Jump to content

Gewehr

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gewehr is the German word for a long barreled firearm, such as a rifle or shotgun.[1] Prior to the 1840s, rifled guns were not widespread, usually muzzle-loading and termed Büchse, as they are still in German hunting jargon today. Etymologically Gewehr is related to "fighting", and so became the standard term for military-type weapons.[2]

The term "Gewehr" can be encountered in the context of 19th and 20th century military history for nonspecific rifles from German-speaking countries, e.g. in arms trade, in particular for types produced before German unification in 1871.

Specific types, sorted chronologically from 1841 to 1997 and with designer given, are:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Gewehr". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "Gewehr, das". Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache (in German).