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Firearms Evolution. First Division Museum at Cantigny. Teaching Military History 101. The “Hand Cannon”.
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Firearms Evolution First Division Museum at Cantigny Teaching Military History 101
The “Hand Cannon” • The original matchlocks of the early 14th Century required the soldier to be near a fire in order to heat an iron wire and poke it into the “touch hole” of the gun in order to fire. Like the cannons of that time, the matchlock had a bright flash, loud bang, and created a lot of smoke, but it did little damage. 1300’s – 1400’s
Matchlock • Like artillery, the matchlock gun evolved greatly over time. As matchlocks developed, the match could be attached to the gun and a trigger used to fire. Eventually, sights were added and the gun could be aimed. 1400’s-1600’s Columbus through Pilgrims Matchlock
M1763 Charleville SPECIFICATION Manufacturer French National Armories: Charleville, Maubeuge, and St. EtienneCalibre .69SmoothboreMuzzle LoadingTotal Length 1,511.3mm/59.5inBarrel Length 1,130.3mm/44.5inWeight Unloaded 8.8 lbsMaximum Range 200 meters, but only fairly accurate up to 50 meters. American Revolution Flintlock Musket
M1812 Whitney • Eli Whitney “laid the foundation and created techniques that became known as the American System of Manufacture.” Whitney’s system of manufacture created interchangeable parts that could be made with unskilled labor. American Civil War Flintlock Musket
Springfield M1842 First Percussion Musket First Interchangeable PartsLast Smoothbore Musket SPECIFICATION Manufacturer SpringfieldCalibre .69 round ball, or .69 cal round ball and 3 buckshot (known as a “buck and ball” cartridge)SmoothboreMuzzle loadingTotal Length 1,460.5mm/57.5inWeight Unloaded 10 lb American Civil War Percussion Musket
Smooth Bore versus Rifling and the advent of the Minnie ball
Springfield M1864 SPECIFICATION Manufacturer SpringfieldCalibre .58RifledMuzzle LoadingAccurate Range 400 yards Percussion cap goes here Hammer Sights • The hammer strikes the percussion cap and ignites the gunpowder, which propels the bullet out the barrel of the gun. Indian Wars Percussion Rifle
Trapdoor Springfield SPECIFICATION Manufacturer Springfield,Calibre .45RifledBreech LoadingBarrel Length 829mm/ 32.6in Indian Wars Breech Loading Rifle
M1898 Krag-Jorgensen SPECIFICATION Manufacturer SpringfieldCalibre .30-40Magazine Capacity 5 (no stripper clip)Action Bolt ActionTotal Length 1,248mm/49.15inBarrel Length 762mm/30in Weight Unloaded 9 lbEffective Range 900m/3,000ft Spanish American War - Philippine Insurrection Bolt-Action Rifle
M1898 Mauser Rifle SPECIFICATION Manufacturer Mauser and various othersCalibre 7.92 mm Magazine Capacity 5Action Bolt ActionTotal Length 1,249mm/49.2inBarrel Length 740mm/29.15in Weight Unloaded 9.02lb Spanish American – WWI Bolt-Action Rifle
M1903 Springfield SPECIFICATION Manufacturer Springfield, Remington, WinchesterCalibre .30-06Magazine Capacity 5 round stripper clipAction Bolt ActionTotal Length 1,102mm/43.4inBarrel Length 615mm/24.2inWeight Unloaded 8.5 lbsEffective Range 2,500 yards WWI Bolt Action Rifle
M1 Garand SPECIFICATION Manufacturer Various USCalibre 7.62 x 63mmMagazine Capacity 8 en bloc clipAction Gas Operated/ rotating boltTotal Length 1,105mm/43.5inBarrel Length 609mm/24inWeight Unloaded 9.5 lbsEffective Range 500vd (457m) M1 Garand en bloc clip with eight .30 Caliber rounds WWII – Korea Semi Automatic Rifle
M14 Rifle SPECIFICATION Manufacturer Springfield, H&R, TRWCalibre 7.62mm NATOMagazine Capacity 20 round boxAction Gas OperatedTotal Length 1,117mm/44inBarrel Length 558mm/22inWeight Unloaded 8.56 lbsEffective Range 460 meters / 500 yards Left to Right: M1 Garand 8-round en-bloc clip, M14 20-round magazine, M16 20- and 30-round capacities. 1957 – Vietnam, Iraq Marksman Rifle
M16 Rifle SPECIFICATION ManufacturerCalibre 5.56x45mm CartridgeMagazine Capacity 20 and 30 round boxAction Gas Operated Rotating BoltWeight Unloaded 8.5 lbsRate of Fire 800-900 rounds per minuteEffective Range 550m (600 yards) Scope attached to M16 M203 grenade launcher attached to M16 Vietnam – Present Assault Rifle
Gatling Gun • Dr. Richard Gatling invented the Gatling gun in 1862. The Gatling gun was a mechanical machine gun powered by a person turning a crank (Weir, 127). Heavy Machine Gun
Maxim Gun • The Maxim is reputed to have killed more human beings than any other gun in history (Weir, 128). SPECIFICATION Manufacturer DMW, Spandau, othersCalibre 7.62mmMagazine Capacity 250 Round BeltRate of Fire cyclic rpm: 550Muzzle Velocity 2,800 ft/secondWatercooledAction Recoil OperatedWeight Unloaded 52.8 lbs with no water or tripod World War I Heavy Machine Gun
Hotchkiss Gun SPECIFICATION Manufacturer Hotchkiss et CieCalibre 8mm LebelMagazine Capacity 24- & 30-round traysAction Gas OperatedTotal Length 1,270mm/50inBarrel Length 775mm/30.5inWeight Unloaded 42 lbs w/out tripod, which added 60 lbs World War I Heavy Machine Gun
M1917 Browning Machine Gun SPECIFICATION Manufacturer ColtCalibre .30-06Magazine Capacity Belt FedAction Recoil Operated Total Length 978mm/38.5inBarrel Length 610mm/24inWeight Unloaded 32.6 lbs without mount Water jacket for cooling Trigger and pistol grip Piece to mount gun to tripod WWI and WWII Heavy Machine Gun
M1918 BAR: Browning Automatic Rifle SPECIFICATION Manufacturer ColtCalibre .30-06Magazine Capacity 20Action Gas OperatedTotal Length 1,214mm/47.8inBarrel Length 610mm/24inWeight Unloaded 19.4 lbs Flash Suppressor Gas Cylinder Tube Magazine Release Gas Cylinder Box Magazine attached here World War II Light Machine Gun
Bayonets: Plug, Ring, Socket, Knife Ring Plug Knife Socket
Sources • Fowler, Will and Patrick Sweeney. The World Encyclopedia of Rifles and Machine Guns. Anness Publishing Ltd, London, England. 2007. • Hand Cannon Photo • Hogg, Ivan V. Weapons of the Civil War. The Military Press, New York, 1987. • Gatling Gun Photo • Hogg, Ivan. V. The Encyclopedia of Infantry Weapons of World War II. The Military Press, New York, 1977. • The Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop at www.eliwhitney.com • Springfield Armory Museum Online at http://www.rediscov.com/spring.htm • Picture of M1842http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:M1842.jpg Additional Research Sites Center for military history: http://www.history.army.mil/index.html Combined Arms Research library: http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/ A website with military history documentaries: http://www.factualtv.com/videos/military-history