Guns and the like are collectively referred to as guns.

Looking at the world literature, it is actually impossible to verify the specific traceability of firearms. It is generally believed that the earliest firearms appeared in China. Firearms are different from cold weapons in that they use gunpowder. As we all know, gunpowder is one of the four great inventions in ancient China.

The formula of gunpowder was recorded as early as the Secret of the Immortal Pill of Taishang Sage (AD 808), but obviously, it was originally classified as Taoist cultivation of immortality and alchemy. In the late Tang Dynasty, mature gunpowder products appeared.

In fact, it is not difficult to understand that part of western chemistry originally originated from the experimental process of ancient alchemy or witchcraft. China's similar exploration actually promoted the process of scientific development, and it was the rapid flammability and explosiveness of gunpowder that gave birth to the later launch tube firearms.

In the Records of Nine Kingdoms, there is also a record of Zheng's use of gunpowder bullets when he attacked (now Nanchang, Jiangxi) (AD 904). During the Southern Song Dynasty, a musket (1 132) appeared in "Guarding the City", that is, a fire-breathing tube with a bamboo tube as a pointing tube to emit gunpowder gas. Compared with the firecracker culture, the flamethrower with certain killing effect appeared and was used in actual combat, which can actually be regarded as the embryonic form of firearms and the real beginning of China people. From this point of view, the prototype of firearms can be considered as the later musket.

This kind of firearm appeared in Shouchun County (now Shouxian County, Anhui Province) in the year of Kaiyuan in Song Lizong (A.D. 1259), and it is recognized as the ancestor of firearms in the world. The reason why musket is considered as the ancestor of firearms is because it is a relatively mature weapon according to relevant historical records, which has certain stability in use and necessary killing effect.

There is a detailed record in the History of Song Dynasty: "With giant bamboo as a barrel, the An Zi case was extinguished like fireworks, and the latter case was like guns, and it was heard a hundred and fifty paces away." "Note that at this time, although the musket still uses the previous bamboo tube material as the finger tube (barrel) and is also powered by gunpowder, it has been used in the sub-box. According to textual research, the sub-lattice should be pebbles and iron fragments, and combined with the description in the original text, the image of the musket is completely a kind of pre-loaded glow gun.

From13rd century to14th century, on the basis of the original musket, due to the development of smelting technology, people have been able to use metal materials (copper or iron) instead of bamboo tubes to make launch tubes, and then the real fire gradually appeared. This process of firing stones, metal projectiles and other ammunition with gunpowder gas with metal launch tube is actually the working principle of old-fashioned artillery, which shows that the source of artillery and fire system are unified.

Only with the fine classification of use, the light ones are called guns, and the difficult ones are called guns. Although there is nothing special about the working principle and structural design of the fire system compared with the musket, compared with the metal launch tube made of copper and iron, bamboo and wood can obviously withstand greater pressure, which means that more gunpowder can be filled in practical use.

In the absence of efficient and fast-burning gunpowder, more gunpowder means that more gunpowder gas can be produced, thus producing more powerful shooting power. At the same time, the fire system has a longer service life than the musket. It was an important weapon of the army in the Yuan Dynasty, and the use of firearms in weapons and equipment in the Ming Dynasty also came from this.

At the same time, there is another important branch of musket, which directly promotes the development of firearms in West Asia and Europe. As we all know, in ancient China, for a long period of time, its science and technology was at the advanced level in the world, which pioneered in many fields. Although there were many wars and turmoil during the period, many practical technologies were preserved by the system and developed to a certain extent.

As a kind of anti-lethal actual combat firearm powered by gunpowder, musket did not actually spread to the Arab region until the middle of 13 century with the large-scale western expedition of Mongolian army. After the improvement of Arabs, a new weapon was born, which fired stones with gunpowder in wooden barrels. At that time, Arabs called it motor hair, which means firearm in Arabic.

Engines with relatively strong firepower are developing rapidly in the Arab region. /kloc-At the beginning of the 4th century, this wooden musket had become one of the main weapons of the Arab army at that time. In the actual combat process, the motor itself has also been improved and solidified in appearance, including the long grip installed for convenient use, and actually has the prototype of the rifle.

Motor-related technology and the application of firearms were introduced to Europe on a large scale. It was on this basis that Europe developed gradually mature rifle products in the war between Arabs and Europeans.