Machine Guns
- Machine guns were weapons that could fire multiple bullets per second without reloading, they usually weighed about 30kg-60kg. Machine guns were usually positioned on a flat tripod, this would require around four to six soldiers to work them. These weapons could fire around 400-600 small caliber rounds per minute, but they would rapidly overheat.
- Machine guns were invented by a man named Hiram Maxim in 1884, in Great Britain. They were invented because armies wanted a weapon that could fire rounds with out reloading after every shot.
Machine Guns - Impact and Consequence
Until the Machine gun was invented, using a rifle was very slow. You could only shoot one bullet at a time, but while using a machine gun, you can fire multiple rounds per second, which can be decimating in war. Machine guns were also a primary reason for leading to Trench warfare. Machine guns were a major impact of WW1, because of how many deaths the caused. Soldiers on the front lines in Europe were greatly effected because of the firepower these countries had, including machine guns. The leaders of these countries that were fighting bought a lot of machine guns for their country, Great Britain had the most because that's where machine guns were invented. Civilians near the front lines were greatly impacted because they had to wear gas masks and were often homeless.
The Good and Bad
They're a lot more good things about the machine gun than the bad. Lets start with the bad, machine guns can over heat really quick, which means you can only use them for a short span of time. Most machine guns were really heavy like the one above, this meant that soldiers were limited to their mobility on the battlefield. Some good things about machine guns are that soldiers could fire multiple rounds of ammunition per minute, which means they could just rip into their enemies. Another good thing about machine guns is that they can be mounted on tripods for better accuracy. those are a couple good and bad reasons for using a machine gun in war.
They're a lot more good things about the machine gun than the bad. Lets start with the bad, machine guns can over heat really quick, which means you can only use them for a short span of time. Most machine guns were really heavy like the one above, this meant that soldiers were limited to their mobility on the battlefield. Some good things about machine guns are that soldiers could fire multiple rounds of ammunition per minute, which means they could just rip into their enemies. Another good thing about machine guns is that they can be mounted on tripods for better accuracy. those are a couple good and bad reasons for using a machine gun in war.
Machine Guns, Connections to Today
A modern day example of a Machine gun is this F2000 above, it is a high powered fast fire rate assault rifle. Machine gun shave improved rapidly since WW1, an example of it improving is that machine guns don't usually over heat in modern days. Machine guns also have been made to be much lighter. Machine guns are used all over the world by all countries because of how effective they are in war.