By popular demand, a history quiz on the development of firearms in history:

1. What was "Greek Fire" made of?

2. When and where were firearms probably first used?

3. What is the first evidence in Europe of firearms, and when?

4. How were the first firearms in Europe used for centuries before diversifying?

5. When Mohammed II beseiged Constantinople in 1453, he used artillery to batter the thick Byzantine walls. What was unusual about the Ottoman artillery?

6. The Mamluks had broad access to firearms but when the Ottomans beseiged their fortresses in Syria in 1517, there was no artillery to oppose the Turks. Why?

7. At the same time, however, a descendant of Turkish slaves (father's side) and Mongol warriors (mother's side) named Babur had no problems with using firearms. He captured Kabul in 1504 (see - it can be done!), and he used artillery extensively in a huge battle at Panipat in 1526, defeating a confederation of princes and founding a new empire in the process. What empire was this?

8. What was unique about the Nagahama matchlock firearms production center from the late 16th century until the mid-19th century that wouyld have made Tokugawa Ieyasu proud?

9. What major innovation in firearms technology did Charles VIII's France introduce in 1494?

10. Can you put these European hand-held firearms' types into correct chronological order?

A. flintlock
B. percussion
C. Snaphaunce
D. wheellock
E. matchlock

11. There was a major innovation in firearms technology in the mid-16th century based on the concept of the fletch of arrows, but it didn't really have an impact until the 18th century, and even then most countries didn't adopt it until the mid-19th century, and even then again strategies and tactics didn't catch up until the 1914-18 war. What was it?

12. The towns of Springfield, MA and Harpers Ferry, VA in the U.S. share a common distinction dating from the American Revolution. What is it?

13. In 1838, a Swissman (Johannes Samuel Pauly) and a Prussian (Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse) gave the world of firearms several new innovations, though they really were improving old ideas. Can you name the 3 innovations they combined?

14. Peter Mauser perfected a mechanism for firearms that was so stable and solid in the late 19th century that it was licensed for production throughout Europe, and is still used today in most sporting firearms and some military. What was it?

15. Emil von Skoda founded the Skoda Werke, the principal arms manufacturer for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. What's the Skoda factory producing nowadays?

16. What does Ludwig Obry's gyroscope, patented in 1895, have to do with firearms?

17. In the Spanish-American War (1898-1901), the Americans fighting in Cuba with their bizarre "side-trap" Krag-Jorgenson rifles were at a distinct technological disadvantage against the Spanish and their Spanish-made Mausers. What was that disadvantage?

18. Can you tell me what countries produced the following assault rifles for World War II:

A. M-1 Garand
B. Lee-Enfield
C. Mannlicher-Carcano
D. Moisen-Nagant
E. Meiji
F. The Ross Rifle
G. Thompson submachine gun
H. Mauser
I. MKb-42
J. Lebel Rifle
K. B.A.R.
L. M3A1

19. Avtomat' kalashnikov Sorok-sjem: Whazzat?

20. In the middle of the Vietnam War the U.S. introduced a new series of assault weapons, though this was unpopular with the soldiers. What was this series' weapon?

21. The Thompson submachine gun, the AK-47 and the M-1 Garand all have different types of magazines. Can you name them?

Good luck folks!

1) Nobody knows for sure, iirc. Altho plenty of speculation abounds, nobody has been able to brew the stuff for ages. To clarify, it was a mix of chemicals that ignited upon contact with air. A hose was used to pump them from vats into a stream that was aimed at unfortunate enemies.

12) Both were munitions armories, n'est-ce pas?

19) A semi-automatic rifle

Sodak's reply:

1) Nobody knows for sure, iirc. Altho plenty of speculation abounds, nobody has been able to brew the stuff for ages. To clarify, it was a mix of chemicals that ignited upon contact with air. A hose was used to pump them from vats into a stream that was aimed at unfortunate enemies.

Yes! Exactly. Current thinking has it that Greek Fire was a sort of liquid naptha, but we still can't explain all its effects.

12) Both were munitions armories, n'est-ce pas?

Oui! These were the first official gun manufacturers and armories in the United States.

19) A semi-automatic rifle

Hmmmm, I need something more specific.

Excellent run Sodak!

Wow, another great set of questions Vrylakas :)

1. What was "Greek Fire" made of?

Napalm, or something very similar

2. When and where were firearms probably first used?

China, but I don't know when

5. When Mohammed II beseiged Constantinople in 1453, he used artillery to batter the thick Byzantine walls. What was unusual about the Ottoman artillery?

Was it rifled?

11. There was a major innovation in firearms technology in the mid-16th century based on the concept of the fletch of arrows, but it didn't really have an impact until the 18th century, and even then most countries didn't adopt it until the mid-19th century, and even then again strategies and tactics didn't catch up until the 1914-18 war. What was it?

The single barreled machine gun.

12. The towns of Springfield, MA and Harpers Ferry, VA in the U.S. share a common distinction dating from the American Revolution. What is it?

They were federal armouries and centres of weapons manufacture

15. Emil von Skoda founded the Skoda Werke, the principal arms manufacturer for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. What's the Skoda factory producing nowadays?

Cars?

18. Can you tell me what countries produced the following assault rifles for World War II:

A. M-1 Garand - USA
B. Lee-Enfield - British Commonwealth nations
C. Mannlicher-Carcano - Italy
D. Moisen-Nagant - ?
E. Meiji - Japan
F. The Ross Rifle - ? (Canada perhaps?)
G. Thompson submachine gun - USA
H. Mauser - Germany
I. MKb-42 - Germany
J. Lebel Rifle - ?
K. B.A.R. - USA
L. M3A1 - USA

19. Avtomat' kalashnikov Sorok-sjem: Whazzat?

The company which originally made the AK-47 rifle?

