1247 The first record of the actual use of gunpowder in Europe is a statement by Bishop Albertus Magnus in 1280 that it was used at the Siege of Seville
1267 Roger Bacon gives an account of gunpowder in his Opus Majus. (Actually his account was written in cryptic form. See Read, T. Explosives (Pelican Books, 1942)
1327 Edward III used cannon against the Scots *
[*Date may be wrong as this is year of Edward's birth according to one site visitor.]
1364 Hand Cannon had appeared in the field of battle during the reign of Edward III
1375 Hand guns were known in Italy in 1397, and in England they appear to have been used
1424 The first mechanical device for firing the hand gun made its appearance
1425 We hear of armour being penetrated by bullets and the hand gun showing signs of becoming a weapon capable of rudimentary precision
1485 Henry VII organized the corps of Yeomen of the Guard, half of whom were to carry bows and arrows while the other half were equipped with harquebuses. This represents the first introduction of firearms as an official weapon of the Royal Guard
1492 Columbus discovers the Americas
1498 Rifling was invented
1509 The first wheel lock or "rose lock" was invented
1535 Firearms were recognized as hunting arms as early as 1515, and a book (Balleates Mosetuetas y Areabuces Pablo del Fucar, Naples, 1535) on sporting firearms appeared
1540 Rifled arms had been made
1540 The hair trigger was a German invention
1560 The invention of the typical Spanish lock is attributed by some writers to Simon Macuarte the Second
1580 The snaphaunce lock, the forerunner of the true flintlock (was invented about, or considerably earlier)
1607 Settlers arrive in Jamestown, VA
1620 Settlers arrive in Plymouth, MA
1630 The standard flintlock gun came
1631 The rates of pay for repairs and new arms were fixed
1637 The London Gunmakers' Company initiated proofs when it was first incorporated, but it is not clear whether private proofs or a trade proof-house common to the Company was used. (A crowned A was given as the mark).
1640 The screw or cannon barrel pistol came in probably prior
1640 The bayonet was introduced by the French; it was a long narrow blade with a wooden plug handle and was simply dropped into the muzzle of the musket
1672 The London Gunmakers' Company enjoyed powers which enabled them to enforce proof when the second charter was granted
1680 A ring attachment was added to the bayonet so that it no longer served as a muzzle plug
1689 The earliest known English breech-loading rifle was made by Willmore, who was apprenticed to Foad
1690 The "Brown Bess" was known in Ireland as a "King's Arm" from its use by William at the Battle of the Boyne
1690 The whole English army was equipped with flintlocks
1700 Snaphaunces continued to be made on the Continer%+
1702-1714 In the reign of Queen Anne the "Brown Bess" was known as the "Queen's Arm" in Ireland
1710 The socket bayonet had appeared and was adopted in the British service
1714-1830 The letters G.R. were adopted as a mark in the reign of George 1, (1714-27) but successive Georges did not add any variant
1714-1727 The broad arrow as a sign of government property, was adopted during the reign of George 1, and the word TOWER is marked on the lock plate of many of these arms
1718 The French established their "Manufacturers Royales" at Charleville, St. Etienne and Maubeuge
1730 The large box lock type of pistol made its appearance
1730 A few hammerless flintlock sporting guns were made by Stanislaus Paczelt, of Prague in Bohemia
1746 "The French introduced the double-necked hammer and the steel ramrod
Note- The double-necked hammer or cock was not a new invention, for it is often found on dog locks of 1670 and other early arms."
