The first missile weapon may well have been a thrown stone. Other early missile weapons were spears, some hurled by means of a throwing stick. The invention of the sling and bow showed that mechanical power could be used to propel missiles either for hunting or war. Artillery consists of military weapons too large to be operated by a single individual, as opposed to small arms, which are carried and fired by the individual soldier. In U.S. and European armies, the distinction between small arms... więcej

Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2023. 3p.