20. In the middle of the Vietnam War the U.S. introduced a new series of assault weapons, though this was unpopular with the soldiers. What was this series' weapon?

The M-16 and M-60. Both were oringinally terrible weapons (I've read account of entire platoons being over-run and killed due to thier weapons jamming)

1. What was "Greek Fire" made of?

Like you said, nobody is really sure since the secret died out with the Byzantines but the Byzantine navy used it with great effect against the Arabs and like.

2. When and where were firearms probably first used?

In Europe, sometime in the 13th century. The Chinese mostly used it in the form of rockets and fireworks.

3. What is the first evidence in Europe of firearms, and when?

Cannons made in bell foundries. Shaped sort of like church bells cos made by the same smiths. Evidenced during the siege of a medieval castle somewhere in France (?). Sometime in the 13th century.

4. How were the first firearms in Europe used for centuries before diversifying?

Used as artillery pieces, before being miniaturized to be handheld?

5. When Mohammed II beseiged Constantinople in 1453, he used artillery to batter the thick Byzantine walls. What was unusual about the Ottoman artillery?

Made by Western smiths?

6. The Mamluks had broad access to firearms but when the Ottomans beseiged their fortresses in Syria in 1517, there was no artillery to oppose the Turks. Why?

Military doctrine & training. The Mamluks disdained the use of firearms in warfare cos they believed in their superiority as a military class. Besides they were cavalrymen at heart.

7. At the same time, however, a descendant of Turkish slaves (father's side) and Mongol warriors (mother's side) named Babur had no problems with using firearms. He captured Kabul in 1504 (see - it can be done!), and he used artillery extensively in a huge battle at Panipat in 1526, defeating a confederation of princes and founding a new empire in the process. What empire was this?

The Mughal Empire in India of coz.

8. What was unique about the Nagahama matchlock firearms production center from the late 16th century until the mid-19th century that wouyld have made Tokugawa Ieyasu proud?

Totally ran by Japanese? So with all the designs, with world-class quality?

9. What major innovation in firearms technology did Charles VIII's France introduce in 1494?

Muskets?

10. Can you put these European hand-held firearms' types into correct chronological order?

A. flintlock (2)
B. percussion (4) Surely the latest
C. Snaphaunce - Dunno
D. wheellock (3)
E. matchlock (1)

14. Peter Mauser perfected a mechanism for firearms that was so stable and solid in the late 19th century that it was licensed for production throughout Europe, and is still used today in most sporting firearms and some military. What was it?

Rifled barrels?

Case wrote:

Wow, another great set of questions Vrylakas

Thanks Case - these are surprisingly fun.

1. What was "Greek Fire" made of?

Napalm, or something very similar

Sodak got this one right; simply said, we don't know. There've been many experiments to figure out exactly what it was (and as I mentioned current thinking says that it must have been some kind of liquid naptha) but so far, no dice.

2. When and where were firearms probably first used?

China, but I don't know when

Right! - at least the first part. The "when" is tricky because medieval Chinese scholars tried to confuse the issue a bit.

5. When Mohammed II beseiged Constantinople in 1453, he used artillery to batter the thick Byzantine walls. What was unusual about the Ottoman artillery?

Was it rifled?

No, but good try.

11. There was a major innovation in firearms technology in the mid-16th century based on the concept of the fletch of arrows, but it didn't really have an impact until the 18th century, and even then most countries didn't adopt it until the mid-19th century, and even then again strategies and tactics didn't catch up until the 1914-18 war. What was it?

The single barreled machine gun.

No.

12. The towns of Springfield, MA and Harpers Ferry, VA in the U.S. share a common distinction dating from the American Revolution. What is it?

They were federal armouries and centres of weapons manufacture

Yes! The first official firearms production centers and armories in the U.S. Until these two sites were commissioned, Americans relied either on handcraft-made guns (usually by German immigrants) or they bought them from Europe.

15. Emil von Skoda founded the Skoda Werke, the principal arms manufacturer for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. What's the Skoda factory producing nowadays?

Cars?

Yes! I thought Europeans would pounce on this one because Skoda cars (made in the modern Czech Republic) are all over the place. I know the English tell jokes about Skoda cars, but for trhose of us used to Ladas, Trabants, Dacias and Polski Fiats the Skoda was a virtual luxury car! :rolleyes:

18. Can you tell me what countries produced the following assault rifles for World War II:

A. M-1 Garand - USA Yes!
B. Lee-Enfield - British Commonwealth nations Yes!
C. Mannlicher-Carcano - Italy Yes!
D. Moisen-Nagant - ?
E. Meiji - Japan Yes!
F. The Ross Rifle - ? (Canada perhaps?) Yes! Another type of Enfield design made in Canada.
G. Thompson submachine gun - USA Yes!
H. Mauser - Germany Yes!
I. MKb-42 - Germany Yes!
J. Lebel Rifle - ?
K. B.A.R. - USA Yes!
L. M3A1 - USA Yes!

Good show Case! Only D and J left for that one!

19. Avtomat' kalashnikov Sorok-sjem: Whazzat?

The company which originally made the AK-47 rifle?

Close enough! That's Russian for the AK-47. "Sorok-sjem" means "47". The translation is simply "The Automatic Kalashnikov - 47".

