ARMS, a term applied to weapons of offense, which are divisible into two distinct sections—firearms, and arms used without gunpowder or other explo sive substance. The first arms of of fense would probably be wooden clubs, then would follow wooden weapons made more deadly by means of stone or bone, stone axes, slings, bows and arrows, with heads of flint or bone, and after ward various weapons of bronze. Sub sequently a variety of arms of iron and steel were introduced, which comprised the sword, javelin, pike, spear or lance, dagger, axe, mace, chariot scythe, etc.; with a rude artillery consisting of cata pults, ballistaa, and battering-rams. The most characteristic weapon of the Ro man legionary soldier was the pilum, which was a kind of pike or javelin, some 6 feet or more in length. The pilum was sometimes used at close quarters, but more commonly it was thrown. The favorite weapons of the ancient Ger manic races were the battle-axe, the lance, or dart, and the sword. The weapons of the Anglo-Saxons were spears, axes, swords, knives, and maces or clubs. The Normans had similar weapons, and were well furnished with archers and cavalry. The cross-bow was a comparatively late invention intro duced by the Normans. Gunpowder was
not used in Europe to discharge projec tiles till the beginning of the 14th cen tury. Cannon are first mentioned in Eng land in 1338, and there seems to be no doubt that they were used by the English at the siege of Cambrai in 1339. The projectiles first used for cannon were of stone. Hand firearms date from the 15th century. At first they required two men to serve them, and it was neces sary to rest the muzzle on a stand in aiming and firing. The first improve ment was the invention of the match lock, about 1476; this was followed by the wheel-lock, and about the middle of the 17th century by the flint-lock, which was in universal use until it was super seded by the percussion-lock, the inven tion of a Scotch clergyman early in the 19th century. The needle-gun dates from 1827. The only important weapon not a firearm that has been invented since the introduction of gunpowder, is the bayonet, which is believed to have been invented about 1650. The principal weapons used in modern warfare will be found under their respective names.