_The First Rifle._—The first rifle is said to have been made about the close of the fifteenth century, by one Gaspard Zollner, of Vienna. It was a simple barrel with straight grooves; the only object of the grooves being to prevent its becoming so “dirty” from continued use, as did the smooth-bore. Spiral grooving does not seem to have been thought of until many years later. _The Arquebus._—The earliest noted improvement in the hand-gun, making it lighter and giving it a longer barrel, was called the arquebus; but even this was so heavy that a “rest” was necessary while discharging it. This rest was a single staff armed with a steel point which went into the ground like the Jacob-staff of a surveyor, but which fitted it for use as a pike when not employed in connection with the gun. It was called the _schweine feder_, which rendered into English means the “hog’s bristle.” The arquebus was a regular “match-gun;” that is, it had a “pan” or receptacle at the side of the breech for the priming powder, which communicated with the interior of the barrel by a small perforation called the “touch-hole.” The priming was lighted by a match, which consisted of a coil of small rope saturated with some kind of chemical, which caused it to burn readily and hold fire for a long time. The soldier using the arquebus carried the match in his hand and kept it burning during an action. The manner of setting off the piece was about the same as with the live coal—he secured his sight and then touched the priming with his lighted match. _The Match Lock._—Later, the serpent-match was invented and looked upon as a startling improvement. It was a simple S-shaped piece of iron or wire hinged to the side of the gun just back of the priming pan. The upper end was provided with a beak which gripped the lighted fuse, while the lower end played the part of a modern trigger. With this contrivance the gunner had only to take sight and then pull with his finger upon the lower end of the S until the lighted fuse was brought down into the priming. After many years of use an improvement was made upon the S, consisting of a small spring which threw it back into an erect position so soon as the pressure upon the lower end was discontinued. The powder employed with the old arquebus was of two grades as to size of grain; a coarse grade for the charge, and a fine grade for the priming. Its chemical composition does not seem to have differed materially from that of our modern gunpowder.