CHAPTER III

FIREARMS

HISTORY OF FIREARMS
The development of firearms followed the invention of gunpowder in
Western Europe in the 13th century. Many stories have been told about the
discovery of gunpowder, but most are legendary and have little support
facts. It also often said that gunpowder was first invented by the Chinese
and that the Arabs, with their advance knowledge of chemistry at that time,
may have developed it independently. One of the earliest recorded uses of
firearms in warfare was an attack in Seville, Spain in 1247.
History also showed that cannons were used by King Edward III of England
in Crecy in 1346 and by Mohammed I of Turkey in his famous conquest of
Constantinople in 1453. The first firearms were inefficient, large and heavy,
making it difficult for a common soldier to carry, and later the development
of small arms weapons was rampant. The direct ancestor of the firearm is
the firelance, a gunpowder filled tube attached to the end of a spear and
used as a flamethrower; shrapnel was sometimes placed in the barrel so
that it would fly out together with the flames. Around the late 1400s in
Europe, smaller and portable hand-held cannons were developed, creating
in effect the first smoothbore personal firearm. The firelock was developed
in the 14th century as a simple smooth-bore tube of iron, closed at the
breech end except for an opening called a touchhole and set into a rounded
piece of wood for holding under the arm. The tube was loaded with shot and
powder and then fired by inserting a heated wire into the touchhole. In the
15th century, the matchlock was developed. A metal rod, often in the shape
of a gently curved "S," held a match at one end and pivoted about the
center. The opposite end from the match projected below the gun barrel
match to meet the touchhole. The Wheel lock was developed about 1515. It
consisted of a spring-driven wheel which when released of the trigger
brought a piece of iron pyrite into contact with rotating steel wheel which
sparks that ignites the gunpowder. Flintlock was the prevailing type of small
arms weapon for both shoulder guns and handguns from the end of the 17th
century to the middle of the 19th century. It resembled the snaphaunce,
except that the striker plate was L-shaped; the bottom limb of the L was
used as a cover for the priming pan, to protect the powder from moisture
until the upper limb was struck by the flint of the hammer.

Timeline in the Development of Firearms

 1313-Gunpowder as a Propellant. The age of gunpowder began with its first
use as a propellant for a projectile. Such use has been recorded as early as
1313.
1350-Small Arms. Gunpowder was first used only in cannons. It was in the
middle of the 14th century that portable hand firearms were introduced.
These guns were ignited by a hand-held hot wire or a lighted match.
1498- Rifling. The first reference to riffled barrels appeared. Although it's
important as an aid to accuracy was recognized by some, it was a year after
before riffling was generally used.
1575- powder and ball were developed. This greatly speeded Cartridge.
Paper cartridge combining both loading and reduced the hazards of
carrying loose powder.
Firearms in 1807 that certain compounds detonated by a blast Percussion
System. The discovery of Forsyth would be used to ignite the charge in a
firearm, for the basis for all later percussion and cartridge to come into
general use.
1845- Rim fire Cartridge. In France, Flobert developed a "bullet breech cap"
which was in reality the first rim fire cartridge. 1858 - Center fire Cartridge.
The Morse cartridge of 1858 marked the beginning of the rapid
development of the center fire cartridge.
1884-Automatic machine-gun. Hiram Maxim built the first fully automatic
gun, utilizing the recoil of the piece of load and fire the next charge.
1885- Smokeless Powder. In France, Vieille developed the first satisfactory
smokeless powder, a new propellant which not only lacked the smoke
characteristic of black powder, but also more powerful.

