| Handguns go back centuries. The Stockholm National Historical Museum has examples of fourteenth-century handguns. In actuality, it was a miniature hand-cannon.
touchhole
_^____ bullet
=========================|______ ---0
pole
tube
Black powder was packed into the tube and a bullet or stone was wedged into the opening. The pole was around three feet long, and the user tucked it under his arm. To fire it, an ember was placed on the touchhole, which ignited the powder. The barrel of the tube was usually about seven inches long. | 
