Puckle Gun Was a Tech Titan of Its Time

In 1718, British inventor, lawyer and author James Puckle invented the “Puckle Gun”, or “Defence Gun”, the world's first patented multi-shot weapon. Since the weapon did not fire repetitively, it was not a “machine-gun” despite sharing similar traits and concept. A revolutionary design, the gun featured a tri-pod mounted, single-bored cannon with a multi-chambered revolving cylinder and matchlock-type firing mechanism. The operator discharged the weapon using a crank shaft similar to those used on Richard Gatling's Model 1862 “Gatling Gun” later in the mid-nineteenth century, but only one chamber at a time. More cannon than small arm, the weapon had a 25.4 mm calibre barrel and fired an astounding 9 rounds a minute. While multi-shot guns with revolving chambers had existed since the late 16th century, none previously had the size and destructive potential as the Puckle Gun.