Historical timeline of the development of modern weapons starting at 1364 with the first recorded use of a firearm and ending in 1892 with the introduction of automatic handguns. 1364 - First recorded use of a firearm. 1380 - Hand guns are known across Europe. 1400s-The matchlock gun appears.879 - Lee box magazine patented. 1892- Advent of automatic handguns. The first automatic pistol was created by Joseph Laumann in 1892. But the Borchardt pistol of 1893 was the first automatic with a separate magazine in the grip, and this remains the defining feature of the breed.