Info on the History of...
The Machine Gun
The machine gun is a fully automatic or portable firearm designed to fire rifle bullets from an ammunition belt or large capacity magazine at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute. The first design was by Leonardo Da Vinci. It's categorized as a sub-machine gun, machine gun, or an auto-cannon. It fires bullets as long as the trigger is held down and also as long as ammunition is fed to the weapon. They usually use a water or air cooling system for the barrel. Usually they are subdivided into light, medium, heavy, or general purpose and are usually substantially heavier than other automatic weapons. Medium and heavy ones are always mounted on a tripod or a vehicle and when carried on foot require more than one operator.
The idea of a gun keeping a continuous stream of fire attracted early inventors. In 1718, James Puckle invented what he called his defense gun. Inventors such as Wilson Agar used the American Civil War as a chance to sell his Coffee Mill guns. In 1861 Richard Jordan Gatling, a dentist from North Carolina, produced an effective mechanical gun. The Gatling Gun consisted of 6 barrels mounted in a revolving frame. The U.S. purchased the weapon in 1865 and over the next few years most major European armies had purchased it too. In 1879 the Gardner Machine Gun was demonstrated for the first time. It fired 10,000 rounds in 27 minutes. British military leaders purchased this and the ten-barrel Nordenfelt Machine Gun in 1880.
In 1885 the American inventor, Hiram Maxim, demonstrated the worlds first automatic portable machine gun to the British Army. It could fire about 500 rounds per minute so therefore had the power of about 100 rifles. It was adopted by the British Army in 1889. It was first used in was in 1893-1894. He inspired John Moses Browning to produced his first machine gun.
The Vickers gun was adopted by the British army. It's fitted with interrupter gear, also standard armament on all British and French aircraft after 1916.
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