Gatling 1874

An animation of a 10-barrel .45 cal 1874 Gatling gun, with 240 round Broadwell magazine. This gun was sometimes called the Camel gun, after some imaginative advertising. Earlier models of Gatling gun were heavy and difficult to transport across rough terrain. In 1872, Gatling patented a shorter lock design, which allowed a shorter and lighter firing mechanism, and with short barrels, a light Gatling could be transported by infantry and mounted on a tripod (or a Camel!). The firing pin of the lock runs through the lock ending with a knob. As the gun turns, a lug at the base of each lock runs in a racetrack which drives it forwards and pulls it backwards. Just short of the firing point, the firing pin knob is captured in a groove, so that as the lock continues forwards, the firing pin is held back and compresses the firing spring. For more details on vbbsmyt movies, Google for Victorian ship models, or anti torpedo boat guns

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Gatling Gun 1874
• Machine Gun
• Broadwell Drum Magazine

[shred2dotnet]

Very nice animation, but doesn't the Broadwell drum rotate the other way?  IIRC it''s indexed by a lug on one of the barrels.

[vbbsmyt]

The Broadwell drum is rotated by hand, and there is no mechanical indexing mechanism. I have handled a number of drums for different calibres and this is consistent on all models seen.

Thank you for a very penetrating comment, it made me revisit my documentation to work out which direction was correct. My answer need more that this post can handle

[vbbsmyt]

The Instructions from the Gatling Land Service manual of 1880, describe the drill for the Broadwell drum as: "Place the drum on the pin in the centre of the hopper…place the thumb of the left hand against the thumb piece, and the forefinger against one of the lugs on the bottom edge of the drum, turn sharply till the two are in a line, the cartridges will then drop into the hopper and the gun may be worked." Using the left hand, the drum must be rotated in the direction shown.

[vbbsmyt]

@shred2dotnet

However, since the drum is not mechanically linked to the barrels, it could be rotated in the opposite direction if the loader so wished.

So, while it is possible to turn the Broadwell drum in the opposite direction to that shown in my animation, the drill supports the animation.

Regards

Rob

[ahmadov]

why do you have rails instead of cams,or was this the original design of the gun?

[vbbsmyt]

@ahmadov Gatling's patent 125,563 appears to show guidance rails rather than grooves in the surrounding casing. That said,the actual guns may have had grooves - but I was modelling from the patent, as I don't have any better drawings. In addition, it is easier to explain how the breech pieces are moved back and forwards using rails in the animation.

[shred2dotnet]

@shred2dotnet sorry. 110338

[shred2dotnet]

@vbbsmyt this is correct as per the Broadwell patent 110388, but at least one model has a barrel lug that indexes the drum once per rotation of the barrel pack. Where that came from, I don't know.

[HyperblexMedia]

I am astonished at how people back then could create such intricate devices without the aid of high tech equipment

[zebracherub]

red dead redemption :D

[LRDR89]

hours of CAD!!! makes this awesome!