5 Firearm Firsts of Christopher Columbus

by
posted on October 14, 2019
cc_1.jpg

Columbus, the man, the myth, the spy—today you get to decide, because Columbus Day is an annual celebration of the mystery man’s Voyage of Discovery. Conspiracy buffs, like author Manuel Rosa, contend he was a spy, from Portugal, who deliberately sank the Santa Maria in a clandestine operation that makes today’s CIA spooks look amateur. His cover was so deep that we still don’t know is real name or even where he’s buried. “He was the James Bond of his day,” Rosa told The Guardian in 2014, ignoring the fact Walther Arms wasn’t established until 1886.

Invader, discoverer, exploiter, whatever you prefer, there’s no denying five of the firearm firsts he made in stumbling into the occupied New World.  

First shot—Tesla and Marconi’s newfangled radio wouldn’t become reality for centuries, so when Columbus’ first expedition sighted land, the discovery was signaled to the other ships by setting off a deck cannon on the Pinta.





Brandishing—"When he sailed away from Haiti he ordered a shot to be fired through the shipwrecked hulk of Santa Maria to impress on the Native Americans the power of European firearms,” underwater archeologist Donald Keith told National Public Radio (NPR).

Defibrillators—The presence of canons leads Keith to confidently conclude the explorers also brought arquebuses, an early firearm painfully held against the chest during firing.

Tax evasion—Jim Supica, director of the NRA's Firearms Museum, explained to NPR in the same article that the reason the personal firearms record is incomplete in Columbus’ Voyage of Discovery is “… for tax purposes.”

Gun theft—National Public Radio reported that undersea explorer Barry Clifford found a canon similar to what would have been carried by the Santa Maria off the Haitian shore in 2003. When he returned a decade later, hoping to conduct work to determine if it was indeed Columbus’ ill-fated flagship’s submerged firepower, the gun had been looted from the site.

Bonus Factoid 
First EU controversy—The annual Leif Eriksson Day took place on Oct. 9 with little fanfare, despite the fact he is largely recognized as leading the first successful European invasion of North America. Columbus’ higher-in-caliber arrival largely explains the difference in celebration size.

Watch a video of NRA Firearms Museum Senior Curator Philip Schreier and the ancient hand canon.

 

Latest

heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees
heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees

Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

While the Browning .50-cal. M2 machine gun has been unequaled for more than a century, John Moses Browning’s genius design has had one significant 12.7 mm competitor: the Soviet DShK.

Support The NRA Youth Education Summit (YES) On Giving Tuesday

With more than 1,200 students having graduated from the program and over $700,000 in scholarships awarded since 1996, NRA's YES is an immersive leadership program for high school students eager to learn about the foundations of our nation, the importance of civic engagement and the role of the Second Amendment.

Rifleman Review: Remington 360 Buckhammer

Remington Ammunition's 360 Buckhammer is a straight-wall hunting cartridge that's designed to give deer hunters an ideal round for their Midwestern hunt.

New For 2025: EAA Girsan Witness2311 Brat, Match and MatchX

European American Armory Corp. (EAA) introduced an affordable variation of the double-stack 1911 design with their Girsan Witness2311 in 2023, continually adding additional chamberings and slide length options. New for 2025, the company is adding three new versions of the Witness2311 with the Match, MatchX and Brat models.

Review: Citadel Trakr

At less than 4 lbs., this repeating rifle is easy on the back while also being extraordinarily easy on the budget.

Freedom Munitions To Move Ammo Component Production To Idaho

Freedom Munitions has announced it will be consolidating its projectile component production from X-Treme Bullets out of Nevada into its Lewiston, Idaho, facilities.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.