Gunslinger

Guns in the Real World were invented in modern times around 1400 AD to 1450 A.D. They did something that is not happening in Warcraft -- they killed the European Feudal system by killing the need for an armored calvary of knights. Guns in the real world really changed all the rules of warfare. For instance in the Real World during the reign of the Lancastrian Kings. ..



However, in Azeroth, this hasn't happened. Azeroth's preindustrial society -- with the exception of the Dwarves, Goblins, and Worgen -- is still intact. Stormwind's Knights and the Knights of Stromgarde still exist. Nevertheless, the gun was developed by the Ironforge Dwarves and the weapon has been perfected by the Tauren, the humans, and the worgen. As a result, a number of heroic gunslingers have come into being. While the gunslingers still represents a major threat to Azeroth's feudal society, there are still few enough of them that the threat is minimal.

Amongst the Alliance
Humans, worgen, and dwarves all have significant gunslingers amongst them. In fact, in Gilneas, the prevalance of the gun was so much that it created a breakdown in Gilnean Feudalism. While Lords and Squires still exist, they are mostly an honorific with the lords living in manorial houses. Even swordsmanship was forced to change, with many of the Gilneans studying the Arte of Defence rather than normal medieval swordsmanship. Most human gunslingers are Gilnean, as well as all worgen gunslingers are Gilnean. A fact that helped stem the tide of the Forsaken Invasion of Gilneas -- forcing the Queen to use the plague as a weapon of Mass Destruction.

The Dwarves developed the Gun first by developing gunpowder independently (seemingly) of Pandaren influence. Most of their gunslinging was brought to bear during the Second and Third Wars using the arquebus. However, the dwarven arquebus was further developed into the rifle and the pistol, something the Gilneans also did (seemingly) independent of Dwarven input. Most gunslingers in the Alliance are dwarves.

Amongst the Horde
Everyone was surprised, including the orcs, when they saw that Taurens were sporting rifles and shotguns. No one could have guessed that the Taurens acquired dwarven arquebuses and gunpowder from Alliance Arquebusiers during a fight in the Barrens, and then made their own modifications. Taurens developed the Tauren rifle and the shotgun, and they use them against their enemies. Taurens also have figured out how to gunpowder through analysing gunpowder itself. The formula for Tauren gunpowder had become refined thanks to their Pandaren allies.

Goblins have also acquired the Dwarven Arquebus and Gilnean rifle through trade and they also altered them. Thanks for the alliance of convenience, however, the forsaken are also using shotguns. This makes some generals in the Alliance feel alarm at how the Horde, an army of barbarians and warlocks, could develop guns so quickly.