Firearms

Discovering
What we will discuss

I. ORIGIN OF FIREARMS
II. DEFINITION
III. CLASSIFICATION
 I. ORIGIN OF FIREARMS
The development of firearms traces back to the
invention of gunpowder in WESTERN. EUROPE in
the early 13th century. Legends credit BERTHOLD
SCHWARTZ and ROGER BACON, a German and
English monk respectively, for this invention. There
are also claims of Chinese and Arab involvement.

The first recorded use of firearms in warfare was in

Seville, Spain, in 1247.
I. ORIGIN OF FIREARMS
Cannons were used by KING EDWARD II of England in 1346 ans by
MOHAMMED II of Turkey IN 1453. Over time, firearms evolved
from large, inefficient cannons to smaller, more portable weapons.
ROGER BACON is credited with inventing gunpowder in 1248, and
BERTHOLD SCHWARTZ applied it to missile propulsion in the early
1300s. Notably, earlier instances of gunpowder use, such as the
Moors using artillery in 1118, predate Bacon and Schwartz.
GENERAL BATU employed artillery in Leignitz in 1245. The
development of firearms played a significant role in historical
conflicts, with early instances recorded in Seville, Crecy, and
Constantinople.
I. ORIGIN OF FIREARMS
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF MAN’S WEAPONS
1. Stones
2. Clubs
3. Knives
4. Spears and Darts
5. Slingshot
6. Bows and Arrows
7. Cross-bows
8. Guns
9. Missiles
Man Behind Firearms
1. Col. Calvin H.Goddard M.D
Father of Modern Ballistics,OS, US Army.

2. Horace Smith
Founded the Smith and Wesson and
pioneered the making of the breech-
loading rifles.
Man Behind Firearms
3. Daniel B. Wesson
An associate or partner of Smith in
revolver making.

4. John M. Browning
Wizard of modern firearms and
pioneered the breech-loading rifle.
Man Behind Firearms
5. John T. Thompson
Pioneered the making of Thompson
submachine gun.

6. David “Carbine” Williams

Maker of the first known carbine.
Man Behind Firearms
7. Alexander John Forsyth
Father of the percussion ignition.

8. Elisha King Root

Designed the machinery for making
Colt firearms.
Man Behind Firearms
9. Eliphalet Remington
One of the first rifle makers.

10. John Mahlon Marlin

Founder of Marlin Firearms Company.
Man Behind Firearms
11. James Wolfe Ripley
Simulated the development of the model
1855 rifle-musket.

12. Samuel Colt (1814-1862)

Produced the first practical revolver.
 Man Behind Firearms
13.Henry Deringer
He gave his name to a whole class of
firearms (rifrifles and pistols)

14. Jhon C. Garand

Designed and invented the Semi
Automatic US rifle, Caliber .30, M1.
Man Behind Firearms
15. Oliver F. Winchester
One of the earliest rifles and pistols
makers.
Important Dates in Firearm History
1313- Gunpowder as a propellant. The age of gunpowder began with its
first use as a propellant for a projectile.

1350 - Small arms. Gunpowder was first used only in cannons. It was not
until the middle of the 14th Century that portable hand firearms were
introduced. These guns were ignited by a handled hotwire or lighted
match.

1498 - Rifling's. The first reference to rifled barrels happened around

this year. Although it's importance as an aid to accuracy was recognized
by some, it took many years before rifling was generally used.
Important Dates in Firearm History
1575 - Cartridge. Paper cartridges were developed. This combined both
powder and ball about 1575. This greatly speeded loading and reduced
the hazards of carrying loose powder.

1807 - Percussion system. Forsyth discovered that certain compounds

detonated by a blow could be used to ignite the charge in a firearm,
forming the basis for all later percussion and cartridge developments.

1835 - Samuel Colt patented the first practical revolver in which the
cylinder rotated by cocking the hammer.
 Important Dates in Firearm History

1836 - Pin fire Cartridge. The pin fire cartridge developed by Le

Faucheux was probably the first self-expanding cartridge to come
into general use.

1845 - Rim fire Cartridge. In France, Flobert developed" bullet

breech cap" which was in reality the first rim fire cartridge.

ss powder, a new propellant which lacked the smoke characteristic

of black powder, but was more powerful.
 Important Dates in Firearm History

1858 - Automatic Machine Gun. Hiram Maxim built the first fully
automatic gun, utilizing the recoil of the piece to load and fire the
next charge.

