WHO INVENTED THE FIRST GUN?

[Gil Boyd]

It is known that the oldest revolver in the world was produced in 1597, owned by a famous Norwegian general George von Reichwein and today part of the Maihaugen Museum collections in Lillehammer, Norway.
I suspect the very first gun(rifle) was produced by the Chinese but I could be wrong, and experts out there?

Information

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[bigduke6]

No expert but the first hand gun/ hand held firearm was the Handgonne ........ a small cannon on the end of a pole.

[WarPig1976]

I often wonder who was the first guy to eat an Oyster? Was it on a bet or was he THAT hungry?.....Dunno..
The first gun was produced by a Chinaman. He got the idea while recovering from a bad batch of Oysters.

[Sunray]

The oldest existing European firearm dates from the 13th Century. The Chinese used bamboo tubes in the 10th Century. The oldest Chinese surviving firearm was made in 1288. However, firearms were a known thing around 1126 in China. No rifles until very, very much later.
"...the first guy to eat an Oyster..." Real question is how drunk was he that he thought eating an oyster was a good idea. Might have been a 'Red Neck' saying "Hey Bubba. Watch this!"
Have a repro of one of these. Isn't a 1" bore though. File:Gun Sweden Morko.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

[painter777]

"...the first guy to eat an Oyster..." Real question is how drunk was he that he thought eating an oyster was a good idea. Might have been a 'Red Neck' saying "Hey Bubba. Watch this!"

Sunray,
You forgot:

"Hold my beer"

[Gil Boyd]

.................a real gun, the Gatling Gun 1862, what a clver piece of engineering.

[mrclark303]

.................a real gun, the Gatling Gun 1862, what a clver piece of engineering.

And the best thing mate .... You can have a hand cranked machine gun on your Sec 1 FAC!

You will raise a few eyebrows at Bisley towing that in behind your car Gil...

[bigduke6]

And the best thing mate .... You can have a hand cranked machine gun on your Sec 1 FAC!

You will raise a few eyebrows at Bisley towing that in behind your car Gil...

I never knew that...... a hand cranker on sec 1 !!

I do remember a miniature one in .22 think it was in Guns Review ( so a long time ago) or Gun mart.

[philb]

depends what you mean by the word gun ?

[Gil Boyd]

I generalise.................Gun, anything in the very early days, handheld, capable of firing a projectile to kill. Cromwell had "rifles" or muskets in 1650 in great volume, stuck on staves next to his pike men.