The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-08-31
Firearms.

powder is attributed by some to Chi
ma, there is no positive evidence that
the Chinese ever made use of it. At
an early period they produced cer-
tain kinds of fireworks, accounts of
which came through Persia, Egypt
and the Moorish countries in South
ern Europe, but gunpowder for use
in firearms, it is believed, originated
in Italy, Spain or Germany. While
cannon of a sort were built in the
early part of the fourteenth century,
hand firearms were slow to be adopt
ed on account of their unreliability,
and it was not until about 1881 that
they are known to have appeared in
Germany, while Europe in general
did not take them up until the mid
die of the fifteenth century, when
they became known as hand cannon.
A form of f1intlock, called the
snaphaunce, came in 1910. This
substituted in place Of the old wheel,
lock, which held in it's jaws a piece
of pyrites, and when released hit the
cover of the pan, striking spark
which ignited the charge of powder.
A pair of pistols of this type from
Constantinople illustrate the princi-
pie we'll. Further improvements in
the snaphaunce resulted in the flint
lock gun, in which piece of flint
replaced the pyrites. Examples OF
this style are more common and
some sixty are included in the mu-
scum collections, representing nearly
every country, and we'll illustrating
the various changes and improve
ments made.
One of the most interesting and
valuable arms in the collection is the
John Cookson flintlock breech-load-
ing magazine gun, made in 1886,
which has a magazine in the stock
capable of holding ten rounds of
loose powder and bullets. One
movement of a lever feeds the ammu-
milton into the barrel, cocks the ham
mer 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 it's general type
and the style of it's decoration. It
was probably brought to Maryland
by the early English colonists; at
least it was found in Baltimore and
confiscated in 1868, and held by the
government until 1857, when it was
thrown away. In 1888 it was bought
for small sum and put in it's pres
ent perfect condition by a gunsmith
of Baltimore, from whom it was Sc
cured by an American collector and
presented to the museum.
From a military point of view the
design of this gun evidences great ad-
vance of it's time, for, with the maga-
zine charging appurtenance, ten
shots could be fired in but little
more time than is required with a
modern magazine gun. Altogether
the antiquity, d. n, workmanship
and beauty of this gun. make it a
most valuable and remarkable relic.
The collection also contains several
pill-lock and the percussion cap
guns, which followed the flintlock,
and the Prussian needle gun and the
French chassepot, which appeared
somewhat later.
The development of the gun and
ammunition in the United States is
we'll illustrated by a series of his
torical cases showing the types used
in the succeeding wars from the
French and Indian to the war with
Spain, thus connecting closely his
tory and invention. While many
foreign guns are represented they
are not all of the latest patent, or of
the type now in use in the European
war; in the case of our military rifle,
however, the latest developments are
shown, and it is interesting to note
that the Springfield rifle, generally
known as the 1908 model, though it
has been improved upon since, is to
be found in three separate series, the
target, game and military, showing
that it is suitable, with different