PREVIOUS. The Machine Gun PROCEED.
* The Gatling Gun, the first rapid-fire machine gun, patented by Richard Gatling (U.S.) in 1862

* Gatling was a humanitarian, sought to prevent further wars with his weapon, which instead caused mass casualties.

* Gatling Gun could initially fire 200 shots/minute.

* By 1898, equipped with electric motor, could fire 3000 shots/minute.
Richard Gatling (1818-1903)
* Used in a limited manner in the American Civil War, but integral to winning Spanish-American War of 1898. Afterward, ordered by most major European power.

* Declared obsolete in 1911, but rate of fire unequaled until 1950s.
The Gatling Gun
* The Maxim Gun: First automatic, portable machine gun.

* Invented in 1884 by Hiram Maxim (U.S.)

* Fired 400-600 shots/minute
The Maxim Gun
* Had firepower of 100 rifles.

* First used by British in Matabele War (Rhodesia, 1893), enabled 50 policemen to defeat 5,000 native insurgents.

* Used by Russian Army in Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), responsible for 1/2 of Japanese casualties
* The Browning Gun: Invented by John Moses Browning (U.S., 1895)

* Modeled after Maxim Gun, but used gas propulsion to eject spent cartridges.

* American Army's machine gun in WWI

* The Vickers Gun: British adaptation of Maxim Gun, used in WWI and continued to be used until 1968.
John Moses Browning with his gun
Vickers Gun and gunner (1915)
PROCEED.