The invention and subsequent development of firearms changed the world.
People could now kill quickly and easily, often at a distance.
This was important in terms of hunting, but the real revolution as to their capability was realised during warfare.
In New Zealand, for instance, their effectiveness was probably first realised during the ''musket wars''.
Criminal behaviour has, obviously, also been influenced. Firearms were used in the 1990 Aramoana killings and the Bain homicide.
This year, two Winz staff in Ashburton and children at St Leonards have been killed by being shot.
Tragedies all.
It might seem surprising, therefore, that since 1995 only about 15% of murders in New Zealand have been attributed to firearms.
In contrast, in the United States, according to the FBI, about two-thirds of homicides (8855) in 2012 were firearm-related.
Most, despite regular high-profile mass shootings, are attributed to handguns.
New Zealand police, meanwhile, have estimated firearms are involved in a relatively small proportion of violent crime, as low as 1%.
New Zealand is one of the few nations in the world where police are not routinely armed.
Despite the periodic tragedies and given an estimated 1.1 million firearms in this country - about 230,000 licensed firearm owners - this country's record is reasonable.
In fact, a 2011 study compared Australia, Canada and New Zealand firearm homicide trends and found the most pronounced decline here.
That is even though Canada and Australia have stricter gun laws and licence guns, unlike in New Zealand, where only owners are licensed.
New Zealand used to have a system where individual firearms were supposed to be registered.
This was abandoned in 1983 for long guns and, instead, owners, ''fit and proper'' people, were licensed.
After the 1990 deaths at Aramoana, restrictions on semiautomatic military-style rifles were increased and rules tightened in several other ways.
Licences were issued for 10 years rather than for life.
There is, though, absolutely no room for complacency.
Not only is every firearm-related death one too many, but there are fears of possible increased illegal gun possession - and further use in the criminal and gang world is always a threat.
Reports in Southland of almost 40 firearms being stolen are alarming.
Although police are ''keeping an open mind'' on the thefts, there must be concern many of the guns might be destined for those who might use them for criminal purposes.
While many of the guns were securely stored, some were not.
It is worth reminding farmers and others of the need to do so.
Police also want firearm owners to keep records of the serial numbers and details of firearms they own.
Even more directly disturbing was news in July that an Auckland man had bought $50,000 worth of firearms and passed them to gang members and other criminals.
He bought 72 rifles and shotguns in just 18 months, then modified the weapons by cutting down the barrel or stock and adding pistol grips and silencers.
He was jailed for six years.
Various voices in New Zealand call for individual guns to be registered.
That was the conclusion of a 1997 report from former judge Thomas Thorp, and legislation along these lines came close to being passed.
Such rules, however, have not made Australia or Canada any safer, and the costs and challenges of such a system would be substantial for dubious gains.
If gun owners want to ward off pressure for change, it behooves them to go to extra effort to make sure they follow the rules and make it as hard as possible for their guns to be stolen.
New Zealand's remarkably low levels of firearm use in crime, despite high gun ownership levels, are worthy of considerable effort to maintain and improve.
Parliament can look at increasing penalties for breaking firearms laws, especially for pistols and cutdown rifles and selling firearms to unlicensed people.
The courts need to treat such offences with serious concern and little tolerance.
And police, who already seize a high number of firearms, must make tackling illegal firearm possession by criminal elements a priority, as well as administering the licensing system thoroughly.