1750-1765 The use of pistols for duelling purposes became general as the practice of carrying the rapier or small sword died out
1756-1763 French & Indian War
1760 The duelling pistol was entirely unknown until
1760-1775 Note: Meetings were fought with horse pistols prior to this date. The horse pistol shows a marked development into the true duelling pistol
1760 Double shotguns were rather peculiar arms, usually of the under and over revolving barrel type
1763 No official pistol was issued by the French
1763 The French introduced the muzzle band with a funnel or guide for the ramrod and acorn sight integral with the band
1776-1783 American Revolution wins independence from England
1777 Duelling pistols became officially standardized weapons -then it was laid down that they should be 9 or 10 inch barreled, smooth bore flintlocks of 1 inch bore, carrying a ball of forty- eight to the pound
1780 The top rib in double-barreled guns appeared
1781 Spring bayonets are common on blunderbusses and pistols of the period subsequent to the date of the patent (John Waters, Pat. No. 1284)
1789 The first patent for single trigger locks for double arms (James Templeman, Pat. No. 1707)
1789 Single trigger pistols, with side by side, and also under and over barrels, were made by Egg
1790 The acorn pattern trigger guard extension toward the barrel used
1790-1800 The duelling pistol approached perfection
1792 Joseph Manton's first patent (No. 1865) introduces the "break-off" breech, into which the barrel fits with a lump instead of being secured by a tang and screw as previously used
1795 Springfield Armory established
1798 "Barrels with a number and the letters D.C. (Dublin Castle) were personal arms registered at Dublin Castle after the rebellion and disarmament of Ireland
Note, As the act was in force for some Years it is only of relative value in dating pieces and indicates that the piece is prior to
[Webmaster's note- The first ""gun registration"" scheme in Ireland to prevent gun violence, totally failing for over 200 years, but politicians want to try it in the U.S.]"
1800 The duelling pistol was customarily full stocked down
1800 Pistols appear to have been seldom used in the East
1800 The swivel ramrod attached to the piece by a stirrup appeared
1800 The "First Baker Rifle" was issued
1800 The half stocked pistol with the lower rib beneath the barrel fitted to carry the ramrod came in
1803 Louisiana Purchase
1807 The "Second Baker Rifle" was introduced
1807 Alexander Forsyth patented the detonating or percussion principle
1810-1820 The revolving principle is as old as firearms, but manufacturing methods permitting sufficient accuracy of workmanship and precision of boring for a really safe cylindered or chambered weapon date
1811 "The first serious military breech loader was an American invention, Colonel John H. Hall's patent
Note: This was made first as a flintlock, then as percussion, and is the first breech loader officially adopted by any army. The flintlocks were made till 1832, the percussion model from 1831"
1812-1815 War of 1812, Washington DC burned by British, Battle of New Orleans
1814-1816 The copper percussion cap is not definitely alluded to in the patent records till 1823, but appears to have been invented
1815-1825 The saw handle was very popular, both in flint and percussion pistols
1820 The true flintlock revolver is the very rare weapon made by Collier
1820 Flints were converted to percussion cap, and the flint principle lost favor
1826 The percussion cap came into universal use on private arms
1826 The Delvigne (French) service rifle was invented
1830 The "Third Baker Rifle" was issued
1830 The back action lock made its appearance
1831 "The Robert rifle was invented by Robert, a gunsmith of Paris - The needle fire cartridge was patented by Adolph Moser in last"
1843 The percussion cap system of ignition was in common use before it was adopted for the service weapon. It was tested at Woolwich
1835 Coach pistols supplied to the guard of public stage coaches are extremely rare, but were made with flintlocks and brass lock plates
1835 Percussion cap locks fitted with a pierced platinum disc below the nipple gradually fell into disuse and are seldom found in arms
1835 The rim fire cartridge evolved naturally out of the percussion cap, and was first made by Flobert of Paris, a maker of saloon arms
1835 Colt claims the ratchet motion, locking the cylinder and centre fire position of the nipples as particular points of his specification
1835 Colt did not know that the revolving principle was an age-old European idea until he visited England
1835 The Enfield percussion carbine - .65 inch calibre with hinged spring triangular bayonet folding below the barrel was made for Constabulary service
1840 The true pin-fire cartridge emerged
1840 It was not until 1840 that we definitely find a breech-loading needle gun cartridge patented (Wm. Bush, Pat. No. 8513)
1840 The Brunswick rifle superseded the Baker model about 1840
1840 Duelling declined in England
1840-1850 The period of decadence of duelling was noticeable for the production of rather short barreled pistols
1842 A few service arms were converted to the percussion cap system in 1839, and it was officially adopted
1844 The service percussion musket was mainly experimental
1845 A double-barreled 26 inch barrel, .67 inch calibre arm was issued for constabulary use
1846 Mexican War
1848 "The Prussians concentrated on experiments with the needle gun in 1844, and it was used in the war
Note: The device was largely perfected by Dreyse of Sommerda, in 1831."
