The golden age of small arms production began in the early 1800s with the invention of the modern cartridge, which combined the percussion cap, the propellant and the projectile into a lethal package.

While the single shot rifle remained the mainstay of the infantry up until the early days of WWI, machine guns had been in development since the final days of the American Civil War.

Cannons were first used in the 14th century, but early artillery was primarily used to breach an enemy's defences and break sieges. The first cannons were neither mobile nor accurate, but after the Industrial Revolution everything changed.