When were automatic guns invented?

Answer 1

Are we talking fully automatic or semiautomatic weapons? Not that it matters much, as both kinds were invented around the same time.

The first self-powered (i.e. recoil-operated) fully automatic weapon was the Maxim machine gun, invented in 1884 (or '83, depending on the source). The so-called Gatling gun was invented earlier, but it was operated via a crank that you had to continuously turn, so it wouldn't really qualify as fully automatic in the modern sense.

Semi-automatic weapons - rifles as well as handguns - were invented around the same time. The first (successful) semiautomatic rifle was the Mannlicher M85, which, not surprisingly, was unveiled in 1885. As for pistols, the first (commercially) successful design was the Borchardt C-93, which was invented in 1893 and became available for sale the following year.

All of this information can easily be found on Wikipedia, by the way, and probably a number of other websites, too. Frankly, I probably wouldn't have bothered to write this if it weren't for the fact that I have some *real* work to do, and I felt like procrastinating...

Answer 2

gatling gun

Technically, the gatling gun is not a machine gun, though it is an automatic-fire weapon. A true machine gun operates on a gas-recoil mechanism; that is, the expanding gases from the fired round's propellant push the action backwards, and allow for the reloading of the next round (from magazine or belt), followed by the new round being fired. All machine guns follow the gas-recoil method of reloading, though the exact mechanism for opening the action varies.

Other forms of high-speed automatic weapons are the gatling gun and the chain gun; both of these rely on an outside power source (usually a small electric motor) to open the bolt and possibly rotate the barrel.

To answer the original question: the first gas-recoil machine gun was invented by Henry Maxim in 1884.

Answer 3

The Zhuge Nu Semi-Automatic Crossbow

In short, it was a semi-automatic weapon... from 2,400 years ago.

In fourth century B.C., the Chinese developed a new kind of crossbow that revolutionized the way siege warfare was fought:

That's a feeder on top and the lever near the end is the repeating action. The repeating crossbow was the first semi-automatic weapon ever invented. Trained soldiers could let fly 10 bolts in 15 seconds before the magazine needed to be reloaded. Due to the nature of the action, it needed to be shot from the hip in order to fire that quickly. Oh, and the bolts were often dipped in a fast acting poison so that just a scratch could be fatal. Fighting in small teams reduced the risk of friendly fire.

Siege warfare was all the rage when this baby hit the scene. It proved to be an essential defensive weapon as one could keep backing away from the enemy while shooting wildly into the advancing horde.

In modern times,

The Gatling Gun

The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat. Later it was used in the assault on San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.[1]

Each barrel fires once per revolution at about the same position. The barrels, a carrier, and a lock cylinder were separate and all mounted on a solid plate revolving around a central shaft, mounted on an oblong fixed frame. The carrier was grooved and the lock cylinder was drilled with holes corresponding to the barrels. Each barrel had a single lock, working in the lock cylinder on a line with the barrel. The lock cylinder was encased and joined to the frame. The casing was partitioned, and through this opening the barrel shaft was journaled. In front of the casing was a cam with spiral surfaces. The cam imparted a reciprocating motion to the locks when the gun rotated. Also in the casing was a cocking ring with projections to cock and fire the gun.

The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyclic multi-barrel design which facilitated cooling and synchronized the firing/reloading sequence. Each barrel fired a single shot when it reached a certain point in the cycle, after which it ejected the spent cartridge, loaded a new round, and in the process, cooled down somewhat. This configuration allowed higher rates of fire to be achieved without the barrel overheating.

Turning the crank rotated the shaft. Cartridges, held in a hopper, dropped individually into the grooves of the carrier. The lock was simultaneously forced by the cam to move forward and load the cartridge, and when the cam was at its highest point, the cocking ring freed the lock and fired the cartridge. After the cartridge was fired the continuing action of the cam drew back the lock bringing with it the spent cartridge which then dropped to the ground.

Answer 4

The Maxim machine gun was the first automatic firing gun to be manufactured. It was out-dated by the Great War, but it was intrusmental in colonizing Africa in the 1800s.

Answer 5

No one can say- it was too long ago. The first early firearms appeared in China about 1000 years ago.