20. In the middle of the Vietnam War the U.S. introduced a new series of assault weapons, though this was unpopular with the soldiers. What was this series' weapon?

The M-16 and M-60. Both were oringinally terrible weapons (I've read account of entire platoons being over-run and killed due to thier weapons jamming)

Yes! The U.S. introduced the Armalite series with the M-16 and M-60 during the Vietnam War, both of which initially were very sensitive to dirt and weathering - something a soldier in pitch battle does not need. Many stories have circulated of soldiers ditching their M-16s in favor of their old wooden-stock M-14s, the final descendant of the old M-1 Garand.

Good job Case! You cleaned out a lot of questions!

Answers by Knight-Dragon:

1. What was "Greek Fire" made of?

Like you said, nobody is really sure since the secret died out with the Byzantines but the Byzantine navy used it with great effect against the Arabs and like.

Yup.

2. When and where were firearms probably first used?

In Europe, sometime in the 13th century. The Chinese mostly used it in the form of rockets and fireworks.

Close call on that one. The Chinese did use firearms before Europeans, though blackpowder was known to them for centuries before and used in ceremonies. The initial Chinese firearms came in the form of a bamboo barrel. I would not want to be around when that thing fired its tenth shot... 1/2 point on this one.

3. What is the first evidence in Europe of firearms, and when?

Cannons made in bell foundries. Shaped sort of like church bells cos made by the same smiths. Evidenced during the siege of a medieval castle somewhere in France (?). Sometime in the 13th century.

Mostly right on this one. Yes, the first firearms were cannons which were adapted from a type of flaming arrow projectile used by the Arabs and Persians. They also, as you say, were most probably forged in bell foundries - we suspect that because of their early shapes. You're just a little off on the date; the first manuscript describing such a cannon was Walter de Milemete in 1326. Good job on this one, Knight-Dragon!

4. How were the first firearms in Europe used for centuries before diversifying?

Used as artillery pieces, before being miniaturized to be handheld?

Yes! Excellent! The first firearms were essentially vase-shaped barrels used to lob heavy stone balls at castles. It took a while for someone to effectively develop hand-held "cannons".

5. When Mohammed II beseiged Constantinople in 1453, he used artillery to batter the thick Byzantine walls. What was unusual about the Ottoman artillery?

Made by Western smiths?

I'll give you a half-point on this because you're right, although this isn't the answer I was looking for. A hint on this, related to your answer, is that an example of a similar cannon to the ones used by the Turks at Constantinople today is sitting on display in the Tower of London.

6. The Mamluks had broad access to firearms but when the Ottomans beseiged their fortresses in Syria in 1517, there was no artillery to oppose the Turks. Why?

Military doctrine & training. The Mamluks disdained the use of firearms in warfare cos they believed in their superiority as a military class. Besides they were cavalrymen at heart.

Right on. I stole this question from one of my favorite English-language historians, John Keegan, who uses this example in his argument of how Clauswitz's precepts only make sense in the Napoleonic era. The Mamluks eschewed firearms - correctly - as a technology that undermined their privilaged place in Mamluk Egypt. Unfortunately for them the Ottomans didn't feel nostalgic enough not to use cannons against the Mamluk fortresses...

7. At the same time, however, a descendant of Turkish slaves (father's side) and Mongol warriors (mother's side) named Babur had no problems with using firearms. He captured Kabul in 1504 (see - it can be done!), and he used artillery extensively in a huge battle at Panipat in 1526, defeating a confederation of princes and founding a new empire in the process. What empire was this?

The Mughal Empire in India of coz.

Yes!

8. What was unique about the Nagahama matchlock firearms production center from the late 16th century until the mid-19th century that wouyld have made Tokugawa Ieyasu proud?

Totally ran by Japanese? So with all the designs, with world-class quality?

Nice try, but no. It is of course true that they were Japanese-only productions. Also, while they made copies of matchlocks they got from the Portuguese traders in the 16th century it is generally acknowledged by modern historians that the Nagahama matchlocks were of unparalleled quality. However there was something more interesting about what these guys were doing that I was looking for.

9. What major innovation in firearms technology did Charles VIII's France introduce in 1494?

Muskets?

Not quite yet. Nice try.

10. Can you put these European hand-held firearms' types into correct chronological order?

A. flintlock (2) No.
B. percussion (4) Surely the latest Yes!
C. Snaphaunce - Dunno
D. wheellock (3) No.
E. matchlock (1) Yes!

Not quite - almost though.

14. Peter Mauser perfected a mechanism for firearms that was so stable and solid in the late 19th century that it was licensed for production throughout Europe, and is still used today in most sporting firearms and some military. What was it?

Rifled barrels?

No.

Another good run that has cleared up several questions. Thanks for the try Knight-Dragon!

I have absolutely no idea about the history of firearms, so I won't even attempt this.

Originally posted by Vrylakas
By popular demand, a history quiz on the development of firearms in history:

1. What was "Greek Fire" made of?

2. When and where were firearms probably first used?

3. What is the first evidence in Europe of firearms, and when?

4. How were the first firearms in Europe used for centuries before diversifying?

5. When Mohammed II beseiged Constantinople in 1453, he used artillery to batter the thick Byzantine walls. What was unusual about the Ottoman artillery?

6. The Mamluks had broad access to firearms but when the Ottomans beseiged their fortresses in Syria in 1517, there was no artillery to oppose the Turks. Why?

