Maxim heavy machine gun: Battlefield terminator, setting a record of 60,000 kills in one day, no one can break it so far!
The Maxim heavy machine gun was the world's first truly successful automatic weapon powered by gunpowder gas, which was invented by British-American Hiram Stevens Maxim in 1883 and tested in principle, and patented in 1884.
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It has a caliber of 11.43 mm, a gun weight of 27.2 kg, a short recoil automatic with a barrel, and a water-cooled barrel; The ammunition capacity of 333 rounds of 6.4 meters long canvas ammunition belt is used, the ammunition belt can be connected, the theoretical rate of fire is 600 rounds / min, and single and burst fire can be fired; It can also be adjusted to a slow rate of fire of 100 rounds per minute via the rate of fire regulator.
The Maxim machine gun has a complex structure, the water-cooled barrel is relatively bulky, and the reliability of the canvas cartridge belt becomes worse after moisture, but it has been widely used in modern warfare.
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The actual combat of the Maxim heavy machine gun is well documented in 1891, when a small detachment of 50 British colonists in Rhodesia repelled the attack of 5,000 Zulus with 4 Maxim heavy machine guns and killed 3,000 Zulus.
The First World War broke out in 1914, and with the outbreak of war, weapons ushered in a period of explosive development. At this time, 33 years have passed since the appearance of the Maxim machine gun, also because of the war. No one complied with the so-called ban anymore, and the Germans took the lead in purchasing a batch of Maximin machine guns.
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The real Maxim was in the First World War, when the Germans were equipped with MG08 Maxim heavy machine guns, killing 60,000 British troops in a single day in the Battle of the Somme, the deadliest number in the First World War. Since then, armies of various countries have successively equipped with Maximin heavy machine guns, and Maximin has become a famous murderous weapon.
After being boycotted by the West, Maqin crossed the ocean to China with his love gun. At that time, the Qing Dynasty was carrying out a foreign affairs campaign, as long as it was good weapons and equipment, the Qing Dynasty did not pick much, basically bought it home as soon as it saw it. It was also because Qian Chong of the Qing Dynasty also needed new weapons, so Maqin decided to come here to try his luck.
For this trip to the East, Maqin was very well prepared. He believes that with the great power of his machine gun, he will definitely be able to impress the old man in front of him. In the demonstration environment, Maxim personally operated the machine gun and broke a tree with thick thighs. Maqin's high rate of fire poured rain of bullets, and the thin tongue of fire was like the scythe of death. It's daunting.
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The terrifying power of Mark Qin also surprised Li Hongzhang. He had never seen such a powerful weapon, and if the Qing army could equip Maqin, it would definitely become the first army in Asia. Lao Zhongtang called Maqin and cautiously asked a question: "What is the rate of fire of this machine gun?" Maqin, who did not know the truth, casually answered a 600-round answer.
After hearing this answer, Li Hongzhang shook his head and said: "The mouth is too fast for Daqing to support", and then the old man turned away with regret.
The Maxim heavy machine gun is a water-cooled machine gun, as long as there is water in the cooling water cylinder, the temperature of the barrel does not exceed 100 ° C. When firing, some water leaks at both ends of the barrel; The cooling water used is also not circulating, it is filled before shooting, and water must be added to the cooling water cylinder at any time during combat. When actually shooting, two or three cartridges must be hit before steam leaks out.
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After the machine gun was manufactured, Maqin wanted to secretly conduct a shooting test, but unexpectedly leaked the wind, His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge rushed to the small workshop to visit the wind, and the royal family moved, followed by the city, and a large number of celebrities and dignitaries followed. In full view of everyone, the elbow mechanism of the Maxim machine gun moved quickly and flexibly like a person's elbow joint, and bullets roared and strafed like a hurricane. The viewers were stunned. Since then, Maxim and his machine guns have become famous all over the world.
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After World War II, the Maxim machine gun did not completely withdraw from the war stage, and we can still see this old machine gun in some civilian weapons in Africa and the Middle East. Although it is already a hundred years old, the Maximin machine gun does not look old at all. Strong firepower and good adaptability make it still active on the battlefield, becoming the favorite and preferred choice of many soldiers.