Why Firearms Took the Place of Bow and Arrow - The Rise of the Musketeer in Europe

In the late medieval and the early modern period, a new weapon changed the armament of European armies drastically and lastingly. The handgun made its appearance. Although the earliest firearms were rather ineffective, military artisans were fascinated by them. As time passed and technical improvement justified using the handgun on the battlefield, handgunners quickly overhauled and almost completely replaced archers and crossbowmen. This is how historiography explains the rise of the handgunner.