Maxim gun
| Maxim gun | |
|---|---|
Maxim machine gun at Georgian National Museum. | |
| Type | Heavy machine gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1886–present |
| Used by | See § Users |
| Wars | See § Conflicts |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim |
| Manufacturer | See § Manufacturers |
| Variants | See § Variants / Derivatives |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 27.2 kg (59.97 lb) |
| Length | 1,079 mm (42.48 in) |
| Barrel length | 673 mm (26.5 in) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Cartridge | |
| Action | Recoil-operated |
| Rate of fire | 550–600 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 744 m/s (2,440 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 250-round canvas belt |
| Sights | Iron 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.
The Maxim gun has been called "the weapon most associated with imperial conquest" by historian Martin Gilbert, 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, such as the Vickers, PM M1910 and MG 08. Some are still in service to the present-day, such as in the Russo-Ukrainian War.