GATLING GUN: 19th CENTURY MACHINE GUN TO 21st CENTURY VULCAN

In 1862 Richard Jordan Gatling took out a patent for a mechanical gun that he had developed. The Gatling Gun initially consisted of six barrels mounted in a revolving frame, before a later version with ten barrels, fired 320 rounds a minute. The United States Army purchased these guns in 1865 and over the next few years most major armies in Europe had their own. However, due to continued advancements in technology, the Gatling Gun was declared obsolete in 1911. Yet, more than 130 years after its introduction it is once again a force to be reckoned with. Modifications lead to an impressive comeback as the Vulcan in the 1950s, terrifying the Vietcong in the jungles of Vietnam and contributing to the swift defeat of Iraqi troops in the liberation of Kuwait. It will no doubt continue to play a vital military role well into the 21st Century and this is the definitive book on its history, development and technology.