The Gatling Gun

The Gatling gun is an invention of great importance to the science of warfare. Richard Jordan Gatling turned his attention to firearms and invented the Gatling gun during the Civil War. Even Gatling probably never knew how significant his invention would become. Just why, though, is the Gatling gun such an important invention? The idea of a multi-firing rifle for use in war goes back almost as far as the use of gunpowder (Britton 1). The …

…time. It was used with success in the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. The success of the Gatling gun in history still survives today with the next generation M61 Gatling gun. The same principle of an invention created in 1862 is still being trusted in the fuselage of the newest and most sophisticated fighter jets in the world. A design principle that lasts over 138 years deserves to be recognized as an invention of world-changing importance.