I read a history article recently that mentioned a man in England centuries ago who was forbidden to own a gun, because only gentlemen were permitted to carry firearms. Here in America, we are all political equals, and some notions of rank are difficult to understand. In an old-fashioned monarchy, everyone had a rank. Weapons were a part of what defined that rank. People who wielded no weapons were of the lowest rank. They got to hide in the castle when the enemy approached. Pikemen ( you may have seen these in Robin Hood ) were a part of the lower ranks. Archers had some rank, too. Men with battle axes were above archers. Men who could fight with a sword, on horseback, were of the highest rank. Above them all was the man who could command and make good use of the men on horseback--the king.
It took a lot of practice to learn to use an old-fashioned weapon effectively. Chances are slight that anyone would know what to do with a weapon, unless he had been trained to use it. When guns were invented, they were equated with swords--something you could really use best to fight face-to-face, or from horseback. The man who wanted a gun, even thought hat wasn't his "rank" , was assuming a position in the army, not just in society--a position he hadn't been trained for.
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