9 Interesting Facts About Guns You Need to Know

Guns have been an important factor in human history for many centuries.

And, in all that time, several interesting gun facts have cropped up. After all, did you know that Soviet cosmonauts carried guns into space? Or that gun optics once used spider silk for their crosshairs?

These are just a few of the many fascinating facts about guns that we’ve assembled in this list. There are different types of guns available in the market. You can discuss and buy many kinds of guns on the outdoor trader, Archery forum, armslist tri cities..etc  Keep reading to learn more interesting tidbits from the history of firearms.

1. Guns in Keys

Some pretty interesting firearms were developed in the nineteenth century.

But one of the most interesting gun facts is that firearms were incorporated into functioning keys. The idea seems to have been to create large, single-shot “key guns” for jailers. If prisoners got any ideas about making a break, there was always that menacing gun, which did double duty as a key, to make them think twice.

Of course, these guns were probably more like gimmicks designed by locksmiths as a marketing ploy. Still, it would make for a handy backup weapon for a beleaguered jailer.

2. In the Crosshairs

Any list of facts about guns should also extend to the optics and sights that are an inseparable part of the best rifles.

And while these days, the crosshairs on a rifle scope might be printed by more conventional means, this wasn’t always the case. Once upon a time, those targeting lines were created from spider silk—specifically, the silk of a black widow.

It makes sense when you think about it. The silk strands produced by black widows are incredibly strong, making them resistant to the shock forces generated by firearms. It’s something to think about the next time I sell my optic.

3. Space Gun

In space, no one can hear you scream…but they might be able to hear the loud report of a firearm.

And it seems that Soviet cosmonauts were once issued the TP-82, not so much as a means to conduct space warfare but as part of a survival kit. After all, a Soyuz capsule might drift off course upon reentry, and stranded cosmonauts might have to survive on their own for some time in the vast Siberian wilderness.

The TP-82 was a triple-barreled, bear-slaying shotgun with a folding stock that could do duty as a shovel. Plus, the stock also contained a machete. Of course, if a space station ever were invaded by hostile alien life-forms…what better weapon to have on hand than a triple-barreled, bear-slaying shotgun?

4. Gun Ownership

It turns out that civilians owning a gun is a major component of the worldwide distribution of firearms.

A Small Arms Survey of 2018 reported that of the more than one billion firearms worldwide, 857 million are in civilian hands. And of that total, about 393 million firearms are owned by US civilians—which accounts for nearly half of the global total.

In some of the more rural states, especially a vast state like Alaska, you can find that more than 50% of the population is toting around firearms at any given time.

5. Big Gun

The title for the largest “gun” ever constructed goes to a heavy piece of artillery known as the “Schwerer Gustav,” which was manufactured for the German military during the Second World War.

This monster gun was a railway-mounted weapon, essentially a giant cannon on a train-track. It weighed 1,350 tons and had an impressive range of about 24 miles. This was the largest functional gun ever created, but another was designed to have been even larger.

This was Iraq’s “Big Babylon,” a secret supergun intended to launch satellites into orbit. Fortunately, it was never completed.

6. Zombie-Killers

It’s a known fact that shotguns are effective weapons for destroying the reanimated undead.

To that end, the shotgun manufacturer O.F. Mossberg & Sons created a line of firearms designed to slay zombies. Branded “ZMB,” these shotguns are pretty standard-issue Mossberg fare.

They consist of the pump- and lever-action shotguns with an impressive matte black finish and attached flash suppressors—so the zombies can’t locate a gun’s muzzle flash, we assume. Still, if the Zombie Apocalypse ever arrives, these guns will be on the front lines.

7. Young Gun

Everyone’s heard of Colt firearms. And, of course, everyone knows that although God created men, Sam Colt made them equal.

You may not know that Samuel Colt devised the basics of his famous revolver when only sixteen years old. This was while he was at sea, on a voyage to Calcutta, where the ship’s capstan inspired him to design an improved pepperbox revolver.

Of course, Colt’s revolvers became some of the most famous types of guns in the world.

8. Camera Gun

While we’re on Colts’ subject, a “revolver camera” was created in 1938 using a Colt .38 special.

The camera gun’s operation was pretty simple—pulling the trigger activated the camera. It’s hard to understand how such a device would be useful, other than as an unpleasant gag. One can imagine the pictures of startling subjects thinking they were about to be shot.

9. Carry a Gun…or Else

To finish out this list of gun facts, there’s this interesting tidbit—in the city of Kennesaw, Georgia, you are legally required to own and maintain a functioning firearm.

The law has been in effect since 1982, and Kennesaw is now joined by the small town of Virgin, Utah, in mandating gun ownership.

Fascinating Facts About Guns

For good or ill, firearms are an important part of human history. These are just a few of the many strange and interesting facts about guns accumulated since humans figured out how to fire a projectile from a metal tube.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Please check out the rest of the blog for more interesting ideas and information.