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Term Papers on MACHINE GUN
| Term Paper Title | MACHINE GUN |
| # of Words | 574 |
| # of Pages (250 words per page double spaced) | 2.3 |
MACHINE GUN
The invention of the machine gun was one of the most important advances in military technology. The rapid and continuous gunfire from machine guns during World War I required military leaders to totally rethink battlefield tactics that had been used for hundreds of years. The machine gun has remained a powerful and important military weapon ever since. Until the 19th century, firearms such as firelocks, and muskets were limited by the loading and ignition methods of the day. After each round was fired, the gun needed to be cleaned and carefully reloaded with powder, shot, and wadding before it could be fired again. The introduction of the percussion cap in the 19th century, and the development of the self-contained cartridge after it, reduced the time it took to fire again. In the 1830’s American inventor Samuel Colt produced a practical revolving gun that used a percussion cap. During the American Civil War (1861-1865) the Confederate Army used a hand-cranked machine gun that could fire 65 rounds per minute from one barrel, but the design was prone to overheating. The Gatling gun was the first repeating gun capable of sustained and accurate firing. It featured several barrels arranged in a circle about a central axis. Richard Gatling invented and produced it in the last half of the 19th century. The first models has six barrels that used .58-caliber and later .50-caliber ammunition. A hand crank rotated the barrels to operate the gun. Ammunition dropped from above the gun into each barrel as the barrels rotated. After firing, the empty cartridge would fall out of the bottom of the gun as the barrels continued to rotate. The Gatling gun was used late in the A...This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Digital Term Papers. Please register below now!
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