I love guns. I grew up with them. My father, an avid and excellent hunter, owned and still owns many. Before I was old enough to own a real gun, my friends and I were quite skilled in using all sorts of scrap wood, duct tape, nails and so on to manufacture the most magnificent replicas.

As debates about guns and gun rights in America rage, to understand the gun, one needs to look at its history. The story of the gun is a fascinating and riveting look at history, science, business, politics, justice and morality as well. Throw in some ingenuity, heroism and romance, and the story of the gun is the world’s greatest tale of human invention.

The gun’s story begins with gunpowder. Gunpowder most likely was invented just prior to 1000 A.D., though the inventor is unknown. According to historian Ian Hogg, “The first positive statement relating to gunpowder appears in a document written in 1242 by Roger Bacon titled ‘On the Miraculous Power of Art and Nature.’”

Early guns were really cannons that fired large stone balls. Such cannons were massive and difficult to move. Smaller more mobile calibers were much desired. This led to the “hand-gonne.” These were simply miniature iron or bronze cannon barrels attached to the end of a lengthy wooden staff.

By the 15th century, “arms of fire” with a lock, stock and a barrel emerged. The first weapon that could be carried, loaded and discharged by a single man became known as the matchlock. This was a muzzle-loading gun that was discharged when a hand-lit cord was lowered into the flash pan.

The term “lock” most likely originated from the fact that the gun-lock operated in a similar fashion to the locking mechanisms of the day. American Pilgrims were very familiar with this gun.

However, these guns were not very accurate or reliable. They could be dangerous to operate and were virtually useless in wet weather. The matchlock also was not very useful for hunting, as the burning wick alerted most every type of game.

A new design for igniting the powder was needed. Around 1500 A.D. the world was introduced to the wheel lock. The wheel lock made use of a centuries-old process for lighting fires: striking stone against steel and catching the sparks. No longer was a cumbersome and dangerous burning cord necessary.

For the first time, a firearm could now be carried loaded, primed and ready to fire. Again, the actual inventor is unknown, but Leonardo da Vinci had one of the earliest drawings of a wheel lock design.

The wheel lock led to the pistol. Now a gun could now be carried concealed. It was at this point that many of the first laws against carrying firearms came into being.

Like the matchlock, the wheel lock had its shortcomings. If the wrench necessary to wind the wheel was lost, the weapon was rendered useless. Also, being of a complicated and intricate design, the wheel lock was expensive to own and maintain.

Efforts toward a simpler, less expensive and more reliable gun led to the flintlock. The first flintlock design was by the Frenchman Marin le Bourgeoys around 1615. The flintlock also had most of the moving parts inside the gun. This made it much more weatherproof than its predecessors.

For more than 200 years, the flintlock was the standard firearm of European armies. It was also the customary firearm of the young United States. For protection, and to put food on the table, the gun was the most essential and prized tool in early America. As soon as they were old enough to use a flintlock, young American boys were expected to help feed their families.

Thus, generations of boys growing up using guns played no small part in America winning her independence. “The Americans (are) the best marksmen in the world,” lamented a minister of the Church of England in 1775.

The first original American contribution to firearms was the Kentucky rifle. This gun was superior to most every European contemporary. It was longer, lighter and used a smaller caliber than other guns at the time. Most importantly the Kentucky gun was “rifled.” This involves cutting helical grooves inside the barrel which greatly increases accuracy.

However, most American Revolutionaries still carried smooth-bore muskets. Kentucky rifles took longer to load than smooth-bore muskets, and often the volume of fire was and is more important than accuracy. Gen. George Washington did make some use of American marksmen armed with the Kentucky rifle.

The birth of a nation meant the need for a national armory. In 1777, General Washington settled on Springfield. Mass., as the location. In addition to being important for our national defense, the Springfield Armory led the world in technological advancements that would change manufacturing forever.

We’ll take a look at guns in the modern age next time.

Trevor Thomas is a Hall County resident and frequent columnist.