May 15, 1718

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Joel Byers

On This Date in TWISTED-HISTORY.com! in 1718 the first machine gun was patented by James Puckle and he named it the Puckle Gun. The prototype was tested and it was able to fire 63 rounds in seven minutes at a rate of 9 rounds per minute, which was very favorable compared to the 2 to 5 rounds fired by armed troops of the time. The gun was capable of firing either round bullets for use against Christian troops or square bullets, which were considered more damaging, against the “Turks” to convince them of the benefits of Christian civilization. The gun was never mass produced as it was too clumsy to handle reliably and required multiple troops to man.

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About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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