IntroductionMachine guns are designed to be fully automatic weapons capable of rapidly ejecting successive rounds. The term is generally used to describe non-automatic firearms that have been modified to function like an automatic rifle. Over the years, the machine gun has undergone major improvements which now make it a weapon of choice in many war and security operations. Over the years, different brands have been assigned to modified machine guns. Using the ammo belt to feed the cartridges into the gun makes the gun light and therefore can be held in the hand or on a stand while in use (Fowler et al. 90). Period before 1775; James Puckle and the defense pistolThe defense pistol developed by James Puckle is the first and most recognized form of automatic weaponry in the world. The weapon could fire up to nine rounds per minute, with the rounds being fed into the barrel from a rotating cylindrical contraption. The gun was 0.91 m long with a bore of 32 mm. Puckle developed two versions of the weapon, one customized for use against Christian enemies and the other, powerful version designed to kill Turkish Muslims (Willbanks 154). The weapon never found a sufficient market in Europe and so its development was halted until the British military began to engage in external aggression. In particular, much of the development of the firearm took place during the American War of Independence of 1775-1783 (Willbanks, 154).1775-1783; Machine Guns During the WarThe Billinghurst-Requa volley gun was invented during the war for use by Union forces. Replacing the rotating cylinder of Puckel's defense pistol, this machine gun had a rotating wheel-like structure that contained eight compartments...... middle of paper ...... gun rack. Mahwah, NJ: AnnessPublishing Ltd, 2008. Gilby, Joseph. Load the Hopper and Turn the Crank: Rapid Firearms of the Civil War, 2007, accessed April 27, 2011 at http://www.historynet.com/load-the-hopper-and-turn-the-crank- rapid -firearms-of-the-civil-war.htmGudmundsson, Bruce. Stormtroop Tactics: Innovation in the German Army, 1914-1918. Philadelphia, PA: Praeger Press. 1995. Hogg, Ian and Batchelor, John. Weapons and machines of war. London, UK: Phoebus. 1976 Miller, David. The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Firearms. St Paul, MN: SalamanderBooks Ltd, 2001 Shira, Donald. Contribution of Ohio physicians to the inventions of the period, 1835 –1858. Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly. 49 (1940): 318-320. Willbanks, James. Machine guns: an illustrated history of their impact. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. 2004