7. At the same time, however, a descendant of Turkish slaves (father's side) and Mongol warriors (mother's side) named Babur had no problems with using firearms. He captured Kabul in 1504 (see - it can be done!), and he used artillery extensively in a huge battle at Panipat in 1526, defeating a confederation of princes and founding a new empire in the process. What empire was this?

8. What was unique about the Nagahama matchlock firearms production center from the late 16th century until the mid-19th century that wouyld have made Tokugawa Ieyasu proud?

9. What major innovation in firearms technology did Charles VIII's France introduce in 1494?

10. Can you put these European hand-held firearms' types into correct chronological order?

A. flintlock
B. percussion
C. Snaphaunce
D. wheellock
E. matchlock

11. There was a major innovation in firearms technology in the mid-16th century based on the concept of the fletch of arrows, but it didn't really have an impact until the 18th century, and even then most countries didn't adopt it until the mid-19th century, and even then again strategies and tactics didn't catch up until the 1914-18 war. What was it?

12. The towns of Springfield, MA and Harpers Ferry, VA in the U.S. share a common distinction dating from the American Revolution. What is it?

13. In 1838, a Swissman (Johannes Samuel Pauly) and a Prussian (Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse) gave the world of firearms several new innovations, though they really were improving old ideas. Can you name the 3 innovations they combined?

14. Peter Mauser perfected a mechanism for firearms that was so stable and solid in the late 19th century that it was licensed for production throughout Europe, and is still used today in most sporting firearms and some military. What was it?

15. Emil von Skoda founded the Skoda Werke, the principal arms manufacturer for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. What's the Skoda factory producing nowadays?

16. What does Ludwig Obry's gyroscope, patented in 1895, have to do with firearms?

17. In the Spanish-American War (1898-1901), the Americans fighting in Cuba with their bizarre "side-trap" Krag-Jorgenson rifles were at a distinct technological disadvantage against the Spanish and their Spanish-made Mausers. What was that disadvantage?

18. Can you tell me what countries produced the following assault rifles for World War II:

A. M-1 Garand
B. Lee-Enfield
C. Mannlicher-Carcano
D. Moisen-Nagant
E. Meiji
F. The Ross Rifle
G. Thompson submachine gun
H. Mauser
I. MKb-42
J. Lebel Rifle
K. B.A.R.
L. M3A1

19. Avtomat' kalashnikov Sorok-sjem: Whazzat?

20. In the middle of the Vietnam War the U.S. introduced a new series of assault weapons, though this was unpopular with the soldiers. What was this series' weapon?

21. The Thompson submachine gun, the AK-47 and the M-1 Garand all have different types of magazines. Can you name them?

Good luck folks!
I actually know one of the answers so i am damn proud. The rest i dont know.
Answers:
1. Greek fire was created by some scientist and it is really a "flamethrower" on a boat, but what it was made, i cant remember. But first they where used as a early kind of molotov cocktails, so its a kind of napalm.
2. 300 ad? Oh yeah and China.
3. ???
5. Wasnt it that "big ass gun" VERY VERY big gun in other terms.6. Because aliens had beemed them up in their space ships.
7. Arabia?
9. Muskets. Flint locks.
20. THe m. 16 series and m. 60 series ( I love them)

OK, here are a couple more answers to questions I got wrong:

5. When Mohammed II beseiged Constantinople in 1453, he used artillery to batter the thick Byzantine walls. What was unusual about the Ottoman artillery?

It was made of a stronger material then had been used previously (copper or brass I *think*)

11. There was a major innovation in firearms technology in the mid-16th century based on the concept of the fletch of arrows, but it didn't really have an impact until the 18th century, and even then most countries didn't adopt it until the mid-19th century, and even then again strategies and tactics didn't catch up until the 1914-18 war. What was it?

Ammunition magazines for rifles

BTW, American soldiers in Vietnam often 'borrowed' Australian Self Loading Rifles (the British version of the Belgian FN series). SLR's were more reliable, and had much greater muzzle velocity the the M-16, both features were very useful in jungle fighting.

"8. What was unique about the Nagahama matchlock firearms production center from the late 16th century until the mid-19th century that wouyld have made Tokugawa Ieyasu proud?

Totally ran by Japanese? So with all the designs, with world-class quality?

Nice try, but no. It is of course true that they were Japanese-only productions. Also, while they made copies of matchlocks they got from the Portuguese traders in the 16th century it is generally acknowledged by modern historians that the Nagahama matchlocks were of unparalleled quality. However there was something more interesting about what these guys were doing that I was looking for."

They were run by ninjas (one of the two clans who worked for Tokugawa Ieyasu). After Tokugawa banned firearms in Japan (to protect the social status of samurai cos firearms enabled even lowly untrained peasants to kill samurai on the field of battle), he only maintained one or two production centers in Japan. As ninjas were also very experienced in handling firearms and gunpowder, the Shogun charged them to maintain the Shogunate's firearms production?

"16. What does Ludwig Obry's gyroscope, patented in 1895, have to do with firearms?"

On a really wild guess, they are used to aim the big guns (dunno the exact term) on battleships and other warships.

Add : Wait, it's used in anti-aircraft guns?

Spacecow wrote:

I actually know one of the answers so i am damn proud. The rest i dont know.
Answers:
1. Greek fire was created by some scientist and it is really a "flamethrower" on a boat, but what it was made, i cant remember. But first they where used as a early kind of molotov cocktails, so its a kind of napalm.

That is one theory, indeed. We don't know for sure exactly what Greek Fire was.