1885 - Smokeless Powder. In France, Vieille developed the first

satisfactory smokele
 DEFINITION

The term “firearms” has two definitions— “legal” as

well as “technical”.
 DEFINITION
LEGAL DEFINITION
The legal definition of firearms in our jurisdiction, derived from Section 877 of
the Revised Administrative Code and Section 290 of the National Internal
Revenue Code, is an inclusive enumeration. "Firearms" or "arms" encompass
rifles, muskets, carbines, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, and all deadly weapons
discharging projectiles via gunpowder or explosives. This definition extends to
air rifles, excluding those of small caliber and limited range used as toys.
Notably, the focus is on enumeration rather than precise categorization.
 DEFINITION
TECHNICAL DEFINITION

In the technical realm, a firearm is described as an instrument utilizing the

expansive force of gases from burning gunpowder for propelling
projectiles. While this definition provides a more scientific perspective,
the legal framework remains more of an enumeration lacking explicit
differentiation between various firearm types. The author emphasizes the
need for a revised legal definition to encompass contemporary firearms
commonly implicated in violent crimes.
 DEFINITION
Other Definition
FIREARM"- means any pistol or revolver with the barrel
less than 12 inch, any rifle with a barrel less than 15
inch, any shotgun with a barrel less than 24 inches, and
any other weapon which is designed to expel a
projectile or projectiles by the action of an explosive.
(Uniform Firearms Act of Pennsylvania).
 CLASSIFICATION
Firearms classification varies among nations and even within
military and police forces. Different countries, including the
U.S., Russia, Britain, China, Japan, Italy, and the Czech
Republic, employ distinct methods. Military authorities focus
on combat, classifying big guns and long arms, while police
primarily deal with hand arms like pistols and revolvers. For
the purpose of this report, the focus is on the classification
of firearms relevant to violent crimes within the jurisdiction,
acknowledging that hand arms, particularly pistols and
revolvers, are commonly used in such incidents.
 CLASSIFICATION
1. Two General Classes of Firearms: (According to the Gun
Barrel Internal Construction)
A. Smooth - bore firearms - firearms that have no rifling's
(lands and grooves) inside their gun barrel. Examples:
shotguns and muskets.

B. Rifled - bore firearms - firearms that have rifling's (lands

and grooves) inside their gun barrel. Examples: pistols,
revolvers, and rifles.
 CLASSIFICATION
2. Main Types of Firearms: (According to the Caliber of
Projectiles Propelled
A. Artillery - those types of firearms that propel projectile more
than one inch in diameter. Examples: cannons, mortars, bazookas.

B. Small Arms- those types of firearms that propel projectiles less

than one inch in diameter. And this type of weapon can be
handled, moved and operated by one man. Examples: machines
quns, shoulder arms and hand arms.
 CLASSIFICATION
B. Small Arms.
1. Machine Guns- a type of weapon which fires or is designed to fire,
automatically or semi automatically more than one shot, without manual
reloading, by a single press of the trigger. Examples: Thompson submachine
gun and grease gun, caliber 45.

2. Shoulder Arms- those types of firearms that are normally hard from the
shoulder. Examples: rifles and shotguns.

3. Hands arms- those types of firearms that are designed or intended to be

fired using one hand-
either the right or left hand. Examples: pistols and revolvers.
 CLASSIFICATION
MACHINE GUNS
Machine guns, as defined by the U.S. Federal Firearms Act, are
weapons designed to shoot automatically or semi-automatically,
firing more than one shot with a single trigger pull without manual
reloading. Developed for providing intense firepower over short
ranges, machine guns serve as a primary source of firepower for
ground troops and aircraft. They are prevalent in combat vehicles
and infantry units. Notably, machine guns are commonly
encountered in firearms investigations due to their use by
criminals in committing violent crimes.
CLASSIFICATION
SHOULDER ARMS
1. RIFLE

