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Before the matchlock, guns were fired by holding a burning wick to a "touch hole" in the barrel igniting the powder inside. A shooter uses one hand for firing, and a prop to steady the gun.The ...

Read Next: Burial in Arlington National Cemetery As gunpowder weaponry advanced, the custom evolved into a formalized military honor. Britain adopted the 21-gun salute by the early 1700s.

More important than its quality was its availability. The Colonies lacked the industrial capacity to make powder and guns, so they didn’t need the best—they just needed any at all. Thanks to ...