1850 The shot-gun or fowling piece began its separation from the musket in the latter half of the 18th century and divorce was completed
1850 The Minie (English) service rifle was introduced
1851 Minie's patent for the self-expanding bullet was purchased and adopted by the British Government for the Enfield rifle
1851 Muzzle loading was so unassailably established we do not find a single breech-loading cartridge weapon shown by a British firm at the Great Exhibition
1851 Colt delivered a lecture on Colt revolvers before the Institute of Civil Engineers during his visit to London
1852 Charles Lancaster brought out his central fire under lever gun with extractor and the first true centre fire cartridge
1853-1857 Colt procured a factory at Thames, Bank, Pimlico, London, and produced replicas of his standard pistols marked on the barrel "Address Col. Colt, London"
1853 "The Pritchett bullet, a plain lead cylindroconoidal plug with a shallow base depression, was selected as the best type of bullet for the new Enfield rifle - Note: Later this was superseded by the Enfield bullet"
1854-1856 "During the Crimean War, 25,000 Enfield rifles were made in America. - Note: This war was the last in which all combatants used muzzle loaders."
1855 There never was an official State-maintained arms factory until the Government established Enfield as a Government factory when the Birmingham gun-makers struck for higher wages in the middle of the Crimean War.
1857 Whitworth rifles were produced
1857-1858 Duelling continued in India to the date of the Mutiny
1859 The first recorded European revolver for central fire cartridges appears to be that patented by Perrin and Delmas
1860 The first effective and widely used magazine repeater was undoubtedly the Spencer carbine, patented in the U.S.A.
1860 Tyler F. Henry [sic] brought out the Henry rifle
1860-1865 In the American Civil War, both breech and muzzle loader were used
1861 "The true centre fire cartridge as we know it today did not appear till exhibited by G. If. I)aw at the Exhibition - Note: It was the patent of Pottet, a French gunsmith."
1861 Breech loaders were coming into general use
1863 The first central fire repeater appears to have been Ball's carbine made by the Lamson Arms Co., Windsor, Vermont, U.S.A.
1863-1864 For all practical purposes, metallic cartridges were not widely introduced until now
1866 The first cartridge repeater shot-gun appears to have been the Roper
1866 The Snider service rifle was issued
1866 The Henry was merged into the Winchester
1866 Claims have been made for an American origin for choke boring, but these have never been proved, and there is -no doubt that it was the invention of Pape of Newcastle
1868 Duels were fought in Ireland till as late
1869 The Martini-Henry rifle was issued
1869-1871 The first European magazine military arm was the Swiss Vetterli rifle
1870 In 1866, the Chassepot was authorized and all branches of the French army were equipped with the weapon
1870-1871 The Franco-German War was almost entirely a breech-loading affair
1871-1871 The first true hammer-less gun appears to have been that of Murcott
1874-1875 The first bolt action military repeater seems to be the Edge rifle (Pat. No. 3643)
1879 Lee patented his box magazine
1886 The French adopted the Lebel rifle
1886-1887 The Gras-Kropatschek rifle was issued for the French Marine
1887 Winchester repeating shot-guns were first introduced
1887 The Maxim was officially adopted in the army as a machine gun
1888 The Lee-Metford rifle was adopted by Great Britain
1893 The first automatic weapon to appear on the market was the Borchardt pistol
1894 The Bergmann pistol appeared
1894 The first Mannlicher automatic pistol was introduced
1898 Spanish American War, Boer War
1898 The Mauser combination automatic pistol or carbine, the wooden holster serving as a stock attachment was introduced
1898 The Browning automatic pistol of .32 inch calibre, made its appearance about
1903 All automatic pistols were of small bore until now
1903 The Winchester Firearms Company brought out the first widely sold automatic rifle
1905 The Webley self-loading .455 inch pistol was adopted for the British Navy
1908 A consignment of 1000 Lee Enfield Mark I Bolt Action rifles were shipped into India, marking one of the biggest consignment of Imported Arms in India. Procured by the East India Company for British law enforcement.
1911 Another consignment of 3000 Lee Enfield Mark II Bolt Action rifles brought into India.
1918 A consignment of 1500 Lee Enfield Mark II Bolt Action rifles, was supposedly sent to India, but was mysteriously lost enroute. The traces of these rifles are still unknown.
Original Source - http://www.gunsinfo.org/GunDates.html
What I have made Bold, are pretty important trivia that I was totally unaware of
I have added some info in Italic, which I read in an older copy of India Today 
