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Shooting of Shinzo Abe with a DIY gun.
The surprising history of homemade weapons.
J. Rozelle
The recent assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe sent shockwaves through Japan and surprised people worldwide. Japan has tight gun control laws that forbid anyone from owning a gun under limited and highly regulated circumstances. The weapon was one of the most astonishing pieces of information surrounding the shooting. According to journalists following the story, the weapon used in the assassination was a DIY gun made from items easily found in hardware stores. Does this mark a new page in the history of firearms? How does this change opinions on gun control? Are DIY guns as widespread as we think?
The homemade gun has been around for a very long time. People have been making homemade guns for centuries when you consider the invention of gunpowder and its use to fire a projectile to inflict harm or damage. As the technology progressed and the ability to manufacture stable metals which could be worked expanded, a new trade was born. The gunsmith of the early 1200s China developed what would be determined as the first firearms. From there, firearms evolved and spread to Europe and later America. However, the idea of making a gun is not as simple as one might think. Through the years, gun technology has changed as man has…