2. 300 ad? Oh yeah and China.

The China part is right, but you're off on the date.

3. ???

5. Wasnt it that "big ass gun" VERY VERY big gun in other terms.

Yes! Good call, Spacecow! The Turks loved huge, monstrous guns that lobbed 800 lbs. stone cannon balls. These monsters were so large they couldn't be transported; they had to be forged and mounted at the scene of the seige. Excellent!

6. Because aliens had beemed them up in their space ships.

Um, next question...

7. Arabia?

No. Knight-Dragon (aka SKM) already got this one; the Islamic Moghul Empire.

9. Muskets. Flint locks.

No.

20. THe m. 16 series and m. 60 series ( I love them)

Yes!

Good run, Spacecow!

Case wrote: OK, here are a couple more answers to questions I got wrong:

5. When Mohammed II beseiged Constantinople in 1453, he used artillery to batter the thick Byzantine walls. What was unusual about the Ottoman artillery?

It was made of a stronger material then had been used previously (copper or brass I *think*)

No.

11. There was a major innovation in firearms technology in the mid-16th century based on the concept of the fletch of arrows, but it didn't really have an impact until the 18th century, and even then most countries didn't adopt it until the mid-19th century, and even then again strategies and tactics didn't catch up until the 1914-18 war. What was it?

Ammunition magazines for rifles

No. Something far more basic than that. In fact, the you mention in your answer above...

BTW, American soldiers in Vietnam often 'borrowed' Australian Self Loading Rifles (the British version of the Belgian FN series). SLR's were more reliable, and had much greater muzzle velocity the the M-16, both features were very useful in jungle fighting.

I've heard such stories too. This is an old American tradition; in WW I Americans were given the very unreliable French Chassepot submachine guns and they threw them away at every chance.

Nice try, Case.

Knight-Dragon wrote:"8. What was unique about the Nagahama matchlock firearms production center from the late 16th century until the mid-19th century that wouyld have made Tokugawa Ieyasu proud?

Totally ran by Japanese? So with all the designs, with world-class quality?

Nice try, but no. It is of course true that they were Japanese-only productions. Also, while they made copies of matchlocks they got from the Portuguese traders in the 16th century it is generally acknowledged by modern historians that the Nagahama matchlocks were of unparalleled quality. However there was something more interesting about what these guys were doing that I was looking for."

They were run by ninjas (one of the two clans who worked for Tokugawa Ieyasu). After Tokugawa banned firearms in Japan (to protect the social status of samurai cos firearms enabled even lowly untrained peasants to kill samurai on the field of battle), he only maintained one or two production centers in Japan. As ninjas were also very experienced in handling firearms and gunpowder, the Shogun charged them to maintain the Shogunate's firearms production?

Bingo! What was unique about the Nagahama works was that they were unique! Tokugawa had ordered all firearms seized and buried or destroyed in 1587, and the Nagahama works were designated as the exclusive manufacturer of firearms in Japan for the entire Shogun period. Every single firearm that was created by Nagahama had to be personally approved by the Shogun. Nagahama produced an average of 24 matchlocks a year for its entire life... This nice little monopoly ended in 1858 when American ships under Admiral Perry showed up on the horizon and demonstrated that Japan might be better served by more robust arms production...

Good one Knight-Dragon!

Knight-Dragon/The Poster Formerly Known as SKN wrote:"16. What does Ludwig Obry's gyroscope, patented in 1895, have to do with firearms?"

On a really wild guess, they are used to aim the big guns (dunno the exact term) on battleships and other warships.

Add : Wait, it's used in anti-aircraft guns?

The first one was right! A major problem for battleships and their cannon was that they weren't sitting still; the damned ocean keeps moving up and down. This meant that you practically had to be on top of your target if you wanted any chance of hitting anything. The 17th and 18th century navies settled this the same way the army settled its problem with a complete lack of accuracy, by simply having a whole row of guns all shoot at once sending a barrage of lead in the enemy's direction. However, with the birth of dreadnaughts and their 16 inch guns, this wasn't feasible. Obry's gyroscope gave the guns a constant sense of balance and where the horizon was, so gunners could acurately target anything even on the roughest seas. It also increased the range dramatically, to the point where you almost didn't have to actually be in visual contact with your target and still expect to hit it dead on.

Good job Knight-Dragon! This was a tough one!

Ammunition belts?

11. There was a major innovation in firearms technology in the mid-16th century based on the concept of the fletch of arrows, but it didn't really have an impact until the 18th century, and even then most countries didn't adopt it until the mid-19th century, and even then again strategies and tactics didn't catch up until the 1914-18 war. What was it?

Case wrote: Ammunition belts?

No. Nice try though. Far more basic than that. In fact, it's already been mentioned as an incorrect answer to other questions.

One barreled machine guns??

Or maybe Rifled barrels??

OK, some hints for the remaining questions:

2. We've got the first part right, that firearams were probably first invented and used in China, but we're waiting for the approximate date. Hint: Some Chinese chronicals mention firearms use in battles stretching back to the 4th century in China, but these chronicals were written many centuries after the battles and they describe technologies that are far more recent in origin. There is no doubt that gunpowder has been used in China since the 4th century, but only in temple ceremonies as Knight-Dragon observed.

9. Charles VIII and all of Europe had a basic problem in the 15th century with firearms technology that he resolved. It would greatly widen the range and use of firearms...

11. You guys have already mentioned this development mistakenly as an answer to other questions. It really was simple, but had a major impact.

