During field exercises, an infantryman sights a target with his assault rifle, a descendant of the first firearms that date back six centuries in human history.

Introduction

The development, refinement and proliferation of the long arm stretches back more than 600 years. Simply defined as a long barrel, smooth or rifled bore, mounted on a wooden or synthetic stock that fires a projectile, ball, bullet, cartridge or slug, the rifle and shotgun have shaped the course of human history.

Since the invention of gunpowder in ninth-century China, innovative minds have contrived means to propel a lethal missile toward a target – man, beast or otherwise. The purpose has been varied, and the long arm has become an indispensible element of civilization as we know it. Early rifles and shotguns were the tools of empire-building and defence, deciding the outcomes of major battles and conflicts between armies East and West.

The long arm has also facilitated the colonization, settlement and economic development of hitherto unexplored, uncharted and little-known areas of the globe. It has been a means of survival, allowing the explorer and the settler to defend, feed and clothe their families. It has allowed generals to conquer. It has been an essential tool, weapon and environmental equalizer throughout modern human history.

As an instrument of warfare the rifle knows no peer in its personal prowess, transforming a man into a soldier. For decades, United States Marine Corps recruits have been required to commit the Rifleman’s Creed to memory: ‘This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I master my life. My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless…’

The evolution of the rifle from the matchlock arquebus, a smoothbore musket widely in use from the fifteenth to the seventeenth century, to the development of the modern assault rifle, automatic rifle and submachine gun, the long arm in its military application has been intended to maximize the combat effectiveness of the soldier. In the civilian world, the rifle has taken its place among hunters and sportsmen, and for many the ownership and proper use of the rifle is considered a right of passage for young people. The modern shotgun shares a similar lineage from the seventeenth-century smoothbore blunderbuss that also found applications with the military and in civilian life.

In this woodcut, an arquebusier stands with his weapon across his shoulder. The arquebus was a muzzleloading firearm that w