The Evolution of the Gunsmith Firearms have been used to alter history for centuries. Without his creation the world would be a very different place. Some countries may never have been formed and others may have been saved. Firearms have built cities and destroyed them; they caused crime and stopped crime, just think where we would be without them. One of the most important aspects behind a weapon is gunpowder. Gunpowder is an explosive powder that when ignited triggers a violent reaction. The discovery of gunpowder or black powder is very ironic, in the early 12th century the Chinese were trying to create a potion for immortality and discovered what would be one of the most death inducing creations known to man. Gunpowder is very simple: just three ingredients: sulfur, potassium nitrate, and charcoal, when ground and mixed create gunpowder. The original uses of this were rockets to scare off the invading army around the Wall of China. Without this substance the world would be very different from what it is today, war could perhaps be fought with swords and bows instead of machine guns and sniper rifles. With the creation of gunpowder the Chinese were eager to use this substance, in order they needed something to create, so they built the fire lance: it was a small cannon on a stick several feet long, this is the first firearm never discovered and is thought to date back to the end of the 12th century. This was more of an addition to the soldier's lance than a gun and only later was the first hand cannon made, unlike the fire lance, this was a weapon in its own right and could fire almost anything the soldier could get stuck in the barrel. they could find on the battlefield. Both were shot... in the middle of a paper thread, it is not detectable like the Security Specimen, by passage metal detectors calibrated and managed to detect the Security Specimen" (ATF p3) the reason for this law is because a person could carry a weapon as described in the citation into a courthouse or onto an airplane. 3D printed weapons are quite new and are raising a whole new topic due to the ease of smuggling them into gun-free zones. The evolution of firearms has come a long way, from hand cannons to machine guns capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. Many would like to see the end of firearms and many would like to see the topic thrive as it has for centuries. Firearms are still being updated and continue to be devolved. They will, however, become more difficult for the average law-abiding citizen to obtain, which will be their ultimate downfall. Just think about where we would be without them.