History of Firearms
1800 - 19001820 - The percussion cap was invented replacing the flint on flintlock pistols. This was a major evolution in firearm technology, allowing flintlocks to still work in any weather. This made them more reliable, and paved the way for further advances in the firearm evolution, like the matchlocks used in the Civil War that were upgrades of flintlocks. February 25, 1836 - Samuel Colt patents the first colt revolver, able to shoot five or six bullets before having to reload. This was the first firearm to have this capability. 1837 - Georgia passes a law making it illegal to purchase and sell handguns. This was the first firearms ban in the United States. 1852 - Smith & Wesson was founded in Norwich, Connecticut by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson. They make some of the most prestigious firearms, including many pistols that are used by the government and police force. November 4, 1862 - The Gatling Gun, created by Dr. Richard J. Gatling is patented. This gun had multiple barrels which requires a person to crank it, turning the barrels as each one shoots. It was the first continuously firing weapon in the world. April 14, 1865 - President of the United States Abraham Lincoln is shot in the head with a .44 caliber single-shot derringer by John Wilkes Booth. The pistol was only 6 inches long with a 2 and a half inch barrel. 1865 - Many Southern states start developing 'Black Codes' to limit the rights of black people. One of these codes stated that black people could not own guns. 1866 - The Winchester model 1866 was made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, founded by Oliver Winchester. This gun featuring the cock handle to reload, making it a fast reloading rifle. This rifle is referred to as "The Gun that Won the West" because it was the favored rifle of cowboys in the 1800's. November 17, 1871 - The National Rifle Association was founded by William C. Church and George Wingate, two leaders for the union army. The goal of the NRA is to promote firearms and firearm safety to the public. They also support the second amendment of the right to bear arms. October 1884 - The maxim gun is invented. This was a revolutionary weapon, being the first self-powered gun. This means that it used the energy built up from the recoil, or kick, of the gun to project out the caseing of the fired bullet and insert the next one. This allowed for a much more efficient fast rate firing gun. |
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1900 - 2013June 26, 1934 - The National Firearms Act is enacted. This act imposed a tax on the manufacture and shipment of certain firearms in an attempt to regulate machine guns and shotguns, weapons used mostly by the mafia and other gangs. June 30, 1938 - The Federal Firearms Act is enacted to regulate weapon transfers on the interstate to keep them out of the hands of criminals. Thus the act provides licensing for manufacturors to ship weapons on the interstate. Criminals are banned from this. October 22, 1968 - The Gun Control Act is enacted to prohibit the transfer of firearms on the interstate by either wepaons manufacturors, dealers, or importers. It was another way the government was trying to regulate the use of firearms. July 1, 1972 - The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, a law enforcement agency is founded. Their main mission is to protect U.S communitites from criminals, criminal organizations, and the illegal use of drugs, alcohol and firearms. May 19, 1986 - The Firearm Owners Protection Act revises the Gun control act of 1968. It loosens gun laws, by reopening interstate sales of firearms, legalizing shippments of ammunition through the postal service, and removing the requirment for records to be kept of armor piercing rounds. August 28, 1986 - The Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act focuses on limiting armor peircing amunnition. It becomes unlawful for people to create and ship the amunition unless it is used for the U.S government, if the manufactor of it is for exportation, and if it is used for testing as authorized by the secretary. November 29, 1990 - The Crime Control Act is enacted not only to create more laws for guns but to create laws banning many other crime related topics. Among these was a law creating gun-free school zones, making it illegal to bring firearms on school property. September 13, 1994 - The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act is the largest crime bill in the history of the U.S. The most significant part of this act is the ban of assault rifles. This included specific semi-automatic weapons, as well as magazines that can hold more then 10 rounds of ammo. December 14, 2012 - The Sandy Hook elementary school killing occured. A 20 year old male went into this school and shot and killed 20 kids and 6 adults, afterwords shooting himself. This was the worst killing out of a many recent mass murders. February, 2013 - Obama has plans to make stricter gun laws as a result of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting and many other mass shootings that have happened. |