Men behind Firearm

Roger Bacon - an English monk and scientist who was credited for the
invention of gunpowder in 1248.
Berthold Schwartz - credited for the application of gunpowder for the
propelling of a missile in the early 1300s.
Oliver F. Winchester - one of the earliest rifles and pistol makers.
John C. Garand - designed and invented the semi- automatic US rifle, caliber
.30.
Henry Derringer - gave his name to the whole class of firearms (pistols and
rifles).
Samuel Colt - was the founder of Colt's Manufacturing Company and is
widely credited with popularizing the revolver.
James Wolfe Ripley - simulated the development of the model 1855 rifle
musket.
John Mahlon Marlin - founder of Marlin Firearms
Eliphalet Remington - one of the first rifle makers. Elisha King Root -
designed the machinery for making Colt Firearms.
Alexander John Forsyth ignition.
David "Carbine" Williams father of the percussion
John M. Browning- "wizard" of modern firearms and pioneered the breech
loading single shot rifle. He was an American Firearm designer who
developed many varieties of firearms, cartridge, and gun mechanisms and
developed the auto loading pistol by inventing the slide design found on
nearly every modern automatic handgun.
Daniel B. Wesson - an associate or partner of Smith in revolver making.
Horace Smith - founded the great firm Smith and Wesson and pioneered the
making of the breech-loading firearms.
Monsieur Le Faucheux (1836) - developed the pin-fire cartridge.
Louis Nicolas Auguste Flobert (1645) - developed the rim-fire cartridge and
the bullet breech cap. Paul Vieille (1885) - developed the first satisfactory
smokeless powder.
Hiram Maxim (1858) - built the first fully automatic gun and the silencer.
Richard J. Gatling - patented his design of the "Gatling Gun", a six-barreled
weapon capable of firing a (then) phenomenal 200 rounds per minute.
Oscar Mossberge rifle, sporting rifle and pump action shotgun. - maker of
high-quality caliber .22 - designed the service pistol for Soviet Fedor
Tokarev forces.
Carl Walter automatic pistol in 1866. developed a reliable small caliber
Eliphalet Remington - one of the first rifle makers. Elisha King Root -
designed the machinery for making Colt Firearms.
George Luger cartridge. designed the 9mm parabellum and
Eugene Stoner - designed the M16 assault rifle. Joseph Laumann handgun.
invented the first automatic
John Dreyse (1841)-invented a breech-loading infantry rifle, the so-called
needle gun because of its long sharp firing pin. Maj. Cavalli of Sardina
(1845) - developed a serviceable breech loading artillery rifle.
Paul Withelm Mauser (1871) - produced parts of the rifle which had been
adopted by the German government.
Sergei Mossin (1891) - designed the Russian Service rifle.
Kijiro Nambu (1904) - an army gun designer whose design was first
produced by the Kayoba factory.
Charles Dorchester & George Sullivan (1950) – formed the Armalite
business.
Major Uziel Gal - an Israeli army who designed UZI (Israel) in the year
1950.
George Hyde - a well-known expert in the field of SMG, (also known as
grease gun) developed in 1941. M3A1 (USA).
Mikhail Kalashnikov - designed the AK (Automat Kalashnikova) 47 (Soviet
Union) adopted by the Russian Army in the year 1951.
L. C. Smith - developed shotgun bearing his name now the Ithaca gun
Company.

Definition of Firearms
1. Legal Definition
A. Found in Section 877 of Revised Administrative Code and Section 290
of National Internal Revenue Code firearm or carbines, shotgun, pistols,
revolvers, and all arm includes rifles, muskets, other deadly weapons from
which bullets, balls, shots, shells or other missiles maybe discharge by
means of gunpowder or other explosives. This term also includes air rifles
except such as being small caliber and of the limited range used as toys.
The barrel of a firearm shall be considered a complete firearm for all
proposes hereof.
B. As found in Republic Act 10591 - It refers to any handheld or portable
weapon, whether a small arm or light weapon, that expels or is designed to
expel a bullet, shot, slug, missile or any projectile which is discharged by
means of the expansive force of gases from burning gunpowder or other
form of combustion or any similar instrument or implement. For purposes of
the law, the barrel, frame or receiver is considered a firearm.
2. Technical Definition
It is an instrument used for the propulsion of projectiles by means of the
expansive force of gases from burning gunpowder. (FBI Manual)
It is any weapon, by whatever name is known, which is designed to expel a
projectile/s by the action of explosive. (Federal Firearm Act)