13. These two guys essentially invented the modern firearm.

14. Mauser was more famous for his pistols at the time, but he made something that was sloppy and prone to exploding much more sturdy and safe.

17. Peek-a-boo, I see you!

18 D. The Moisen-Nagant had a strange feature whereby the trigger guard was oversized, for a hand with big gloves to fit in it... (Now who would need big gloves...?)

18J. Piece o' crap, but a holdover from WW I - coming from the country that took to hiding behind "walls".

21. The shape of the magazines is a key...

Good luck!

I don't know much about firearms, but i'll take a shot at #11.

Rifling? Don't know how it works, but it makes the bullet or whatever spin so it can go more straight. Just like the fletches make the arrow spin.

"2. We've got the first part right, that firearams were probably first invented and used in China, but we're waiting for the approximate date. Hint: Some Chinese chronicals mention firearms use in battles stretching back to the 4th century in China, but these chronicals were written many centuries after the battles and they describe technologies that are far more recent in origin. There is no doubt that gunpowder has been used in China since the 4th century, but only in temple ceremonies as Knight-Dragon observed."

During the Song Dynasty? Remember reading somewhere Song soldiers used rockets and other missile projectiles against the Jurchen Jin.

"9. Charles VIII and all of Europe had a basic problem in the 15th century with firearms technology that he resolved. It would greatly widen the range and use of firearms..."

Wild guess - use of fuses to ignite the gunpowder?

"14. Mauser was more famous for his pistols at the time, but he made something that was sloppy and prone to exploding much more sturdy and safe."

Dynamite? But I think that's devised by Alfred Nobel. Hmmm....

Spacecow wrote:

For # 11:

One barreled machine guns??

No.

Then he wrote:

Or maybe Rifled barrels??

Yes!!!! Rifling in barrels has existed since the 1550s in Europe, and was adapted from the idea that the fletch on arrows makes the arrow spin - which makes it go much farther and more accurately. (It's kind of like throwing an American football; the spin allows it to go both farther and gives the thrower greater control in targeting.) A problem with rifling was that for it to work the bullet had to be tight in the barrel - and most 16th and 17th century firearms had vague bullet sizes that only fit inside the barrel snuggly with a lot of cloth wadding. In the 18th century firearm quality improved greatly but because of the rifled barrel it was much harder to ram the bullet down the barrel - which meant it took longer, which could be fatal in battle. The 18th century armies utilized sharpshooters - a sort of battlefield assassin who used rifles - but the regular army still preferred lining up a row of smoothbore guns and continuously blasting away in the enemies' direction. Smoothbore guns were far less accurate and had a smaller range - just read accounts of 18th century battles and you'll see that unless the armies were on top of each other, volley after volley would produce only a few casualties.

In the 19th century most countries finally switched to rifles, though strategies and tactics remained for the most part based in the Napoleonic era - an era that used smoothbores. This is where the huge casualty rates start showing up in, for instance, the American Civil War - where two armies line up on a battlefield in classic Napoleonic frontal position and blast away at each other - but this time, using firearms that were much more accurate (Now they put sites on the guns because there was a point to aiming!) and with a greater range. In World War II the Americans lost about 535,000 dead; in the American Civil War the Americans lost 625,000. This also accounts for the massive casualties of World War I, when generals still insisted on the Napoleonic single glorious battle that would win the war.

When the Germans in 1914 attacked the British Expeditionary Force at Mons, they thought the British had machine guns because of the rapid and accurate rate of fire; they didn't. The British had simply trained well with their rifles.... A taste of things to come...

Excellent job Spacecow! Rifling was a seemingly minor innovation but it completely changed warfare (and hunting - leading to the extinction of many species humans couldn't previously hit well with a smoothbore).

King of England wrote: I don't know much about firearms, but i'll take a shot at #11.

Rifling? Don't know how it works, but it makes the bullet or whatever spin so it can go more straight. Just like the fletches make the arrow spin.

King of England gets credit for this one too! Good shot!

To all Americans, Happy Thanksgiving! For a Pole with little experience in this direction, my wife can make a mean turkey!

Knight-Dragon wrote:

"2. We've got the first part right, that firearams were probably first invented and used in China, but we're waiting for the approximate date. Hint: Some Chinese chronicals mention firearms use in battles stretching back to the 4th century in China, but these chronicals were written many centuries after the battles and they describe technologies that are far more recent in origin. There is no doubt that gunpowder has been used in China since the 4th century, but only in temple ceremonies as Knight-Dragon observed."

During the Song Dynasty? Remember reading somewhere Song soldiers used rockets and other missile projectiles against the Jurchen Jin.

Yes! There is a lot of confusing commentary in Chinese chronicals stretching back to the Three Kingdoms period that seems to suggest firearms (and even earlier in some cases to the Chou), but the first definite mention comes from descriptions of the Sung battles of resistance to the Nu-chen/Jurchen Tartars in the early 12th century. The historian J.R. Partington claims that some of the devices may have come from the eastern Islamic empires. The Sung, however, while apparently using firearms, didn't sytemmatically adopt them, nor did the subsequent Yuen (Mongol) dynasty. The Ming dynasty were the first to enthusiastically embrace firearms in their military in China.

This means that firearms probably were in use in China and the Islamic world in the 12th and 13th centuries, gradually making their way westward to Europe in the early 14th century. Over about a century's time, however, the Europeans made major improvements to their firearms. When the Portuguese sailed around Africa in the 15th century and came upon the Arab slave-trading forts, the Portuguese cannon had far better range and were somewhat more accurate, which allowed them to easily pick off and take over the Arab forts.

