How The World’s First Fully Automated Machine Gun Was Invented

The prestigious science journal named Nature described a new type of rifle in their 1885 article, developed by a well-known American scientist. “This rifle is an entirely new approach,” the article stated, adding: “It takes the cartridges from the box in which they were originally packed, places them in the barrel, fires them, and ejects the empty cartridges, using the energy derived from the recoil of the barrel.” According to a report, American-born British scientist Hiram Maxim invented the world’s first fully automatic machine gun. It was named after him, Maxim Gun. He made this gun in the year 1884. His invention changed the course of warfare in the world. He was born in 1840. From the very beginning, he liked to tinker. Sometimes he made a rat trap, sometimes he invented an automatic sprinkler system. His first patent was for a curling iron.

Over the next 2-3 years, he built the world’s first fully automatic machine gun. This gun could fire 600 bullets from one barrel in a minute. His gun was improved and used by the British army in the war under the name Vickers Machine Gun.

A prototype of the Maxim gun was provided by Hiram Maxim to the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition of 1886-1890 led by Henry Morton Stanley. It was more of a publicity stunt than a serious military contribution, as the expedition’s main financier, William Mackinnon, saw “a great peacekeeping effect” in the “mere demonstration” of the gun.

The weapon was used on several occasions, most notably during the expedition’s retreat from Central Africa, not for its devastating effect but as an effective means of deterring attackers. One of the first uses of the Maxim gun by British forces was the Yoni Expedition of 1887. The same prototype used by Stanley was brought back to Central Africa by Frederick Lugard, where it played a crucial role in establishing the Uganda Protectorate.