Of the most interesting and val.
lD.e arms In the collections Is the
Inn CoOkson fintlock breech loading
agazine gun. made In 1886. which has
magazine In the stock capable of
'lding ten rounds of loose powder
ID bullets.
One movement of the lever feeds the
into the barrel. cocks the
lmmer and primes the pan. In spite
the English name of the maker. this
ID piece Is believed to be of Spanish
1gin on account of its general type
ID the style of Its decoration. 1t was
obably brought to Maryland by the
riy English colonists. At least 1t
as found In Baltimore and contiscat
in 1853 and held by the government
it'll 1867. when 1t was thrown away
J 1893 1t was purchased for o small
IN and put in its present perfect con
ton By gunsmitb Of Baltimore.
Om whom II was secured by an
collector and presented to
g museum.
From military viewpoint. the de-
- va &AAA6 sun GNhoCAGGD EICub du
lnces Of its time. for, with the maya
De charging appurtenance, ten shots
'uld be fred In little more time
an Is required for modern maya
ne gun Altogether. the antiquity.
.sign- workmanship and beauty of
is gun make 1t most valuable and
markRbie relic.
The collection also contains several
lock. and the percussion cap guns
hicb Followed the nint lock. and the
russia needle gun. and the French
bassepot which appeared somewhat
ter.
The Development Of the gun and am
unitiop In the United States In well
~ n series Of historical
Ises showing the types used In the
lcceeding wars from the French and
dian to the war with Spain. thus
closely history and inven
On.
While many foreign guns are repre-
lnted they are not al Of the latest
ltens 90 Of the type Row In use. In
70 case of our military rife. however.
70 latest Developments are shown.
"a 4 b Interesting to note that the