page_title: Gatling gun
hierarchical_section_title: Gatling gun
caption_attribution_description: Mitrailleuse Gatling model APX1895(Musée de l'armée, Paris, France)
context_page_description: The Gatling gun is a rapid-fire weapon invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is also a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary guns and rotary cannons.
  One of the best-known early rapid-fire firearms, the Gatling gun saw occasional use by the Union 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.
  The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyclic multi-barrel design which facilitated cooling and synchronized the firing-reloading sequence.
context_section_description: The Gatling gun is a rapid-fire weapon invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is also a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary guns and rotary cannons.
  One of the best-known early rapid-fire firearms, the Gatling gun saw occasional use by the Union 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.
  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 clockwise and each barrel sequentially loads a single round of 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.
caption: Mitrailleuse Gatling modèle APX 1895
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