<Tr> <Th> Action </Th> <Td> Crank handle </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Rate of fire </Th> <Td> 200 rounds per minute in . 58 caliber, 400 - 900 rounds per minute in . 30 caliber </Td> </Tr> <P> The Gatling gun is one of the best - known early rapid - fire spring loaded, hand cranked weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun and rotary cannon . Invented by Richard Gatling, it saw occasional use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat . Later, it was used again in numerous military conflicts, such as the Boshin War, the Anglo - Zulu War, and the assault on San Juan Hill during the Spanish--American War . It was also used by the Pennsylvania militia in episodes of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, specifically in Pittsburgh . </P> <P> The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyclic multi-barrel design which facilitated cooling and synchronized the firing - reloading sequence . Each barrel fired a single shot when it reached a certain point in the cycle, after which it ejected the spent cartridge, loaded a new round, and, in the process, allowed the barrel to cool somewhat . This configuration allowed higher rates of fire to be achieved without the barrels overheating . </P>

Did they have gatling guns in the civil war