For 700 years humans have fired projectiles from tubes. Safe to say, firearms have been around for a long time. And while we see outrageous technological advances in computers, phones and cars, the underlying mechanism behind firearms remains the same. Despite the unchanging mechanics, firearms innovation is very much alive. However, I expect progress to be incremental until firearms technology dramatically changes and handheld laser rifles come into play. But before we dive deep into the firearms of the future, we first have to take a look back to see how far we've already come. From Fireworks to Firearms China invented the first gunpowder, called black powder, in the 10th century. The Chinese initially used black powder for ceremonial purposes like fireworks, but in no time, black powder transformed from powering entertainment to enabling weapons advancement. Chinese soldiers started mounting gunpowder filled sections of bamboo to poles, shooting projectiles at their enemies. They called these rudimentary firearms fire lances, and soldiers packed them with a variety of projectiles to shoot at adversaries. By the 1200s, the Chinese started creating contraptions resembling firearms. These firearms featured metallic construction, and artisans constructed them from castings. While China forged ahead with black powder
and firearms technology, Europe languished in the Dark Ages. By the 1300s, Europe finally caught up. European nations quickly saw the value of black powder which enabled soldiers to project force beyond that of a sword and arrows. In fact, it's hard to imagine European nations being able to colonize the New World during the Age of Exploration without the power of firearms available to them. Over several hundred years, firearms technology developed slowly in Europe. Matchlocks came on the scene in the 1400s, using a smoldering rope to ignite black powder to fire a shot. Technology lept again in the 1600s when the flintlock musket came about. Using flint in the hammer to create a spark to ignite black powder firing the shot. Flintlocks were safer than matchlocks since they didn't involve a burning rope near the black powder. Flintlocks were also faster into action than matchlocks since nothing needed to be pre-lit.
A matchlock musket.

The Pitfalls of Black Powder Although black powder remained popular for centuries, it had several disadvantages. The main problem? Black powder created a cloud of thick white smoke when ignited, making it hard for the shooter to see at all, a less than ideal situation on the battlefield. Black powder
also created heavy fouling that clogged up all parts of a firearm. Heavily fouled firearms are tough to clean, and the dirtier they get, the more their performance drops. Percussion Caps to Self-Contained Metallic Cartridges Around 1820, the percussion cap started replacing the flintlock system of ignition. At about the same time, rifled barrels made their way into mass-produced firearms. Percussion caps fit over a nipple at the end of a muzzle-loading (front loading) firearm to ignite the black powder after the hammer impacts them. Percussion caps provided a more reliable ignition system, and rifling made firearms much more accurate. By the time of the American Civil War, self-contained metallic cartridges existed and allowed fast loading through the rear of certain firearms (breech-loaders). However, self-contained metallic cartridges were cutting-edge technology at the time, and many governments stuck with tried and true muzzle-loading percussion cap rifles for most of their troops. Self-contained metallic cartridges contain the case, primer, and bullet in one convenient package. Modern firearm technology would be all but impossible without the advent of self-contained metallic cartridges. These separate components are not practical for repeating (multi-shot) firearms. Repeating, and eventually semiautomatic or fully automatic firearms required ammunition contained in a single container to feed from a magazine or belt into the action. Click here for more information about self-contained metallic cartridges and ammunition in general.

A Traditions .44 caliber black powder cap and ball percussion revolver.

Smokeless Powder Changes Everything French chemists invented a greatly-improved gunpowder formula in the 1880s. This new gunpowder created almost no smoke upon ignition and gained the name smokeless powder. Smokeless powder also generated higher pressure and bullet velocity than black powder, which allowed for higher performance cartridges. While smokeless powder isn't entirely clean-burning, it causes much less fouling inside a firearm than black powder. This improvement in diminished fouling paved the way for the practical usage of self-loading (semiautomatic) and fully automatic guns. Before smokeless powder's creation, the operating mechanisms of these semi and fully-automatic firearms would have become too gummed up to operate using black powder. These advances caused cartridge technology to take off, creating powerful new rounds.

