Noun
An American machine gun, consisting of a cluster of barrels which, being revolved by a crank, are automatically loaded and fired.
Source: Webster's dictionaryA Terrible Glory, (Kindle Locations 3080–3086) By contrast, each Gatling gun had to be hauled by four horses, and soldiers often had to drag the heavy guns by hand over obstacles. Source: Internet
Donovan, 2008, p. "Explaining his refusal of the Gatling gun detachment and the Second Cavalry battalion, he convolutedly reaffirmed his confidence in the Seventh's ability to defeat any number of Indians they could find." Source: Internet
Compared with earlier weapons such as the mitrailleuse, which required manual reloading, the Gatling gun was more reliable and easier to operate, and had a lower, but continuous rate of fire. Source: Internet
Donovan, 2008, p. 175: "Custer refused Terry's offer of the Gatling gun battery." Source: Internet
During the Black Hills Expedition two years earlier, a Gatling gun had turned over, rolled down a mountain, and shattered to pieces. Source: Internet
Further classification may make reference to the type of barrel used (rifled) and to the barrel length (19 inch), to the design's primary intended use (e.g. hunting rifle), or to the commonly accepted name for a particular variation (e.g. Gatling gun ). Source: Internet