Ebook: The Gun and Its Development

From the Publisher: First published in Great Britain in 1881 and subsequently revised nine times between that date and 1910, The Gun and Its Development traces the fascinating history of weaponry from the obscure, ancient origins of the slingshot and the bow and continuing on to the invention of the crossbow, possibly around 1000 a.d.; the introduction of gunpowder into Europe in the 14th century; the development of sporting and military guns over the centuries thereafter; and the rise of modern, factory-mass-produced firearms in the early 20th century. Individual chapters cover early to modern handguns; gunpowder ignition methods from fuses and flintlocks to percussion fulminates; shotguns; hammerless guns; ejector guns; the history of the firearms industry; manufacturing methods and their development in Britain, America, and elsewhere; how to use and handle different types of guns; ballistics; the development of rifling and smokeless powder; and much more. Copiously illustrated with photographs and marvelous engravings, The Gun and Its Development is the classic, authoritative reference work on the subject, certain to be of great interest to marksmen, hunters, gun collectors, and anyone interested in military or industrial history. (6 x 9, 846 pages, illustrations, charts)William Wellington Greener (1834-1921) was a world-renowned expert on the history of guns, and a pioneer in both the development of modern firearms-especially choke barrels for shotguns-and in the metallurgy and machining processes used in their manufacture

Reprint. Originally published: 9th ed. London ; New York : Cassell, 1910

Original advertisements (p. i-xxvi) at end

Includes index

1: Early Arms -- Missile weapons of the ancients -- Stone throwing -- Origin of the sling-shot -- Sling -- Ancient bow -- Long-bows -- Flight and sheaf arrows -- Arbalists -- Cross-bows -- Bolts and quarrels -- Paviser -- Feats of archers -- Bow v Musket -- 2: Invention Of Gunpowder -- Thunder-bolts -- Eastern origin of the invention -- Wilkinson's theory -- Gunpowder and mahomedan invasion -- Early use in Europe -- Roger Bacon -- Berthold Schwartz -- When first made in England -- Medieval account of its origin -- 3: Early Artillery -- First fire-arms -- Valturius's war-chariot -- Chaucer's mention of gonne -- Barbour's instances -- Early cannon -- Field artillery -- Bombards -- Mons Meg -- Monster cannon -- Orgues des bombards -- Battering rams -- Classification of cannon -- Early mortars -- Breech-loading cannon -- Ship cannon -- Petards -- Miscellaneous early fire-arms -- 4: Early Hand Fire-Arms -- Cannon as hand-guns -- Petronel -- Hand-culverin -- Its construction -- Early gunners and cross-bowmen -- Culverins -- Method of shooting with hand-cannon -- Match-lock: its development -- First match-locks -- Serpentin -- Opposition to the use of fire-arms -- Harquebusiers -- Methods of using early guns -- Positions in shooting -- Shutting one eye -- Wheel-lock -- Monk's gun -- Mechanism of the German wheel-lock -- Flint-lock, snap-hammer or fire-lock -- Early sporting fire-arms -- German guns -- Italian arms -- Venetian rifle -- Early French arms -- Russian workmanship -- Early repeating arms -- Multi-barreled cannon --Three barreled wall-piece -- Repeating match-lock -- Early magazine fire-arms -- Italian magazine repeater -- Revolving guns -- Henry VIII's arquebus -- Double chambered revolving gun -- Russian rotating arms -- Three barreled revolver -- Double revolver gun -- Collier's carbine -- Combined fire arms -- Pistol battle axe -- Wheel lock dagger pistols -- Pistol pike -- Concealed arms -- Rob Roy's purse -- Pistol shields -- Whip pistols -- Curious and notable weapons -- Nock's seven barreled carbine -- German daggs -- Italian dagg -- Old Saxon pistols -- Dueling pistols -- Highland pistol -- Double pistols -- Double pistol with one trigger -- Early double barreled guns -- Early breech-loaders -- Flint lock breech loader -- Italian side motion mechanism -- Fergusson's mechanism -- Theiss rifle -- Hall's American breech loader -- Breech loading wall pieces -- 5: Percussion System -- Historical note on fulminates -- Forsyth's invention -- Detonators and the copper cap -- Manton's tube gun -- Westley Richards's detonating gun -- Detonators -- Col Hawker's opinion of flint locks and percussion ignition -- Percussion muzzle loader -- Nock's patent breech -- Greener's double muzzle loader -- Dangers of muzzle loaders -- Opinions on muzzle loading -- Jernigan on China and Chinese sportsmen -- Shooting of Whitworth's rifle -- Percussion breech loaders -- Demondion's gun -- Gilbert Smith's American rifle -- Norwegian carbine -- Abezz breech loader -- Calesher and Terry carbine -- Westley Richards capping breech loader -- Mousqueton des Cent Gardes -- Percussion muzzle loader and breech loader compared -- 6: Modern Shotguns -- History of the breech loading system -- Pin fire and the Lefaucheux breech mechanism -- Double grip.