European shipments of firearms to Africa accelerated in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.8 This is also when African slave exports began to increase. Before then, the older matchlock musket proved ineffective in tropical climates and the Catholic Church prohibited their sale to non-Christians. The sale of large numbers of guns and gunpowder to Africans began with Protestant slave traders not bound by Catholic prohibitions.

The Maxim gun was an important weapon that played a significant role in the Age of Imperialism.  More specifically, the Maxim gun is often associated with the ‘Scramble for Africa’, which took place from 1870 until 1914.  In general, the Maxim gun was the first machine gun that worked by recoil operation.  This allowed it to fire rounds at an incredibly fast rate, which gave the European nations a distinct advantage against the African people that they encountered.  As time passed, the Maxim gun was put into use by many nations and saw use in all sorts of different conflicts, including World War I.

South African Military History Society - Journal - THE ORDNANCE AND MACHINE GUNS OF THE BSAC Part One: 1889-1891

While the plaque provides a basic description of the attack of Jan. 28th, 1904, it does not provide historical context for the battle nor does it provide critical details about the decisive use of firepower during it. After Germans began arriving in Southwest Africa in 1884, it did not take long before they clashed with tribes living in the region. A tentative peace was established in 1894, but encroaching on native lands continued to such an extent that discontent was soon simmering again.

A number of guns mounted on carriages from obsolete RML 40 pounder guns accompanied the British siege train (heavy artillery) to South Africa. They were not required for the expected siege of Pretoria, which did not eventuate.

With a weight hehind the gun team of 35 cwt, the 9 pr had been too heavy for use in roadless country. Consequently a special 'Kaffraria pattern' field carriage was designed for use with the 7 pr RML mountain gun. The weight behind the team in this case was only 25 cwt. This was the main equipment used by the Royal Artillery in the successive South African campaigns between 1875 and 1880. Two of these guns can be seen in Kokstad today.

Before guns and modern arms, humans had to defend themselves. During the pre-colonial times, Africans created unique weaponry that was used in wars, ritual celebrations, grazing, hunting, and sometimes as emblems of power and prestige. Among the notable African weapons used are spears, bows, shields, arrows, and swords for some communities.

The introduction of firearms was important, but guns on African battlefields were often of indifferent quality, and traditional weapons and tactics sometimes compared favorably with them. Indeed, Africans were well aware of the deficiencies of trade muskets and often demanded better quality than that offered. Most guns imported from Europe had not been test fired by the manufacturer to check for imperfections in bore and breach, although this was essential in the era of hand-forged barrels. Proven guns had proof-marks, and counterfeits flourished in the Africa trade.

In the eighteenth century, flintlock rifles were the main trade weapon to Africa, along with older matchlock versions. For the first half of the century, many improvements and alterations were made in the design and function of flintlocks but the real breakthrough came in the 1860s with the breech-loading revolution.