Billinghurst Requa Battery Gun
Billinghurst & Requa · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1861
Also known as: Requa Battery Gun, Covered Bridge Gun, Mosquito Battery
Overview
The Billinghurst Requa Battery Gun was a 25-barrel American volley gun of the Civil War, designed by the dentist Josephus Requa and built by riflemaker William Billinghurst of Rochester, New York. Its .58-caliber barrels were loaded together by a 25-round perforated strip and fired in a single near-simultaneous volley triggered by one percussion cap, letting a three-man crew loose about 175 rounds in roughly seven volleys per minute. Though it impressed in trials, the Army never formally adopted it, and its weight and immobility limited it to a handful of siege actions.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 257600 g (9086.6 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 259300 g (9146.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 2616 mm (102.99") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Magazine Capacity | 25 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 267 m/s (876 fps) |
| Effective Range | 550 m (601 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 175 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
Calibers
- .58 Caliber · primary — also known as .58 Minie, 14.7mm, 13.2x52mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Loading Strip
- Features: Twenty Five Barrel, Simultaneous Volley, Perforated Loading Strip, Single Percussion Train, Field Carriage Mounted
Service history
Operators
- Union Army · as Requa Battery Gun
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Production years: 1861-1865
Only a small number built (a few dozen at most); no precise figure exists. Barrels supplied by Remington
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Josephus Requa
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Never officially adopted; Gen. James W. Ripley rejected it over ammunition-cost and logistics concerns despite favourable 1862 trials. Caliber given as nominal .58 (14.7 mm) or more precisely 13.2x52mmR (.532 in bullet). Effective range varies by source (~550 m to ~1,189 m). Weight is the carriage-mounted figure.
Background
It was nicknamed the 'Covered Bridge Gun' because its low, wide 25-barrel sweep was ideal for defending the narrow approaches of covered bridges and causeways, where a single gun could rake an entire span with a wall of .58 lead.