Good job on that one Knight-Dragon! There are many myths about the Chinese having firearms 2000 years ago; myths propagated by Chinese chronicalers living in the 17th and 18th centuries.

"9. Charles VIII and all of Europe had a basic problem in the 15th century with firearms technology that he resolved. It would greatly widen the range and use of firearms..."

Wild guess - use of fuses to ignite the gunpowder?

Nope. Let me put it this way: We've already mentioned that the first firearms in Europe - all cannons - were made by bell foundaries. Now how easy do you think it is to move a bell around...?

"14. Mauser was more famous for his pistols at the time, but he made something that was sloppy and prone to exploding much more sturdy and safe."

Dynamite? But I think that's devised by Alfred Nobel. Hmmm....

Nope. Take a look at a German Mauser from WW I, and you'll notice that it looks remarkably like just about every other firearm you see today.

Thanks Knight-Dragon! Another tough question cleared up!

I almost forgot - I'll finish up Question #10 because Knight-Dragon took a good swipe at it and almost got it.

The chronological order for the different kinds of firearms goes like this:

1. Matchlock (16th century)
2. Wheel-lock (16th century)
3. Snaphaunce (late 16th century)
4. Flintlock (17th-19th centuries)
5. Percussion (19th century)

1. The matchlock was the simplist form of gun type, where you stuck a match into a powder-pan igniting a small explosion outside that lit the powder inside the barrel. Problem: that small explosion showed everyone on the battlefield where you were, and the slightest wind or rain made your gun useless. This design didn't last long.

2. The wheel-lock put the "flash-pan" (where the initial explosion took place) undercover, and used a slowly revolving wheel rubbing against pyrite to create a spark that would ignite the powder.

3. The Snaphaunce was similar to a wheel-lock - except it used a cheaper material, flint, to get the same results. The poor-man's wheel-lock.

4. The flintlock got rid of the wheel and just had a hammer with a flint piece strike against cold steel, producing the necessary spark. Can it get any simpler?

5. Even flint can be unpredictable when wet however, so someone got the idea in the 19th century to put a highly unstable mercury compound into a small brass cap and have a hammer strike that to produce the initial spark. This "percussion cap" was far more reliable, and used by almost all armies from the 1840s onward...

Here's a hint for questions 13 and 14: These inventions completely wiped (almost) out all of the technological developments I've just described.

"Yes! There is a lot of confusing commentary in Chinese chronicals stretching back to the Three Kingdoms period that seems to suggest firearms (and even earlier in some cases to the Chou), but the first definite mention comes from descriptions of the Sung battles of resistance to the Nu-chen/Jurchen Tartars in the early 12th century. The historian J.R. Partington claims that some of the devices may have come from the eastern Islamic empires. The Sung, however, while apparently using firearms, didn't sytemmatically adopt them, nor did the subsequent Yuen (Mongol) dynasty. The Ming dynasty were the first to enthusiastically embrace firearms in their military in China."

Just to clear something up - the Ming were not that enthusiastic a user of firearms thru out most of its era, except towards the end. These were actually brought in by the Europeans, specifically the Jesuit order who were trying to establish themselves in China, and hence trying to ingratiate themselves to the Ming emperor. Firearms didn't help much against the Manchus though. It was even recorded that Nuerhachi, the leader of the Jurchen tribes who would one day rename themselves Manchus, once charged Ming musketeers successfully using cavalry. Guess the firearms in those days were really primitive?

It's the Qing Manchus themselves who were the first enthusiastic 'Chinese' users of firearms. They used artillery (cannons) with great effect on the Western Mongol tribes (Dzungars) and others and reduced the nomadic threat forever.

"9. Charles VIII and all of Europe had a basic problem in the 15th century with firearms technology that he resolved. It would greatly widen the range and use of firearms...

Wild guess - use of fuses to ignite the gunpowder?

Nope. Let me put it this way: We've already mentioned that the first firearms in Europe - all cannons - were made by bell foundaries. Now how easy do you think it is to move a bell around...?"

Another wild guess - he put them on oxen carts, which enabled easier transportation to the field of battle?

Knight-Dragon wrote:

"9. Charles VIII and all of Europe had a basic problem in the 15th century with firearms technology that he resolved. It would greatly widen the range and use of firearms...

Wild guess - use of fuses to ignite the gunpowder?

Nope. Let me put it this way: We've already mentioned that the first firearms in Europe - all cannons - were made by bell foundaries. Now how easy do you think it is to move a bell around...?"

Another wild guess - he put them on oxen carts, which enabled easier transportation to the field of battle?

Close enough! Cannon in the 15th century were extremely heavy and almost always permanently mounted somewhere. Charles VIII's army streamlined and shortened the shape of the barrel to a point where it could be mounted on a wooden carriage - therefore becoming mobile. While the cannons were shorter they fired iron balls which had 3x the destructive force of the old stone ones. In the spring of 1494 Charles invaded Italy and conquered castle after castle because his new mobile (and more powerful) artillery was all over the battlefield, always at the places where it was needed most. It could roam up to the foot of castle walls and blast away, it could move back and batter parapets, then move towards the gates to deal with an enemy sortie. Mobile artillery had arrived, and revolutionized warfare.

Good one Knight-Dragon!

