Nordenfelt Gun
Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1873
Also known as: Palmcrantz Gun, Nordenfelt Organ Gun
Overview
The Nordenfelt Gun was a hand-cranked multi-barrel volley or 'organ gun' designed by Swedish engineer Helge Palmcrantz (patented 1873) and financed by the banker Thorsten Nordenfelt, who lent it his name. Worked by a back-and-forth side lever, its row of up to twelve gravity-fed barrels fired in sequence and could deliver hundreds of rounds per minute; common service guns were five- and ten-barrel rifle-calibre (.450 in) models, with heavier one-inch versions built for naval anti-torpedo-boat defence. Adopted by the Royal Navy from 1878 and exported widely, it was rendered obsolete in 1891 by the recoil-operated Maxim gun.
Specifications
| Overall Length | 1350 mm (53.15") |
| Action Type | Lever Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 411 m/s (1348 fps) |
| Effective Range | 365 m (399 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Brass |
Calibers
- .577/450 Martini-Henry · primary — also known as .450 Martini-Henry, 11mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Gravity Hopper
- Features: Multi Barrel, Hand Cranked, Reciprocating Side Lever, Gravity Hopper Feed, Air Cooled
Service history
Operators
- Royal Navy · adopted 1878 · as Nordenfelt Five-Barrel Gun
- Colony of Victoria · adopted 1885 · as Ten-Barrel Nordenfelt
Conflicts
- Anglo-Egyptian War (1882)
- Mahdist War (1881-1899)
Production
Production years: 1873-1891
Built in Sweden and Britain; merged into Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company in 1888
Origin
Country of origin: Sweden
Designer: Helge Palmcrantz
Discontinued: 1891
Notes
Built in 1- to 12-barrel configurations; common service guns were 5- and 10-barrel. Rate of fire varies by source (450 rpm sustained to ~1,000 rpm advertised volley). A separate 1-inch (25.4 mm) naval anti-torpedo-boat version had an ~901 mm barrel.
Background
In an 1882 Royal Navy reliability trial a multi-barrel Nordenfelt reportedly fired some 3,000 rounds in three minutes flat without a single stoppage. Ironically, Hiram Maxim's recoil-operated gun made the hand-cranked Nordenfelt obsolete by 1891, just three years after the two firms merged.