The Gatling Gun is an exceptionally interesting weapon, with long service to various Armies of the world.
It served ours for 45 years, and it's still impressive in it's original configuration - in its current, electrically-driven versions, well - 'awesome' doesn't begin to describe it..
If you get the chance to see one at a firepower Demonstration - make the time to do so, as it's time well-spent.
Here's a short synopsis of the various Models - as taken from:
'The Gatling Gun' by Paul F. Wahl and Donald R. Toppel, Arco Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1965.
Models 1862-1871
Model 1862.
In 1862, at the age of 44, Richard Gatling had demonstrated his first working model of the Gatling gun in Indianapolis, Indiana. He patented the Gatling gun on November 4, 1862. Its key elements were a lock cylinder containing six strikers which revolved with six gun barrels, powered by a hand crank. The gun used separate .58 cal. paper cartridges and percussion caps, which resulted in gas leakage. The model 1862 Gatling gun attained a very high rate of fire of 200 spm (shots per minute) for that time.
Model 1865.
By changing to a unitary cartridge, Gatling overcame the problem with gas leakage only to encounter problems in the ammunition feed mechanism. Gatling designed a new breech mechanism which fixed the feed problem, leading to the development of the much improved model 1865 six-barrel 1 inch Gatling gun, the forerunner of all later model Gatling guns.
Model 1866.
After successful trials at Frankford Arsenal and Fort Monroe, the U.S. Army ordered 50 1" cal. and 50 .50 cal. model 1866 six-barrel Gatling guns. All but five of the .50 cal. guns were converted to .45 cal. beginning in August 1866. The gun used a simple tin box to hold cartridges. These guns were all fixed-mounted on an artillery carriage.
Model 1871.
Improved breech bolts now could be easily removed for maintenance in the field, and used a new curved cartridge magazine. In 1872 a new hopper design permitted use of a 400 round Broadwell drum. The Broadwell drum was a circular cluster of 20 vertical feed magazines containing 20 cartridges each. When a magazine emptied, the gunner manually turned the drum to align the next full magazine.
The U.S. Army purchased one 1 inch cal. and nine .50 cal model 1871 ten-barrel weapons.
Models 1874-1877
Model 1874 featured a shorter, lighter bronze breech that resulted in a lighter and sturdier .45 cal. gun. The gun had an automatic or manual traversing mechanism and for the first time, an adjustable set screw which permitted head space adjustment. A right hand mounting sight permitted the feed hopper to be shifted from 45° to a vertical feed, using a new box magazine. The guns were made in two lengths, a musket length and a smaller shorter length "Camel" gun. This ten-barrel .45 cal. gun had an improved automatic or manual traversing mechanism. The U.S. Army bought eight musket length guns. The lighter "Camel" gun could be mounted on a new lighter cavalry cart, tripod, or camel saddle. The "Camel" name was more a marketing ploy than a practical application.
The U.S. Army bought 11 model 1874 guns.
Model 1875 had an improved hopper, new magazine, and a beveled bolt face to correct some jamming problems experienced with the model 1874 gun. A new vertical feed 40 round magazine, trapezoidal in cross-section, was introduced at this time.
The U.S. Army bought 44 long barrel and four "Camel" guns.
Model 1876 featured relocation of the hopper to the left of center, cartridge guides, improved breech, and altered breech bolt bevel.
Model 1877 long barrel had a new feed hopper for easier ejection and a higher rate of fire.
Model 1877 "Bulldog" was the first Gatling gun to feature a fully enclosed bronze housing over the barrels and breech. The "Bulldog" was a five-barrel .45 cal. tripod mounted weapon. A few were mounted on a light cavalry cart. A rear mounting hand crank permitted a very high rate of fire of up to 1,000 rpm, almost twice the rate of a typical World War II machine gun.
