Firearms Evolution
Teaching Military History 101
First Division Museum at Cantigny
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
1400’s-1600’s Columbus through Pilgrims

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.
Matchlock
M1763 Charleville
American Revolution
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer French National Armories:
Charleville, Maubeuge, and St. Etienne
Calibre .69
Smoothbore
Muzzle Loading
Total Length 1,511.3mm/59.5in
Barrel Length 1,130.3mm/44.5in
Weight Unloaded 8.8 lbs
Maximum Range 200 meters, but only fairly
accurate up to 50 meters.
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
SPECIFICATION
First Interchangeable Parts
Last Smoothbore Musket
Manufacturer Springfield
Calibre .69 round ball, or .69 cal round ball
and 3 buckshot (known as a “buck and ball”
cartridge)
Smoothbore
Muzzle loading
Total Length 1,460.5mm/57.5in
Weight Unloaded 10 lb
American Civil War
Percussion Musket
Smooth Bore versus Rifling and the
advent of the Minnie ball
Springfield M1864
Hammer
Percussion cap
goes here
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer Springfield
Calibre .58
Rifled
Muzzle Loading
Accurate Range 400 yards
Sights

Indian Wars
The hammer
strikes the
percussion
cap and
ignites the
gunpowder,
which
propels the
bullet out the
barrel of the
gun.
Percussion Rifle
Trapdoor Springfield
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer Springfield,
Calibre .45
Rifled
Breech Loading
Barrel Length 829mm/ 32.6in
Indian Wars
Breech Loading Rifle
M1898 Krag-Jorgensen
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer Springfield
Calibre .30-40
Magazine Capacity 5 (no stripper clip)
Action Bolt Action
Total Length 1,248mm/49.15in
Barrel Length 762mm/30in
Weight Unloaded 9 lb
Effective Range 900m/3,000ft
Spanish American War - Philippine Insurrection
Bolt-Action Rifle
M1898 Mauser Rifle
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer Mauser and various others
Calibre 7.92 mm
Magazine Capacity 5
Action Bolt Action
Total Length 1,249mm/49.2in
Barrel Length 740mm/29.15in
Weight Unloaded 9.02lb
Spanish American – WWI
Bolt-Action Rifle
M1903 Springfield
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer Springfield, Remington,
Winchester
Calibre .30-06
Magazine Capacity 5 round stripper clip
Action Bolt Action
Total Length 1,102mm/43.4in
Barrel Length 615mm/24.2in
Weight Unloaded 8.5 lbs
Effective Range 2,500 yards
WWI
Bolt Action Rifle
M1 Garand
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer Various US
Calibre 7.62 x 63mm
Magazine Capacity 8 en bloc clip
Action Gas Operated/ rotating bolt
Total Length 1,105mm/43.5in
Barrel Length 609mm/24in
Weight Unloaded 9.5 lbs
Effective 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, TRW
Calibre 7.62mm NATO
Magazine Capacity 20 round box
Action Gas Operated
Total Length 1,117mm/44in
Barrel Length 558mm/22in
Weight Unloaded 8.56 lbs
Effective 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
Manufacturer
Calibre 5.56x45mm Cartridge
Magazine Capacity 20 and 30 round box
Action Gas Operated Rotating Bolt
Weight Unloaded 8.5 lbs
Rate of Fire 800-900 rounds per minute
Effective 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, others
Calibre 7.62mm
Magazine Capacity 250 Round Belt
Rate of Fire cyclic rpm: 550
Muzzle Velocity 2,800 ft/second
Watercooled
Action Recoil Operated
Weight Unloaded 52.8 lbs with no water or
tripod
World War I
Heavy Machine Gun
Hotchkiss Gun
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer Hotchkiss et Cie
Calibre 8mm Lebel
Magazine Capacity 24- & 30-round trays
Action Gas Operated
Total Length 1,270mm/50in
Barrel Length 775mm/30.5in
Weight Unloaded 42 lbs w/out tripod, which
added 60 lbs
World War I
Heavy Machine Gun
M1917 Browning Machine Gun
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer Colt
Calibre .30-06
Magazine Capacity Belt Fed
Action Recoil Operated
Total Length 978mm/38.5in
Barrel Length 610mm/24in
Weight Unloaded 32.6 lbs without mount
Water jacket for cooling
Piece to mount
gun to tripod
WWI and WWII
Trigger and
pistol grip
Heavy Machine Gun
M1918 BAR: Browning Automatic Rifle
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturer Colt
Calibre .30-06
Magazine Capacity 20
Action Gas Operated
Total Length 1,214mm/47.8in
Barrel Length 610mm/24in
Weight Unloaded 19.4 lbs
Flash Suppressor
Gas Cylinder Tube
Gas Cylinder
World War II
Magazine Release
Box Magazine
attached here
Light Machine Gun
Parts of a Gun
Parts of a Gun
Bayonets: Plug, Ring, Socket, Knife
Plug
Socket
Ring
Knife
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 M1842 http://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