Maxim gun
the first self-powered machine gun, invented by Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884
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Summary
Maxim gun is a firearm model[1]. It ranks in the top 6% of firearm model entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (10,471 views/month).[2]
Key Facts
- Operator: British Army[3]
- Subclass of: medium machine gun[4]
- Designed by: Hiram Stevens Maxim[5]
- Commons category: Maxim machine gun[6]
- Country of origin: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland[7]
- Inception: 1883[8]
- Time of discovery or invention: 1883[9]
- Participated in conflict: Mahdist War[10], World War II[11]
- Service entry: January 1, 1889[12]
- Service retirement: January 1, 1950[13]
- Ammunition: .303 British[14], 7.62×54mmR[15], 7.92×57mm Mauser[16], 7.5×55mm Swiss[17], 8×50mmR Mannlicher[18]
- Commons gallery: Maxim MG[19]
- Described by source: Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary[20], The Nuttall Encyclopædia[21], New International Encyclopedia[22]
- Native label: Maxim gun[23]
- Length: 1067 millimetre[24]
- Mass: 27.2 kg[25]
Why It Matters
Maxim gun has Wikipedia articles in 27 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[26] It is known by 24 alternative names across languages and contexts.[27]