Models 1879-1881
Model 1879 was the first Gatling gun with a flexible mount that could traverse through an arc like a true machine gun. Head spacing could be adjusted using a notched adjusting knob without using any tools. Most model 1879 guns were mounted on artillery carriages, but a few were mounted on tripods. The model 1879 was a ten-barrel .45 cal. fully encased gun using the standard 40 round trapezoidal magazine.
The U.S. Army purchased 32 model 1879 Gatlings.
Model 1881 was similar to the model 1879, but had a modified feed hopper to accept the new Bruce feeder. The U.S. Army bought 27 model 1881 guns.
Bruce feeder, named after it's inventor, L.F. Bruce, permitted the Gatling gun to be loaded directly from 20 round cardboard cartons into a two slot vertical bar. When one slot emptied, gravity forced a full slot over the feed hopper. By alternately loading the empty slot, a continuous fire could be sustained.
The Bruce feeder was a favorite of the U.S. Army.
Models 1883-1889
Model 1883 was a ten-barrel .45 cal. gun fully encased in a bronze jacket. A side mounting hand crank produced a rate of fire of up to 800 spm, but could be rear mounted to increase the rate up to 1,500 rpm. Internal components were strengthened to withstand the punishment from the higher rate of fire. The model 1883 had a new flexible yoke that permitted a wider angle of traverse and elevation than previous models. However, the vertical feed magazine did not work as well with wider range in elevation. A new flat donut-shaped Accles mechanical drum feeder was developed for use with this gun. The standard mount was a heavy steel Army carriage, but it could also be mounted on a light folding steel tripod. The Accles feeder was a complex mechanism subject to jamming.
In 1898, the U.S. Army refitted it's model 1883 Gatlings with a Bruce feeder adapter.
Models 1885, 1886, and 1887 were modifications to the model 1883 with improvements in the ejector and cartridge guides.
The Army purchased 100 model 1885-1887 Gatling guns.
The Model 1889 went back to an improved version of the model 1881 that could use either a Bruce feeder or the older style gravity feed magazine. This model featured a heavy steel gunner's shield and ten exposed .45 cal. barrels.
The U.S. Army bought 53 model 1889-1892 Gatlings.
Model 1893
Similar to models 1889-1892, but the caliber was changed to the new Army standard .30/40 cartridge. A new horizontal strip feeder was introduced with the model 1893. The strip feeder fed from the left side. Wedges in the hopper stripped each round from its retaining prongs into the hopper. The empty feeder ejected to the right side. The U.S. Army bought 18 ten-barrel .30 cal. model 1893 guns. The strip feeder was also subject to jamming. In 1897 the Army converted all of it's .30 cal. Gatlings to accept the Bruce feeder. In 1893 the Gatling Gun Company introduced a six-barrel version of the model 1893 that was the smallest of all the Gatling guns.
Model 1895
Similar to the model 1893, but was designed to accept only the Bruce feeder. All previous model were unpainted, but this model was painted olive drab, with some parts blued.
Model 1900
Similar to the model 1895, but only a few parts were painted olive drab. Models 1895-1903 could be mounted on an armored field carriage. The U.S. Army bought 94 model 1895 Gatlings and many model 1900s.
Model 1903.
In 1903, the Army converted their model 1900 guns to fit the .30-03 cartridge that became the Army standard with the introduction of their new model 1903 Springfield rifle.
Model 1903-06. Later, all model 1903 Gatlings were converted to cal. .30-06. This conversion was done mostly at the Army's Springfield Armory.
Obsolescence. With a advent of the automatic machine gun, the U.S. Army declared their Gatling gun obsolete in 1911, after 45 years of service to the U.S. Army.
The WWII Browning .30 M2 has a maximum firing rate of 1,200 rpm.
The Gatling gun had exceeded that rate of fire in 1880.
For an interesting read, try:
'Gatlings at Santiago, the Battle of El Caney' - by John H.Parker.
And while you're doing that - look at the Army's evocative painting:
'Gatlings to the Assault' - by H. Charles McBarron Jr.
Vaya,
Scouts Out!
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