What is a Machine Gun, How Does it Work, and Who Invented It?
A machine gun is a type of gun that is used mostly in wars. It is a special type of gun called a fully automatic. Machine guns are designed to fire bullets rapidly at a fast pace. Machine guns can be set up on bipods or tripods, or they can be hand-held if they are small enough. In WWI, it took multiple people to man the machine gun, from commanders and the shooter to lots of ammunition bearers. Ammunition is held in long belts that you feed through the machine gun. The belts will hold enough bullets to fire 250 rounds per a minute with nonstop shooting, which can happen if the shooter holds onto the trigger and does not let go.
The first self powered machine gun (that actually worked) was invented by Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884. The machine gun, now known as the "Maxim Machine Gun", used the recoil from previous shots to reload itself rather than being hand powered. Maxim was also the first person to use water cooling in his machine gun by using a water jacket and wrapping it around the barrel so that the gun wouldn't overheat.
The first self powered machine gun (that actually worked) was invented by Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884. The machine gun, now known as the "Maxim Machine Gun", used the recoil from previous shots to reload itself rather than being hand powered. Maxim was also the first person to use water cooling in his machine gun by using a water jacket and wrapping it around the barrel so that the gun wouldn't overheat.
How Did the Machine Gun affect Different People in Wars?
The machine gun affected different people in different ways because people were scattered all over the place when the war was taking place. The people high up in the army were affected because their decisions would be affecting millions of people and with every second that they spent debating, the conditions of their civilians were depleting very quickly. The soldiers were affected because they were fighting and risking their lives. Both sides of the war had obtained machine guns, but they also knew the impact they an have on an army. Before, you could take out only a couple people before you had to watch your back and reload your firearm, but with the machine gun, you could be a mass murderer in a matter of seconds.
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What was the Impact of the Machine Gun in WWI?
The machine gun had a huge impact on WWI. It created such a huge impact because it gave soldiers a way to kill faster and more efficiently. A machine gun shot faster and farther, creating more accuracy and more enemy deaths for the shooter. In previous wars, soldiers were using rifles, which were less effective because you could only shoot one bullet at a time. When you used a machine gun, the recoil would eject the used cartridge shell and load the next full cartridge shell into the chamber, where it would be fired out in an instead. The machine gun was most affective when the army with it was going up against an army that was armed with only rifles. An advantage that came with having a machine gun was that you could move it down a line and fire instantaneously, taking down many men at a time. The effect can be compared to spraying a garden hose.
Map of Battles where Machine Guns were used
Connections to the World Today
How has the machine gun improved?
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How is the machine gun used today?
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The machine gun has improved drastically over the year ever since it was first invented before WWI. Now, the newer models of machine guns that we have are light enough to carry and move around while you are running and fighting in a war or battle. The machine gun is now one of the most common guns that are used on the battlefield because you can hold them, like stated before, but you can also mount them on vessels and aircrafts like ships and planes.
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The machine gun today is used in the military and army, along with other types of government fighting groups. The United States Military has required that all personnel use a specific type of machine gun called the Browning M-2. The countries that were in WWI still use machine guns today. Some of the top military powers are the United States, France, Germany, and Great Britain.
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A Slideshow of Machine Guns in Action
Pros and Cons of the Machine Gun
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Cons
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