Gatling Guns

**4V50 Gary** · January 12, 1999, 01:29 AM

Gatling Guns have been with us for over 100 years now. While calibres have changed, ammunition has been improved, and motors (first steam, now electric) have been added, they are still Richard Gatlings' basic multibarrel weapon. They've served in America, Africa, Asia and Europe and evolved from horse drawn weapon to airborne. As part of our nation's firearms heritage, they, alongside with the flintlock rifle, have earned their rightful place in everybody's (non-felon of course) home. Provided we don't motorized it ourselves, there isn't any legal restriction which I'm aware of.

[This message has been edited by 4V50 Gary (edited 01-12-99).]

GLV · January 12, 1999, 08:57 PM

And Vollmer has a bunch of them. GLV

swehrman · January 12, 1999, 09:27 PM

I think the only legal restriction is the feeding device because of the large capacity magazine ban.

**4V50 Gary** · January 13, 1999, 03:15 AM

Would have to modify the feed device to take cloth sewn ammo belts; just like the ones John M. Browning use to sew for his MGs!

danbrew · January 13, 1999, 11:07 PM

Sorry, Gary, the sewing of those cloth belts would be the manufacture of a new "large capacity ammunition feeding device".

You'd have to use preban belts. <snicker, snicker - but the truth!>

danbrew :->

Rob Pincus · January 13, 1999, 11:12 PM

I think Gary meant to use the cloth ammo belts that are still in existence. My unerstanding is the same as yours, dan.

Question.. would a hopper that you dumped ammo into be consider a hi-cap mag? (my guess is: Yes, if the ATF Agent who was asked felt like saying, "yes."

------------------
-Essayons

David · January 14, 1999, 04:54 PM

Now you guys are really getting me excited.

I had the opportunity to check out several of the motorized versions in .223, .308 and even
20 mm cannon. I also saw some old .45-70 crank versions, with and without barrel jackets. As I recall, Dillion has a dozen or so of the .308's, and some of them are transferrable.

I even got to handle the one you see Arnold play with in the movies, as well as the chopped-down 20mm cannon that is featured in "Armageddon". They said the 20 mm was little loud?!

If I won a Superball lottery, can you guess what I would be getting?

danbrew · January 15, 1999, 08:40 PM

Shoot - that's a whole 'nother topic. If I won the superball/powerball/whatever, first I'd live in sin for about six months. Then I'd buy every machinegun I'd ever looked at for more than 2 seconds. Then I'd go buy an island somewhere and open a bar. And an island gun range. And an A-10 theme park. And... <grin>

Byron Quick · February 18, 1999, 08:41 AM

It's nice to know that others fantasy's of winning the lottery are very similar to mine

cornered rat · February 18, 1999, 04:57 PM

My hope, give the resources, would be to simply comb the world for the kind of crowd I see here. Get enough like-minded people, set up an enclave of our own. Make sure that RPG and related hardware are viewed the same way toothbrushes are...decay preventers.

------------------
If you believe in freedom and means of protecting it...you might be a gun nut.
http://ddb.com/RKBA

**4V50 Gary** · February 22, 1999, 03:18 PM

Cornered Rat,

Be sure it's like Switzerland, Sparta and Israel with every citizen a soldier.

Gary

cornered rat · February 25, 1999, 09:59 AM

I disagree with the concept of drafting people...basically gets lots of productive people out of what they are doing and into combat training.

However, I would "encourage" (and how a government can encourage without use of incentives [aka tax-funded bribes] or propaganda [paid for by ads?]) the practice of proficiency with smallarms and RPGs. A small professional army may be possible, though paying for it would be the sticky point.

My guess is that having most households well-armed (which would happen based on the requirements for citizenship and imigratin in general) would do as a deterrent. Since no taxes or bad laws would hinder production and purchases of arms, I'd expect that they would be relatively inexpensive.

My hope would be to reduce the "govt" to a PR agency. It would not even be able to enforce immigration limits for lack of coast guard or any other alphabet soup agency...would just hope that the peculiar character of the country would keep the riff-raff looking for outright hand-outs away [since there would be no social services OR any call for pro politicians]. The only question is how to select the "govt PR staff" and I would just leave that up to whoever wants to deal with the issue as a hobby...

Dream on, right?

