A perforated steel block containing twenty-five large 13 mm (.50 caliber) center-fire cartridges was locked against the breech before firing. This happened during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. It became the first rapid-firing weapon to be deployed as standard equipment by any army in a major conflict.
Then the French 25 barrels ' Canon à Balles', better known as the Reffye mitrailleuse, was adopted in great secrecy in 1866. It was followed by the Belgian Montigny mitrailleuse in 1863. The earliest true 'mitrailleuse' was invented in 1851 by Belgian Army Captain Fafschamps, 10 years before the advent of the Gatling gun. However in the English language the word 'mitrailleuse' applies only to volley guns with multiple barrels of rifle caliber. Therefore the word ' mitrailleuse', when used in the French language, applies to all machine guns including modern full automatic weapons. Mitrailleuse (literally 'grapeshot shooter') is the French word used to describe all rapid-firing weapons of rifle caliber. Reffye mitrailleuse Le Général Hanicque (' Canon à balles modèle 1866'), manufactured in 1867, on display in Les Invalides.
0 kommentar(er)
