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Example of a Dwarfen Handgun.
Handguns are black powder weapons that are widely used by technologically advanced nations and races of the Old World. Handguns were first invented by the Dwarfs, although evidence of black powder weaponry is found already in the lost civilization of the Skytitans.
Operation and Construction
The simplest handguns are made using a metal barrel mounted on a wooden stock. The crudest versions are little more than small, hand-held cannons, which the user fires by poking a length of burning cord, known as a match, into a small touch-hole to ignite the charge. More advanced versions have firing mechanisms (locks) which use levers and springs to mechanise the firing process. The most advanced of these use self-ignition mechanisms (such as flintlocks) which remove the need for a match.
Only the dwarfs can build the most accurate and the most reliable of handguns, black powder weapons are relatively new to the rest of the Old World especially to the empire who use vast quantity of these weapons.
Handguns other than the dwarfs are much more cruder wildly inaccurate and prone to misfire limiting the weapon only to the most skilled and disciplined of soldiers.
Types
- Dwarfs - As one of the first races to ever use black powder weaponry the dwarfs are highly skilled and knowledgeable with the use of handguns, dwarfen guns are more accurate and more reliable compare to human manufacture and incorporates many adjustments depending on the dwarf who use it such as scopes or a bayonet.
- Empire - As a sign of their alliance, the dwarfs shared most of their technology and innovation with the Empire of Man these include black powder weapons and the knowledge to recreate it. Most Imperial handguns came from the imperial city of Nuln where the Imperial Gunnery School is located. The use of handguns in the nations of man are slowly phasing out the use of bows or crossbow as their primary infantry range weapon. Due to the cost of fielding such weapons only the most powerful and wealthy of human nations field handguns in their armies in high numbers for these guns tend to be highly inaccurate and prone to misfires.
- Cathay - Evidence seem to imply that the Cathayans utilized handguns as early as -1740 IC, when Cathayan diplomats to Nehekhara used "dragon-staves" and miniature versions thereof.
- Ogres - Ogre Maneaters that have sold their swords across the Empire often pick up specially modified black powder weapons as recompense for their efforts; these are regarded as symbols of great status due to their ability to create noise and violence in equal measure. Such is the size and strength of their owners that Ogres use them with the ease a human uses a pistol. The most common of these customised weapons is an Empire handgun with a massively enlarged trigger and guard; most Maneaters have at least one of these devices in their possession and some may sport a brace of these handguns across their puffed-out guts.[1a]
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