The Development of Early Firearms in Ancient China

The Development of Early Firearms in Ancient China

One: the use of gunpowder

China invented gunpowder in the middle of the 9th century. After centuries of development, China began to use gunpowder in the war in the Song Dynasty. In the Northern Song Dynasty, many kinds of firearms appeared on the military stage in China, and The General Theory of Jason Wu also recorded the first batch of military firearms made in China in the world. There were many kinds of firearms at that time, but they were different, mainly fireball firearms and rocket firearms. Fireball firearms include fireball, fireball, thistle fireball, thunderball, smoke ball, poisonous smoke ball, iron-billed firebird and bamboo firebird. There are two kinds of rocket firearms: ordinary rockets and gunpowder whips and arrows. In Volumes 11 and 12, there are three gunpowder formulas: fireball, poisonous smoke ball and tribulus fireball. Such as fireball powder: sulfur 14, Wohuang 7 timing, Xiao Yan (nitric acid) 40, turpentine 14, arsenic yellow, fixed powder, Huang Dan, dry paint, bamboo shavings, hemp shavings, yellow wax, tung oil, heavy oil and clear oil.

Fireball firearms have many shapes, but there is not much difference in performance and function. Their manufacturing method is to wrap lethal or toxic drugs such as gunpowder and iron sheets with multi-layer paper, and some have small holes to place ignition leads. When fighting, put the fireball firearms in the pocket of the gun rack (that is, all kinds of military trebuchets at that time), then ignite the fuse, and the trebuchet throws it at the enemy position for blasting, so as to burn the enemy; Poisonous smoke bombs spray poisonous gas after blasting, poisoning the enemy, bleeding from the nose and mouth, and losing combat effectiveness; The fire ball of tribulus terrestris is scattered on enemy positions and passages after blasting, which hinders the enemy's action; Some fireballs release a lot of smoke to stop the enemy after blasting; Or release a lot of flames after blasting to smoke and burn the enemy, and so on.

Rocket firearms are mainly attached to arrows to make them burn, and at the same time they are fired from crossbows to enemy positions to burn the enemy; The gunpowder whip arrow is to put gunpowder in a bamboo tube, ignite it and hang it on a high pole. Using the elasticity of the arrow, it is thrown at the enemy position to make the target burn.

Two: the emergence of tubular firearms

In the second year of Shaoxing in the Song Dynasty (A.D. 1 132), the nomads from the Jin Dynasty invaded and besieged De 'an. Stereotyped writing, a strategist in the Southern Song Dynasty, invented the world's first tubular firearm "musket" in guarding the city. According to "Guarding the City" and "Defending De 'an in Tang Yue", it is recorded that "more than 20 bamboo muskets were made from artillery powder". The "musket" invented by stereotypes is made of long bamboo poles. Each gun is carried by two people. Gunpowder is packed in a long bamboo pole in advance, and the line of fire is lit in the face of war. When the powder is ignited, it emits flames to burn the enemy. The musket is the earliest tubular firearm in China and the world, and the earliest tubular firearm in Europe only appeared in 00014th century. The appearance of tubular firearms marks an epoch-making progress in the history of firearms development in the world.

After the stereotyped "musket" appeared, "shanzhai" people sprang up suddenly, and the most representative one was the "flying hair gun" of Jin people.

"History of Jin Dynasty" records: "The gun is made of sixteen layers of yellow paper, which is two feet long. It is actually made of willow charcoal, iron, magnetic powder, sulfur and arsenic, and the gun end is tied with a rope. The sergeant hung a small tin can to hide the fire and burned it at the last minute. The flame is more than ten feet in front of the gun, and the medicine is exhausted without hurting the tube. " Gai Bianjing's attack has tasted useful, and I will reuse it now. "However, the flying musket, like the musket, still has no projectiles, and it still burns the enemy by the flame when gunpowder burns.

Three: the appearance of projectiles

With the development of tubular firearms, in the first year of Song Kaiqing (AD 1259), the soldiers and civilians in Shouchun County invented the "musket". "History of the Song Dynasty" records: "The musket was made in the year of Kai Qingyuan, with giant bamboo as the barrel and An Zi inside, which was fired after firing and heard as a cannon. This is the musket. The world's first tubular firearm with projectiles.

Thus, China's firearms were undoubtedly ahead of the world in the early stage, which had a great influence on the development of firearms in later generations.