Knight-Dragon wrote:

Just to clear something up - the Ming were not that enthusiastic a user of firearms thru out most of its era, except towards the end. These were actually brought in by the Europeans, specifically the Jesuit order who were trying to establish themselves in China, and hence trying to ingratiate themselves to the Ming emperor. Firearms didn't help much against the Manchus though. It was even recorded that Nuerhachi, the leader of the Jurchen tribes who would one day rename themselves Manchus, once charged Ming musketeers successfully using cavalry. Guess the firearms in those days were really primitive?

It's the Qing Manchus themselves who were the first enthusiastic 'Chinese' users of firearms. They used artillery (cannons) with great effect on the Western Mongol tribes (Dzungars) and others and reduced the nomadic threat forever.

Thanks for that input! My Chinese history is based on just a few classes, and has many holes...

As for the firearms used by the Ming, I cannot vouch for their quality. Until the 18th century in Europe, firearm quality varied wildly and even those considered among the best had a very limited range and almost no real accuracy (compared to today's). Bullets didn't fit tightly in the barrels, which meant that once ejected from the barrels by the exploding powder, they could go in almost any direction except backwards. Hollywood historical films frequently show 17th century firearms (The Three Musketeers, Joan d'Arc, etc.) being shot at great distances and accurately hitting their targets constantly; sorry; reality was otherwise. (I blame Hollywood but others do it too; a Polish film, Fire and Sword from last year had similar shooting that someone in the real 17th century would have been very, very impressed with indeed!) As I mentioned earlier, armies lined up and fired repeated salvos at each other, more often than not hitting nothing. Since accuracy sucked, the goal was getting a high volume of lead flying at your enemy - statistics tells you that sooner or later some of your bullets will hit someone in the opposing army. It is not therefore inconcievable at all that a cavalry could successfully charge musketeers. In fact, until about the 1690s, if I had to defend myself against a cavalry charge I'd go with a well-trained pike unit over musketeers.

And of course, not everyone is always up to date technologically-speaking. Take the famous Arab skirmishers in T.E. Lawrence's Arab brigade in the Saud during World War I, many of whom had 18th century flintlocks.

Thanks again Knight-Dragon!

OK, so it seems everyone's bored with the topic. I'll spill the beans on the last few unresolved questions:

13. These two guys perfected and combined three features that would become the modern firearm: The breech-loader, the pin firing mechanism and the cartridge. They took the bullet and powder and put them in a brass case, and stuck the mercury percussion cap used in percussion firearms on the end of the case - inventing the modern cartridge! The needle in the gun's firing mechanism rammed into the percussion cap at the end of the case when the trigger was pulled. These two guys made a revolution in firearms, but their mechanism was weak and prone to breaking. That's where the guy in the next question comes in...

14. Peter Mauser perfected the bolt-action mechanism, the thing the two guys in the previous question invented (sort of). Mauser's bolt action was snug and strong, and adopted by nearly everyone in Europe. The one hold-out on Mauser bolt-actions were the Brits, who insisted on using their own Enfield-series rifles, as did most of the British Commonwealth. Another unusual holdout were the Italians, whose Mannlicher-Carcano rifles had a bad habit of exploding when fired and violently placing the weak Italian-made bolt in the firing soldier's cranium. (Lee Harvey Oswald used a Mannlicher-Carcano to assassinate Kennedy in 1963 because they were so cheaply available back then.)

17. The American technological disadvantage in the Spanish-American War was their powder. The U.S. through most of its history (until the Cold War) was infamous for lagging very far behind in military technology in peacetime, having to do a very quick (and expensive) game of catch-up when wars did break out. In 1898 the American Army was using a bizarre rifle, the Krag-Jorgenson, that was a breech-loader but loaded on the side instead of on top where most modern rifles load. Anyway, the real problem was that the American ammunition used black powder instead of the recently invented "smokeless" powder the Spanish (and everyone else in Europe) were using. This meant that every time an American soldier shot his rifle, a large blue sulphur cloud hung over his position - letting the Spanish know exactly where he was. This accounts for the high casualty rate among the Americans in the relatively brief fighting in Cuba in 1898.

18C. The Moisen-Nagant was the primary Soviet rifle of World War II. It is easily recognizable because, as I mentioned in my hint, it had an unusually large trigger guard for being able to fire the gun with thick gloves on...

18J. The Lebel was a very pathetic French weapon, owing its continued use to the Third Republic's obstinate belief in French military tradition.

21. The Thompson used the round "drum" magazine, the AK-47 uses the "banana" clip, and the M-1 uses the self-ejecting clip (spits straight up as soon as its empty).

Thanks for all who contributed!

Just a late clarification and amplification of the discussion on Question 2, based on the authoritative tome "Ancient China's Technology and Science" published by the Institute of the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1983.

Near the end of the Tang Dynasty (around the mid 10th C. AD) or the beginning of Song (late 10th C), gunpowder weapons was first used as incendiary devices eg by attaching small packages of gunpowder to arrows. Later bigger packages of gunpowder with ignited fuses wore hurled by catapults which had formerly been used for hurling stones.

Towards the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (1120s) new types of bursting fire weapons appeared called pilipao (thundering gunpowder charge) which apparently were responsible for "raising the seige of Kaifeng in 1126 AD". A barrel firearm called huoqiang was used by peasant insurgents against the fuedel rulers in the Song Dynasty. This was a long bamboo tube into which gunpowder was packed. Bronze and iron gun-barrels (huochong, firegun) appeared not later than the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Also called tongjiangjun (bronze generals), the oldest specimen cast in 1332 can be seen in the Beijing Historical Museum.