------------------
If you believe in freedom and means of protecting it...you might be a gun nut.
http://ddb.com/RKBA

Hairball · March 11, 1999, 06:19 PM

Once I saw a kit in the back of a gun magazine (cant remember which one) that sold .22LR gatling gun plans and a list of where to get the parts, and if i remember right, it had a "hopper" that you just dumped ammo into, and it sent it out the other end of the weapon faster then you could blink... (with a hand crank of course)

anyone else ever see this? if so, has anyone ever actually built one?

[This message has been edited by Hairball (edited March 11, 1999).]

Brett Bellmore · March 17, 1999, 09:26 AM

So, if I understand this right, I could build a gatling gun, designed to take the 100 rd. magazines I've got now for my Calico? So long as I didn't motorize it, of course. (Would a little slot in the hub I could insert a power screwdriver into count as "motorizing" it?) Sounds like a fun project!

Hairball · March 17, 1999, 10:30 AM

Yup, as long as you DO NOT motorize it, its perfectly legal. Now, i dont know if you need to register it, or maybe have a license to build firearms though.

I beleive there something about gearing it to. Maybe only like 1 turn of the crack per shot or something. Because hell, you could grab your 10 or 21 speed bicycle and hook it up and make that thing fire faster than a motor could ever turn it.

James K · March 18, 1999, 04:59 PM

I don't know too much about the latest crop of "Gatling" guns, but you would be heck put to use a belt with an original, and trying to do so would probably "roon" a $200 grand antique firearm. I would also like to see the guy who could crank a Vulcan. The little GE Mini-Gun is a possibility. I once tried to persuade GE Marketing to put a crank on it and sell it through the home appliance division. They declined my idea.

Hal · March 18, 1999, 06:24 PM

I am afraid to ask how much they are. I don't think I could afford the shipping, let alone the ammo to shoot one.
http://www.dixiegun.com/brochure/gatling.htm
but I can always dream right?

------------------
A free people ought not only to be armed but disciplined;
George Washington Jan 8,1790--There can be no doubt about the Second Amendment.

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January 12, 1999, 01:29 AM	#1
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,829	Gatling Guns have been with us for over 100 years now. While calibres have changed, ammunition has been improved, and motors (first steam, now electric) have been added, they are still Richard Gatlings' basic multibarrel weapon. They've served in America, Africa, Asia and Europe and evolved from horse drawn weapon to airborne. As part of our nation's firearms heritage, they, alongside with the flintlock rifle, have earned their rightful place in everybody's (non-felon of course) home. Provided we don't motorized it ourselves, there isn't any legal restriction which I'm aware of. [This message has been edited by 4V50 Gary (edited 01-12-99).]

January 12, 1999, 08:57 PM	#2
GLV Junior member Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: Logansport, IN, USA Posts: 217	And Vollmer has a bunch of them. GLV

January 12, 1999, 09:27 PM	#3
swehrman Member Join Date: October 10, 1998 Location: Kalispell, MT. USA Posts: 26	I think the only legal restriction is the feeding device because of the large capacity magazine ban.

January 13, 1999, 03:15 AM	#4
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,829	Would have to modify the feed device to take cloth sewn ammo belts; just like the ones John M. Browning use to sew for his MGs!

January 13, 1999, 11:07 PM	#5
danbrew Member Join Date: October 27, 1998 Location: Chicago Posts: 72	Sorry, Gary, the sewing of those cloth belts would be the manufacture of a new "large capacity ammunition feeding device". You'd have to use preban belts. <snicker, snicker - but the truth!> danbrew :->

January 13, 1999, 11:12 PM	#6
Rob Pincus Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Hotels Posts: 3,668	I think Gary meant to use the cloth ammo belts that are still in existence. My unerstanding is the same as yours, dan. Question.. would a hopper that you dumped ammo into be consider a hi-cap mag? (my guess is: Yes, if the ATF Agent who was asked felt like saying, "yes." ------------------ *-Essayons*

January 14, 1999, 04:54 PM	#7
David Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 1999 Posts: 121	Now you guys are really getting me excited. I had the opportunity to check out several of the motorized versions in .223, .308 and even 20 mm cannon. I also saw some old .45-70 crank versions, with and without barrel jackets. As I recall, Dillion has a dozen or so of the .308's, and some of them are transferrable. I even got to handle the one you see Arnold play with in the movies, as well as the chopped-down 20mm cannon that is featured in "Armageddon". They said the 20 mm was little loud?! If I won a Superball lottery, can you guess what I would be getting?

