24/7 Wall St. Posted: January 26, 2025 | Last updated: March 1, 2025 Firearms originated in 14th-century China as "hand cannons" and gradually spread globally, with Europe developing the matchlock ...

Along the way, firearms have become more portable and ... and guns became widespread in Europe in the 14th century. “Hand gonnes” were often served by a crew of two—one holding and aiming ...

In the second half of the 18th century, musket design branched out. This period produced a number of single-purpose firearms. The forerunner of modern shotguns was the fowling piece, developed ...