22 Astonishing Facts About Guns

Guns are extremely effective weapons. They have the potential to cause devastation, harm, or even death. They can also be used to defend and protect, as well as to threaten and kill. All guns were originally cannons, which are large weapons that use gunpowder to fire heavy projectiles. The use of gunpowder spread to Arab countries in the 12th and 13th centuries, then to Greece, other European countries, and finally to the rest of the world.

1. The first gun was invented in China in the 10th century. A bamboo tube that used gunpowder to fire a spear appeared in China around AD 1000. The Chinese had previously invented gunpowder in the 9th century.
2. Most guns are made of steel, aluminum or plastic, or a combination of metal and plastic. Each material has natural attributes that benefit the effectiveness of the gun.
3. The Ak-47 assault rifle is the most popular gun in the world. It was first produced by Russia in 1949, and till now, over 75 million to 150 million of Ak-37 is produced. The second most popular of today’s time gun is the M16 of United States with eight million guns produced.
4. The German Mauser Gewehr 98 is a bolt action rifle produced from 1898 to 1935, is the second most-produced gun after Ak-47. Over 102 million of Mauser Gewehr 98 were produced.
5. The United States has the most number of guns per capita in the world, with 120.5 guns for 100 people.
6. The Glock 17 of Austria is the most popular handgun in the world.
7. The most expensive gun bought in an auction was Hitler’s Golden Walther PP that was sold for $114,000. The auction was held in 1987.
8. According to the survey, one billion small arms are distributed globally, of which 857 million (about 85 percent of the total guns) are in civilian hands.
9. A 9mm bullet can travel at a speed of around 1500 ft/s.
10. An average bullet can travel around 1.5 miles (2.4 km) at a 12,000-foot altitude.
11. Every day, 316 people are shot in the United States. Among those: 106 people are shot and killed. 210 survive gunshot injuries. Out of these 316 people, 22 are children.
12. Schwerer Gustav was a german 80-centimeter railway gun developed in the 1930s. It is the biggest gun ever. The fully assembled gun weighed nearly 1,350 tonnes (1,490 short tons) and could fire shells weighing 7 t (7.7 short tons) to a range of 47 km (29 mi).
13. Kolibri is a 2.7 mm cartridge gun and attains the spot of being the world’s smallest gun. The meaning of Kolibri is a hummingbird in german.
14. Taiwan and Indonesia have the lowest gun ownership rate of zero civilian firearms per 100 people.
15. Countries with the most strict gun laws on the globe are China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, North Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
16. Only three countries in the world currently have a constitutional right to own a gun: the US, Mexico, and Guatemala.
17. Smith & Wesson of the United States is considered to be the best gun brand on the planet.
18. Springfield Armory is the oldest gun manufacturing company in the United States.
19. Lockheed Martin is the world’s biggest manufacturer of a gun on the globe.
20. Shotgun is considered to be the most reliable and versatile home weapon.
21. Ever wondered what will happen if we fire a gun in space? The answer is yes; you can fire a bullet in space. Bullets carry their own oxidizing agent in the explosive of the cartridge (which is sealed, anyway), so there’s no need for atmospheric oxygen to ignite the propellant. Once shot, the bullet will keep going forever, as the universe is expanding at a faster rate than the bullet will travel.
22. The soviet union once shot a bullet in space from a spacecraft orbiting the earth. The gun was a 23mm R-23M automatic cannon.