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Firearms

Firearms appeared in Europe in the 14th century, but there is little evidence that they immediately began replacing the existing projectile weapons then in use. The inaccuracy of these early guns, and the noise and the smoke they produced, would have made them less successful than bows or crossbows as hunting weapons.

Improvements in gun making gradually made them more effective, however, their use in hunting, until the end of the 17th century at least was restricted to birds at rest. Shooting at flying birds required an effective ignition system, and by around 1700 flintlock guns designed to shoot birds on the wing had been developed.

The flintlock did have a problem though, the puff of smoke from its priming powder often gave the birds enough warning so as to avoid being hit. It wasn’t until the invention of percussion ignition by the Scottish clergyman Alexander Forsyth in the 19th century, that there was major breakthrough in smokeless ignition. The principle of which is still used today in modern small arms cartridges.

Airguns

Airguns of considerable power and sophistication saw some use both militarily and for hunting, since the absence of powder smoke and noise did not disturb their intended target.

Rechargeable reservoirs containing compressed air allowed for a number of discharges, but the complexity and cost of such weapons meant that they did not achieve the widespread use of the more powerful, and less expensive, black-powder sporting guns.

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