Guns are a relatively recent invention when compared to early mans first use of weaponry, which ranged from rocks to sticks and then later moved on to swords and spears. The Chinese invented gunpowder, but chose to use it to create pretty fireworks for festivals. It was only when European man discovered this explosive black powder that he thought up a more diabolical use for it.

Fast forward to the sixteenth century and the invention of the matchlock gun. A burning fuse was lit to ignite the gunpowder poured into the flash pan of a gun. This resulted in the ignition of the powder in the gun barrel, which forced the lead shot down the barrel and towards its potential target.

Unfortunately this was a rather dangerous system, what with the volatile nature of gunpowder, but it led to the development of the wheel lock mechanism, which was much safer. A spring loaded wheel with a series of serrations along the edge was held in place until its release caused sparks, which in turn ignited the powder stored in the barrel.

The next step in the evolution of the gun was the flintlock. The name originated from the lock that was placed over the powder to prevent accidental ignition. A hammer designed for operation with the thumb was drawn back and released to hit the flint against the block. A single shot was released by this action and over time, for expediency, a double barrel version came into being.

Always looking for improvements in efficiency, a revolver was first registered at the patent office by Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson in 1854. A revolving cartridge could hold up to six bullets for firing in quick succession. The design was an instant success and was adopted by the lawmen of their day and is still popular today.

The semi-automatic handgun is a natural evolution of the handgun, where one shot provides the energy to load the chamber for the next shot. The recoil energy is used for this, but models have been designed to be gas powered, like the Desert Eagle handgun.

Machine pistols like the Glock 18 and the Mauser C96 were designed to be fully automatic or can be set for standard single shots. These are lightweight handguns that have an extremely rapid rate of firing shot and that due to their small size are easy to carry about your person. The personal handgun has undergone a metamorphosis from a weapon of war to a tool for self-protection in a dangerous society.

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