Existing comment:
Chambers Swivel Gun:
Joseph Chambers, an inventor from Middletown, Pennsylvania, created a multi-barrel system for firing pistols, muskets, and swivel guns like this one. He successfully convinced the Navy Department that these guns could be useful on ships by mounting them on capstans and fighting tops. Each swivel had seven barrels loaded with 32 bullets and powder charges. Each bullet was ignited by the firing of the round ahead of it, similar to roman candle. When the flintlock discharged the first bullet, the remaining bullets fired continuously for two minutes, allowing the gunner to "sweep" the gun across the deck against enemy boarders.
This gun had clear disadvantages: loading took time and the weapon could not be stopped once firing started, meaning the gunner had to maintain a steady aim during the chaos of battle. Although there is little record of these swivel guns in use, they were used by USS Constitution in the capture of HMS Cyane and Levant in February 1815. |