General Types of Firearms

1. According to Barrel Construction
A. Smooth-bore irearms - have no riflings (lands and grooves) inside the
gun barrel.
B. Rifled-bore firearms - firearms that have riflings (lands and grooves)
inside their gun barrel.
2. According to the Caliber of Projectile Propelled
A. Artillery inch in diameter. E.g. cannons, mortar, bazookas. - can propel
projectiles more than one
B. Small arms - can propel projectiles less than one inch in diameter. E.g.
machine gun, shoulder arms and hand arms.
3. According to Mechanical Construction
A. Single shot Firearms fire only one shot every loading which has to be
reloaded for each shot the breech needs to be opened to remove the empty
cartridge case and to insert a new one for the next firing.
B. Repeating Arms - it fires several shots in one loading. It is divided into
two types, namely;
i. Automatic - are those firearms in which the mechanism is so arranged
that it will reload a fresh cartridge case after firing. Automatic firearms are
divided into:
Full automatic are those firearms which fire continuously as long as the
trigger is pulled.
ii. Semi-automatic firearms where one pull of the trigger would produce
one round explosion and the trigger must be released first before one can
fire another round.. ii. Hand operated - are those firearms that can be
operated manually.
C. Bolt action type - these firearms are provided with a box magazine
under the bolt, but some of them have a tubular magazine. The breech block
is shaped like an ordinary door bolt with a handle sticking out to one side of
the firearm. When the bolt is locked to the breech of the barrel and when it
is turned up, it unlocks the bolt and then drawn to the rear, extracting the
fired cartridge case and finally bringing it against the ejector which throws
it out of the gun. Reloading is done by manipulation of the bolt.
D. Automatic loading type - after the first shot is fired, automatic loading
or chamber takes place as long as the trigger of the gun is squeezed by the
shooter.
E. Slide action type (trombone) - loading takes place by back-and-forth
manipulation of the under the forearm of the gun. Under the barrel there is
a tubular magazine for the extra cartridge.
F. Lever type (break-type) - the trigger guard of this firearm is hinged at
the front end, which is connected with a breech mechanism. After firing the
finger lever is moved downward so as to cause the trigger guard to pivot on
its hinge, and its forward extension is to move back. Loading and ejection of
the cartridge case take place by the lever action of the firearm.
4. According to Operation
A. Manually Operated the cycle of operation is accomplished. Ex.
Springfield
B. Gas Operated - firearms that have gas cylinder and piston. They use to
trap gas to push the bolt assembly backwards to achieve a complete cycle of
operation. Ex. M16, M14
C. Recoil Operated the barrel and bolt move rearward with the
momentum generated as the result of an opposite reaction from the forward
movement of a bullet mass moving down the bore at a high velocity. It is
divided into:
i. Short Recoil - the breechblock remains locked to the barrel only while
the pressure is high. E.g., Semi auto Pistols
ii. Long Recoil - the bolt and barrel recoil at a greater distance than the
length of the unfired cartridge. E.g., Shotguns
D. Blow back Operated - characterized by a heavy bolt. It has no locking
or unlocking mechanism, inertia or bolt and recoil spring holds the breech
closed. It categorized as:
i. Delayed Blowback the breechblock is not locked, but some mechanical
delay is incorporated to ensure that the breechblock cannot back with
sufficient rapidity. E.g., SMG
ii. Simple Blowback - allows a totally unlocked breech and relies simply
on the mass of the blowback and the strength of the return spring to
prevent the cartridge case from coming back during peak pressure.
E.g., Sniping Rifle
5. According to Function
A. Automatic - fire continuously as long as the trigger is pulled Ex. M60
& Ultimax
B. Semi-Automatic - one pull of the trigger would produce one round
explosion. The trigger must be released first before one can fire another
round. The cycle of operation is done automatically.
C. Single - one trigger pulls for a single round. The cycle of operation is
done manually.
D. Selective - this fire either on automatic or semi- automatic by using
the selector level.
6. According to Use
A. Hand weapon - designed to be fired by at least one hand. Ex. Pistol
B. Shoulder Weapon designed to fire from the shoulder. Ex. Rifle
C. Crew-Serve Weapon - designed to be operated by two or more
persons. Ex. Mortar
7. According to the Manner of Fed
A. Muzzle Fed - ammunition is fed through the muzzle. Ex. Mortar
B. Clip Fed - ammunition is loaded with the use of a clip that holds
several rounds of ammunition. Ex. M1 Garand
C. Magazine Fed weapons that have magazine housing well where the
magazine is inserted. Ex. M16 & M14

