Jabalpur: For the first time the army museum at Jabalpur will be opened twice a week to allow the public a glimpse of its massive collection of weapons. The museum preserves a huge collection of over 2000 types of rare weapons – old and new.
But what is one of the most precious possessions in the collection, is a 163-year old, 1862 manufactured machine gun that was made by Dr. Richard Jordan Gatling during the American Civil War.
A senior Army official told ETV Bharat most countries of the world including India buy weapons from America. But there is one weapon which America wants to buy from India and that too at the asking price. This weapon is kept in the army museum of Jabalpur.
This is considered as one of the first successful machine guns in the world, which was made by Dr. Richard Gatling. Indian Army officials have kept it in serviceable condition. There are only two such weapons in the world. This machine gun was made 163 years ago.
The Gatling machine gun:
Dr. Richard Jordan Gatling, who lived in North Carolina, America, was a medical practitioner. Richard's father, who lived in a farm in North Carolina, was a big farmer. He used to make many modern equipment to modernize his farming. Richard started learning the art of making equipment with his father.
It was during the American civil war that Richard began working on making a machine gun. Till then, history goes, that in direct battles, guns with single round fire were used. Therefore, those fighting the war had to build up a large army. Research began on finding a solution and a multi barrel machine that could fire rapidly was the need of the hour.
Richard was able to make the first successful machine gun that can fire many bullets. Although such experiments were being carried out at several places at that period but till then no one's machine gun was being used successfully. The machine gun made by Dr. Richard Gatling was successful and it was an answer to may wars that was witnessed during that period. Later, continuous improvements were made in this machine gun.
However, getting back to the Jabalpur army museum, it is located at the Indian Army’s Materials Management College. It is also called the Army Ordnance Corps Museum.
Indian Army officer Vishal Chopra talking about the Gatling gun said, "This is one of the early guns of Dr. Richard Gatling. Initially, only two such machine guns were made by Gatling, one of them is with us. This is an important historical weapon."
Many of these weapons were received by the Indian army during the British rule. The Indian army has preserved it considering that it is very valuable heritage. This museum was not opened to the general public till now. But now it is being opened to the general public as well, so that the common man can also see these historical weapons.
How does this machine gun work?
This machine gun does not have a trigger, but it is fired with a lever. A magazine is fitted on top of it, which has bullets fitted in it. This one machine gun has 10 barrels that’s why it is called a multiple barrel gun. This 163-year-old machine gun could fire 800 rounds per minute. Later, this version was improved and a motor was installed in place of the hand-operated lever, which increased its release of ammunition in less time.
William Gardner modified the machine gun
In this army museum, another US Army Officer Captain William Gardner made machine gun dating back to 1879 is there. Gardner made the weapon lighter than Gatling's machine. It was very difficult to rotate Dr. Gatling's machine gun to aim it. Therefore, William Gardner’s improved lighter version became more useful. This machine gun is also kept in working condition in the army museum in Jabalpur, said army official, Vishal Chopra.
