The term rifle refers not to a specific gun but a class of firearms distinguished by the spiral grooves or “rifling” etched into the barrel of the rifle. There are rifles designed for every conceivable situation. The rifle as we know it evolved over centuries which was all made possible by one simple invention.

Gunpowder was invented in China somewhere around the 9th century by Taoist monks who were searching for an elixir of immortality but instead, accidentally created a explosive powder that would forever change the course of human history and, in fact, the world. Over the course of history, advancements in gunpowder would eventually lead to the worlds most prevalent weapon, the rifle.