8. Unusual or Miscellaneous Type

Those are types of firearms that are mechanism and construction.
Specific Types of Firearms
1. Machine Gun - It is any weapon which shoots or is designed to shoot,
automatically or semi-automatically. more than one shot, without manual
reloading by a single pull of the trigger. It is the principal source of fire
power, not only for ground troops but for aircrafts as well.
2. Rifle - It means any weapon designed or intended to be operated from
the shoulder and uses the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic
cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for every
single pull of the trigger. This is designed for targets at a longer distance.
3. Musket - It is an ancient smooth-bore and muzzle loading military
shoulder arm designed to fire a single round lead ball. It usually has a long
forestock and is arranged to hold a bayonet at the muzzle end. This is a
smoothbore without choked and commonly fire a single round lead ball.
4. Carbine - It is a short barrel rifle, with its barrel measuring not longer
than 22 inches. It fires a single projectile through the rifled bore-bore,
either semiautomatic or fully automatic, for every press of the trigger. It has
a range greater than that of the pistol or revolver. The five types of carbines
are M-1, M1A1, M-2, M-3, and M-14.
5. Shotgun - A smooth-bore and breech loading shoulder arm designed
to fire a number of pellets or shots in one charge. The smaller the number
of the gauge of a shotgun, the bigger the diameter of its barrel. Some
shotguns are designed with a doublebarrel. There are three general types of
shotguns according to the bore diameter of the barrel. namely; cylinder
bore, choke bore and paradox shotgun.
6. Revolver - A hand arm equipped with a rotating cylinder, serving as
the magazine, successively places a cartridge into position for firing.
Common revolvers carry five to eight rounds of ammunition in a cylinder
and some of them are single action and double action. There are four
classifications of a revolver, namely; single action, double action, swing out
the cylinder and top break frame.
7. Pistol - A short barrel hand arm designed to fire a single projectile
through a rifled-bore for every press of the trigger. This type of weapon is
designed to combine optimum penetration with stopping power and
improved accuracy.
8. Mortar - It is a smooth bore, muzzle loading, high angel of fire
weapon. The barrel is assembled into a single unit.
Categories of Firearms (RA 10591)
1. Small Arms - it refers to firearms intended to be or primarily designed for
individual use or that which is generally considered to mean a weapon
intended to be fired from the hand or shoulder which are not capable of
fully automatic bursts of discharge, such as:
Handgun which is a firearm intended to be fired from the hand, which
includes:
A. pistol - which is a hand-operated firearm having a chamber integral
with of permanently aligned with the bore which may be self-loading, and
Revolver which is a hand-operated firearm with a revolving cylinder
containing chambers for individual cartridges.
B. Rifle - which is a shoulder firearm or designed to be fired from the
shoulder that can discharge a bullet through a rifled barrel by different
actions of loading, which may be classified as lever, bolt, or self-loading; and
C. Shotgun - which is a weapon designed, made and intended to fire a
number of ball shots or a single projectile through a smooth bore by the
action or energy from burning gunpowder.
2. Class-A Light weapon - which refers to self- loading pistols, rifles and
carbines, submachine guns, assault rifles and light machine guns not
exceeding caliber 7.62MM which have fully automatic mode.
3. Class-B Light weapons - which refer to weapons designed for use by
two (2) or more persons serving as a crew, or rifles and machine guns
exceeding caliber 7.62MM such as heavy machine guns, handheld under
barrel and mounted grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft guns, portable
anti-tank guns, recoilless rifles, portable launchers of anti-tank missile and
rocket systems, portable launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems, and
mortars of a caliber of less than 100MM.

Main Parts of Firearms

1. Barrel Assembly - these include parts of firearm that affect the path of
the bullet.
2. Cylinder Assembly/Slide Assembly/Magazine Assembly- these
include the chamber of a firearm where the cartridge is located ready for
firing.
3. Frame/Receiver/Stock Group - this part of the firearm is the house of
internal parts and the mechanism of firearms.

Parts of Firearms as Defined in RA 10591

1. Major Parts or Components of a Firearm - refers to the barrel, slide,
frame, receiver, cylinder or the bolt assembly. The term also includes any
part or kit designed and intended for use in converting a semi-automatic
burst to a fully automatic firearm;
2. Minor Parts of a Firearm - refers to the parts of the firearm other than
the major parts which are necessary to effect and complete the action of
expelling a projectile by way of combustion, except those classified as
accessories;
3. Accessories - refers to parts of a firearm which may enhance or
increase the operational efficiency or accuracy of a firearm but will not
constitute any of the major or minor internal parts thereof such as, but not
limited to, laser scope, telescopic sight and sound suppressor or silencer;