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Guns have been used in wars for nearly a thousand years. There have been several technological advancements to guns. This timeline will demonstrate how guns have been used for war and which guns have been most used throughout history.

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The first instance of guns in history was the fire lance, which was used in China. Fire lances were "arrows fixed with tubes of gunpowder that, when ignited, would propel across enemy lines." The fire lance was invented in 950. This weapon was extremely effective in battle for its time period.

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Guns first appeared in Europe in the 14th century. They were very primitive and did not even have triggers or any reliable aiming mechanism. In Europe, guns advanced as they entered the 15th century with the invention of the harquebus. The harquebus was the first gun of its kind to be able to be fired off the shoulder. It also had a trigger and a 650 foot range.

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The musket was an evolution of the harquebus.

The musket made several improvements to the harquebus. The musket was made in the 16th century and was used mostly in Europe. It was also used when empires like England or Spain conquered other locations. The musket had a range of 80 to 100 yards. The accuracy of the musket is significantly better than the harquebus, but the weapon still has poor aim.

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During westward expansion in 1835, Samuel Colt invented the revolver. The revolver was commonly used by cowboys and bandits. The revolver cost $20, which was around what a cowboy's weekly salary was at the time. The revolver could shoot six rounds without reloading.

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There were several advancements in weapon technologies during the American Civil War. One of them was the Minié ball used by the Confederate and Union armies during the American Civil War. The Minié ball was used because of its accuracy over long distances. The Minié ball was such an innovative invention because the bullet expanded when fired, allowing it to fit the grooves of a muzzle loading rifle. An example of a muzzle loading rifle is the Springfield rifle, which was commonly used by Union solders during the American Civil War. The Springfield rifle was fast to reload, especially when using the Minié ball as ammunition.

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During World War I, the most common weapon was the Lee-Enfield rifle, which was used by Britain and was considered extremely powerful for its time. The Lee-Enfield was similar to the Springfield rifle, but it sacrificed its range and accuracy for superior power, speed of fire, and ammunition capacity. It was used very commonly by infantry troops.

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The M1 Garand was invented by John C. Garand and was used in World War II and the Vietnam War. It was the one of the first ever semi automatic weapons to be widely used in military history, with more than 5,000,000 of them produced. The M1 Garand was extremely efficient and was incredibly light, weighing less than 10 pounds. The downside was the enormous cost for it to be widely used. The M1 Garand cost $85 at the time, which would be $1,571 today accounting for inflation.

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There are several guns today that are widely used and extremely efficient. One of them is the M16, which is one of the most used guns today. The M16 is an assault rifle manufactured by ArmaLite Inc. It is the same company that made the AR-15, which was also widely used and is still considered still effective for infantry combat. The M16 is versatile and lethal with the capacity to fire eight rounds a second and weighs less than eight pounds.

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Guns have been widely used throughout history. There have been dramatic technological advancements that have significantly increased the effectiveness of guns. In the future, it is likely that guns will continue to advance and evolve as technology changes, making them faster and more lethal.

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Gun 1 - Title:Chinese Fire Lance: The First Firearm

Website title:Weapons From History

URL:https://weaponsfromhistory.com/the-history-of-the-fire-lance/

Date accessed:January 26, 2024

Gun 2 - Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "harquebus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Jul. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/harquebus. Accessed 22 January 2024.

Gun 3 - Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "musket". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Jan. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/technology/musket. Accessed 24 January 2024.

Gun 4 - Rattenbury, Richard C.. "revolver". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Dec. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/revolver. Accessed 24 January 2024.

Gun 5 - Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Springfield rifle". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Jul. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/technology/Springfield-rifle. Accessed 25 January 2024.

History.com Editors. “Minié Ball.” Minié Ball - Civil War, Wounds & Bullet | HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 26 April 2010, https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/minie-ball. Accessed 25 January 2024.

Gun 6 - Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Lee-Enfield rifle". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/Lee-Enfield-rifle. Accessed 25 January 2024.

Gun 7 - Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Lee-Enfield rifle". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/Lee-Enfield-rifle. Accessed 26 January 2024.

Gun 8 - Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "M16 rifle". Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Jan. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/technology/M16-rifle. Accessed 26 January 2024.