A rifle, per the U.S. Federal Firearms Act, is a shoulder-

operated firearm using explosive energy from a metallic
cartridge to fire a single projectile through a rifled bore for
each trigger pull, designed for longer-range targets with
spiral grooves inside the bore.
CLASSIFICATION
SHOULDER ARMS
2. MUSKET
Ancient smooth-bore, muzzle-loading military shoulder
arm.
Designed for firing a single round lead ball.
Typically features a long forestock and a bayonet at the
muzzle end.
Some muskets were rifled, termed "rifled" muskets.
Primarily characterized by a smooth bore without choke.
CLASSIFICATION
SHOULDER ARMS
3. CARBINE
Short-barrel rifle, barrel not exceeding 22 inches.
Fires a single projectile through a rifled bore, either semi-
automatic or full-automatic.
Originally designed for cavalry use but widely adopted by
soldiers, police, and security personnel.
Versatile and adaptable to various combat situations.
Fires lighter bullets (110 grains) than caliber .30 weapons.
CLASSIFICATION
SHOULDER ARMS
4. SHOTGUNS
Smooth-bore, breech-loading shoulder arm.
Fires lead pellets, shots, or a single projectile (rifled slug) using the
energy of explosives in a fixed shotgun shell.
Used by the military, prison authorities, banks, and industries for
guard duty.
Commonly employed by civilians and sportsmen for hunting.
Various types include slide/pump, break, double barrel, upper and
lower, bolt, lever, and automatic loading types.
 CLASSIFICATION
HAND ARMS
1. REVOLVER
A hand firearm equipped with rotating cylinder, serving magazine,
successively places a cartridge into position for firing, (FBI) Technical
Manual) Current commercials revolvers are rugged, well built, and all
around type of hand arms. These are popular because of their versatility
and the existence of several commercial sources. In addition, this is very
dependable due to improvements in metallurgy, manufacture and their
features are always attractive to the holders.
 CLASSIFICATION
HAND ARMS
2. PISTOL
PISTOL is a short barrel handarm designed to fire a single
projectile through a rifle-bore for every press of the trigger. It
is usually applied to semiautomatic loading. This is a very
reliable weapon with satisfactory stopping power for short
range defense. This type of weapon is designed to combine
optimum penetration with stopping power and improved
accuracy.
ADVANTAGES OF REVOLVER
1. It is an old standard weapon. Its operation is common. Everyone
is used to it. Almost everyone knows how to handle it.
2. The revolver is safer for inexperienced users to handle and carry
than an automatic pistol.
3. The mechanism of a revolver allows the trigger pull to be better
than that of the average automatic weapon.
4. Amisfire does not put a revolver out of action.
5. It will handle satisfactorily old or new or partly deteriorated
ammunition which gives a reduced velocity that would jam an
average automatic pistol.
DISADVANTAGES OF REVOLVER
1. It is bulky to carry than an automatic pistol.
2. Its grip or handle generally not as a good as that of
pistol.
3. It is hard to clean after firing.
4. It is slower to load.
5. It is harder to replace worn out or broken parts (it is
a factory job)
6. Worn out or poorly made weapon is subject to
variable accuracy due to improper lining of cylinder.
 ADVANTAGES OF AN AUTOMATIC PISTOL
1. It has a better grip
2. It is more compact for the same fire power.
3. It is easier to load than a revolver.
4. In case of worn or corroded barrel, a new one can be
replaced at minimal expense without returning it to the
factory.
5. It gives greater number of shot than a revolver.
6. It is easier to clean than a revolver.
7. It gives greater fire power and greater ease of firing.
8. There is no gas leakage in its operation.
 DISADVANTAGES OF AN AUTOMATIC PISTOL
1. Ammunition must be perfect. Old and deteriorated
ammunition will cause a jam.
2. A misfire stops the functioning of the gun.
3. When the gun is kept loaded for a long period of time, the
magazine spring is under tension and may deteriorate and
cause problems.
4. The automatic pistol cannot use blank or reduced loads.
5. It has a poorer trigger pull than the revolver.
6. The magazines require a jacketed bullet which is not as
good for practical use as that of lead bullet.
 DISADVANTAGES OF AN AUTOMATIC PISTOL
7. The automatic pistol is more dangerous to handle and
fire, especially for inexperienced user due to the fact that
after one shot it has to be cocked and loaded.
8. It is not adapted to reloading. It throws away empty shell
on each shot.
9. Its mechanical action ejects empty shell toward the face
of the shooter, causing flinching.
10. It throws out empty shell on the ground to remain as
evidence.
11. It cannot be fired from the pocket without jamming.
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