THE FIRST GUN EVER MADE WAS FORMED FROM BAMBOO


By kbarber
first gun ever made

The first gun ever made can be traced back much farther than many think – to the 10th Century to be exact. The first gun was made out of bamboo, and it definitely didn’t look like the guns you know today. Let’s take a look at the first gun ever made and explore what made this world-altering invention possible. Read next:What’s the Largest Gun Ever Used? Introducing the Schwerer Gustav

Before the First Gun Ever Made, There Was Chinese Gunpowder

It can't be denied that the invention of gunpowder changed the world forever. Not only did it take us from swords and bows and arrows to the most deadly weapon owned by hundreds of ordinary people today, but it also had effects reaching far beyond the use to kill. “Black powder” was the Chinese invention of gunpowder before “gunpowder” was a thing. According to most historical records, black powder, like its successor, is thought to have originated in China, the same place where the first gun ever made came from. The original gunpowder, also referred to as “fire medicine” or "huoyao" (火藥), used saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal in very specific proportions to create an explosive substance. As the formula evolved, more saltpeter was added for a bigger bang. The intention of gunpowder was not originally one of mass destruction, but it was, interestingly, exactly the opposite. Leading up to the first guns ever made, ironically, Chinese monks were searching for an elixir that would extend one’s life. Saltpeter, the primary ingredient in the first concoctions of gunpowder, was used widely in China in the late centuries BCE in different medical treatments, so it made sense that they believed it could be used to extend life. How ironic is it that a formula initially intended to extend life would eventually extinguish it for millions upon millions in the history of the world?

Fire Lances: The First Guns Ever Made

What was the first gun ever made? Well, have you ever really wanted to see a real-life combination of a flamethrower and a shotgun? The original gun was pretty much that, and they looked like modern-day bottle rockets – another unsurprising fact seeing as China is pretty much the king of fireworks. The idea was simple. They took a bamboo tube (or, less commonly, a metal tube), attached it to a spear, and filled it with gunpowder and shrapnel (often small rocks or pottery shards). Then, just before they went into battle, they’d light it up, creating an awe-inspiring dance of chaos, flames, and death. Enemy targets would become victims of the expelled pellets and gusts of fire extending from the business end of the first gun ever made.

When Was the First Gun Ever Made?

The first gun ever made was in 10th Century China. Despite many people who may think guns are a relatively recent invention in comparison to the world's history, this isn’t the case. But how do we know that phrases like “the first gun ever made 1364” are wrong? We have art to prove it! According to Science & Civilisation in China, Volume 5 Part 7: The Gunpowder Epic, a silk painting dating back to the mid-10th Century depicted the first gun ever made – the fire lance – after its use during the Siege of De’an, which was part of the Jin-Song Wars of China in 1132. Of course, many consider this gun a “proto-gun,” or a similar gun-like weapon before the first invention of what could be recognized as a more close relative of the modern-day gun, which is often considered to be the Yuan Dynasty hand cannons of the 1280s.

From a Life Giver to a Life Taker

If there’s anything each of us knows all too well about our own species, it’s that we always find a way to weaponize things. Regardless of the intention behind the formula that helped create the first gun ever made, it’s now been used for many different purposes, both horrifying and life-saving. But one thing’s for sure: the first gun ever made would have definitely been a sight to behold in battle. Suggested read:America Tried to Blow up the British Using the First Submarine in Warfare


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