January 15, 1999, 08:40 PM	#8
danbrew Member Join Date: October 27, 1998 Location: Chicago Posts: 72	Shoot - that's a whole 'nother topic. If I won the superball/powerball/whatever, first I'd live in sin for about six months. Then I'd buy every machinegun I'd ever looked at for more than 2 seconds. Then I'd go buy an island somewhere and open a bar. And an island gun range. And an A-10 theme park. And... <grin>

February 18, 1999, 08:41 AM	#9
Byron Quick Staff In Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Waynesboro, Georgia, USA Posts: 2,361	It's nice to know that others fantasy's of winning the lottery are very similar to mine

February 18, 1999, 04:57 PM	#10
cornered rat Junior member Join Date: November 30, 1998 Location: Minnesota Posts: 920	My hope, give the resources, would be to simply comb the world for the kind of crowd I see here. Get enough like-minded people, set up an enclave of our own. Make sure that RPG and related hardware are viewed the same way toothbrushes are...decay preventers. ------------------ If you believe in freedom and means of protecting it...you might be a gun nut. http://ddb.com/RKBA

February 22, 1999, 03:18 PM	#11
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,829	Cornered Rat, Be sure it's like Switzerland, Sparta and Israel with every citizen a soldier. Gary

February 25, 1999, 09:59 AM	#12
cornered rat Junior member Join Date: November 30, 1998 Location: Minnesota Posts: 920	I disagree with the concept of drafting people...basically gets lots of productive people out of what they are doing and into combat training. However, I would "encourage" (and how a government can encourage without use of incentives [aka tax-funded bribes] or propaganda [paid for by ads?]) the practice of proficiency with smallarms and RPGs. A small professional army may be possible, though paying for it would be the sticky point. My guess is that having most households well-armed (which would happen based on the requirements for citizenship and imigratin in general) would do as a deterrent. Since no taxes or bad laws would hinder production and purchases of arms, I'd expect that they would be relatively inexpensive. My hope would be to reduce the "govt" to a PR agency. It would not even be able to enforce immigration limits for lack of coast guard or any other alphabet soup agency...would just hope that the peculiar character of the country would keep the riff-raff looking for outright hand-outs away [since there would be no social services OR any call for pro politicians]. The only question is how to select the "govt PR staff" and I would just leave that up to whoever wants to deal with the issue as a hobby... Dream on, right? ------------------ If you believe in freedom and means of protecting it...you might be a gun nut. http://ddb.com/RKBA

March 11, 1999, 06:19 PM	#13
Hairball Member Join Date: January 29, 1999 Location: Floating on a rock in the pacific ocean. Posts: 57	Once I saw a kit in the back of a gun magazine (cant remember which one) that sold .22LR gatling gun plans and a list of where to get the parts, and if i remember right, it had a "hopper" that you just dumped ammo into, and it sent it out the other end of the weapon faster then you could blink... (with a hand crank of course) anyone else ever see this? if so, has anyone ever actually built one? [This message has been edited by Hairball (edited March 11, 1999).]

March 17, 1999, 09:26 AM	#14
Brett Bellmore Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 1999 Location: Capac, MI, USA Posts: 1,927	So, if I understand this right, I could build a gatling gun, designed to take the 100 rd. magazines I've got now for my Calico? So long as I didn't motorize it, of course. (Would a little slot in the hub I could insert a power screwdriver into count as "motorizing" it?) Sounds like a fun project!

March 17, 1999, 10:30 AM	#15
Hairball Member Join Date: January 29, 1999 Location: Floating on a rock in the pacific ocean. Posts: 57	Yup, as long as you DO NOT motorize it, its perfectly legal. Now, i dont know if you need to register it, or maybe have a license to build firearms though. I beleive there something about gearing it to. Maybe only like 1 turn of the crack per shot or something. Because hell, you could grab your 10 or 21 speed bicycle and hook it up and make that thing fire faster than a motor could ever turn it.

March 18, 1999, 04:59 PM	#16
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I don't know too much about the latest crop of "Gatling" guns, but you would be heck put to use a belt with an original, and trying to do so would probably "roon" a $200 grand antique firearm. I would also like to see the guy who could crank a Vulcan. The little GE Mini-Gun is a possibility. I once tried to persuade GE Marketing to put a crank on it and sell it through the home appliance division. They declined my idea.

March 18, 1999, 06:24 PM	#17
Hal Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 8,563	I am afraid to ask how much they are. I don't think I could afford the shipping, let alone the ammo to shoot one. http://www.dixiegun.com/brochure/gatling.htm but I can always dream right? ------------------ A free people ought not only to be armed but disciplined; George Washington Jan 8,1790--There can be no doubt about the Second Amendment.