Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon.
| Gatling gun | |
|---|---|
1876 Gatling gun kept at Fort Laramie National Historic Site | |
| Type | Rapid-fire gun, hand-cranked machine gun |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1862–1911 |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | American Civil War Boshin War Indian Wars Franco-Prussian War Anglo-Ashanti War Ethiopian-Egyptian War Haw Wars Satsuma Rebellion Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) Second Anglo-Afghan War Anglo-Zulu War War of the Pacific Argentine Civil Wars Russian conquest of Central Asia Kiriji War Mahdist War Anglo-Egyptian War Colombian Civil war of 1884-1885 Northwest Rebellion Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887-1889 Revolution of the Park Argentine Revolution of 1893 Revolta da Armada First Sino-Japanese War Second Matabele War Spanish–American War Philippine–American War Boxer Rebellion Colorado Labor Wars Russo-Japanese War (limited) 1907 Honduran Conflict Mexican Revolution Battle of Blair Mountain |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Richard Jordan Gatling |
| Designed | 1861 |
| Manufacturer | Eagle Iron Works Cooper Firearms Manufacturing Company Colt Manufacturing Company American Ordnance Company |
| Produced | 1862–1903 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 170 lb (77.2 kg) |
| Length | 42.5 in (1,079 mm) |
| length | 26.5 in (673 mm) |
| Crew | Four-man crew |
The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyclic multi-barrel design which facilitated cooling and synchronized the firing-reloading sequence. As the handwheel is cranked, the barrels rotate, and each barrel sequentially loads a single cartridge from a top-mounted magazine, fires off the shot when it reaches a set position (usually at 4 o'clock), then ejects the spent casing out of the left side at the bottom, after which the barrel is empty and allowed to cool until rotated back to the top position and gravity-fed another new round. This configuration eliminated the need for a single reciprocating bolt design and allowed higher rates of fire to be achieved without the barrels overheating quickly.
One of the best-known early rapid-fire firearms, the Gatling gun saw occasional use by the U.S. forces during the American Civil War, which was the first time it was employed in combat. It was later used in numerous military conflicts, including the Boshin War, the Anglo-Zulu War, and the assault on San Juan Hill during the Spanish–American War. It was also used by the Pennsylvania militia in episodes of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, specifically in Pittsburgh. Gatling guns were also mounted aboard ships.