And...

In 1861, Doctor Richard Gatling patented the Gatling Gun, a six-barreled weapon capable of firing a (then) phenomenal 200 rounds per minute. The Gatling gun was a hand-driven, crank-operated, multi-barrel, machine gun. The first machine gun with reliable loading, the Gatling gun had the ability to fire sustained multiple bursts.however the most intriging rife of the 1770's is Timothy Murphy rifle there is no real known model or reproduction of it americanrevolution.org... would like to see one up close.