Maxim gun

Maxim gun
TypeHeavy machine gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1886–present
Used bySee Users
Wars
Production history
DesignerSir Hiram Stevens Maxim
ManufacturerMaxim Gun Company, Vickers
VariantsVickers machine gun, MG08, PM M1910, M32-33, M/09-21
Specifications
Mass27.2 kg (60 lb)
Length107.9 cm (42.5 in)
Barrel length67.3 cm (26.5 in)
Crew4

Cartridge
ActionRecoil-operated
Rate of fire550–600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity744 m/s
Feed system250-round canvas belt
SightsIron sights

The Maxim gun is a recoil-operated machine gun invented in 1884 by Hiram Stevens Maxim. It was the first fully automatic machine gun in the world.[15]

The Maxim gun has been called "the weapon most associated with imperial conquest" by historian Martin Gilbert,[16] and was heavily used by colonial powers during the "Scramble for Africa". Afterwards, Maxim guns also saw extensive usage by different armies during the Russo-Japanese War, the First and Second World Wars, as well as in contemporary conflicts.

The Maxim gun was greatly influential in the development of machine guns, and it has multiple variants and derivatives.

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