The 1-inch Nordenfelt gun was a naval gun produced by the Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company. It was used by the British Royal Navy against torpedo boats.
Design Details[]
It is an upscaled version of the successful rifle-caliber Nordenfelt gun, developed by Helge Palmcrantz. The idea is the combine the Nordenfelt's rate of fire with a projectile capable of deterring attacking torpedo boats. The weapon fired a solid steel bullet with a hardened tip and brass jacket; under the terms of the St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868, exploding shells weighing less than 400 grams were not allowed to be used in warfare between the signatory nations.
The gun was produced in two- and four-barreled variations. Ammunition was fed by gravity from a hopper located above the breech and subdivided into separate columns for each barrel. The gunner loaded and fired the barrels by ragging a lever on the right-hand side of the weapon back and forth. Hence, it functioned as a form of volley gun, firing bullets in bursts compared to the contemporary Gatling gun and the true machine guns which succeeded it, such as the Maxim gun, which fired at a steady, continuous rate.
The gunner manually operated the loading and firing lever, while the gun captain aimed the gun and controlled the elevation and training handwheels.
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