.30-40 Krag was the first smokeless powder cartridge adopted by the US Army in the early 1890s.

Innovations Since WWII Up until WWII, most firearms manufacturers made guns primarily from wood and steel because these materials were plentiful and durable. However, these materials made firearms overly heavy, and wood furniture swells and contracts with environmental conditions which causes fitting issues.

The M14 was one of the last gasps of traditional wood and steel rifles in the 1950s.

In the 1950s, a forward-thinking aerospace engineer named Eugene Stoner's figured he could lighten firearms using aluminum and polymer composites. These modern materials lowered firearm weight without hindering strength or reliability regardless of conditions. Stoner's designs became the AR10
and AR15
rifles that dominate the American rifle industry. German firearms manufacturer, Heckler and Koch (H&K)
, shocked the world with a handgun featuring a polymer frame in 1970. Up to this point, most pistols featured steel or aluminum frames. Despite the H&K VP70 pistol being lightweight and advanced for its time, it never really caught on. However, it served as inspiration for the popular polymer-framed, striker-fired handguns that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s.

A modern reproduction of a Colt M16A1 in semiautomatic. ARs have come a long way since Stoner's early designs of 1950s.

It seems hard to believe, but there really haven't been any significant firearms innovations since the heyday of John Wayne. We still use smokeless powder and self-contained metallic cartridges. Other than the patina that comes with age, one might struggle to tell the difference between a 5.56 NATO
round loaded today and one loaded in the 1960s. However, modern firearms continue to improve by incorporating materials like aluminum and polymer to keep weight down without sacrificing strength over traditional materials like steel and wood. One major revolution in firearms isn't something that the average consumer can see, but it is something they benefit from. The machinery responsible for creating our favorite guns is now smarter and more efficient than ever. Better manufacturing means quicker production and higher quality control making today's firearms an upgrade over what was available in the past.

The H&K VP9 is the spiritual successor of the VP70.

The Future of Firearms Technology In the past, each step in firearms innovation was a very radical innovation. The newest advancements were often not fully worked out, and early adopters took significant risks using the latest and greatest. Today, consumers are no longer guinea pigs in the firearms development process because most designs are well-vetted and mature. As technology advances, more high-tech materials will likely find their way into firearms designs. Materials that are comically lightweight yet incredibly durable like carbon fiber and titanium are already making their way into high-end boutique firearms. Certainly, such materials will undoubtedly make their way into mass-produced guns. Ammunition is another likely area that will advance in the future. While cartridge cases have used brass or steel for well over 150 years, some companies are experimenting with polymer cartridge cases. These new polymer cases hope to lower the weight of ammunition so folks can carry more of it. Provided polymer-cased ammunition offers a similar strength, performance, and price as traditional brass/steel-cased ammunition, polymer-cased ammunition could make waves in the industry. Caseless ammunition is likely the last significant firearm innovation for the foreseeable future. Germany experimented with caseless ammunition between the 1960s and 1980s with their ill-fated G11 rifle. The G11's ammunition consisted of a bullet inside a block of compressed smokeless propellant with a primer in the rear. Caseless ammunition had the advantage of no case to extract once one fired a round. Its lack of a cartridge case also made this ammunition much lighter, increasing the amount a soldier could carry. Ultimately, this caseless ammunition was not durable enough to hold up under military conditions. However, with the technological advances since the 1980s, caseless ammunition could very well be an offering in the future.

5.45x39 steel-cased cartridge on the left. Caseless 4.73x33 cartridge for G11 rifle on the right.

Conclusion Firearms technology has come a long way from fireworks in ancient China to the modern masterpieces we have today. Just like all technology advances, firearms development continues to march forward. It's unlikely that folks in the 1600s could imagine what kind of firearms we enjoy today. And just like the people that came before us, it's hard for us to conceive the firearm advancements of the future. Check out our huge selection of handguns
and long guns
to see just how far things have come.