“Everything will be the way we want it.
In case of various troubles, We have a Maxim machine gun, They don't have Maxim"
(Hilary Bellock "New Traveler")
Only the lazy did not write about the Maxim machine gun. But … it always happens that when you have been collecting material for several years, there is, firstly, a lot of it, and secondly, there is a lot in it that previously escaped the attention of the authors. Therefore, sometimes it is worth returning to any topic, including the “theme of the“maxim”machine gun, which quite pretends to become a real“poem”. It is strange, of course, to feel reverence for the person who is most famous for the fact that the invention he created killed the most people on planet Earth. But it just so happened that everyone just admires it, but the fact that he created a device that killed the most mice - a mousetrap, is somehow forgotten. By the way, it is for the mousetrap that he deserves a monument, and for his machine gun curses forever and ever. But since we live in our traditional world … let it be the other way around. Let's not break traditions! And if so, then let's once again get to know the closest way with the man who created this murderous invention, and with his machine gun itself.
Maxim was born in Sanguille, Maine on February 5, 1840. He became an apprentice of a blacksmith (according to other sources - a coachman) at the age of 14, and ten years later took a job with his uncle Levi Stevens in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Subsequently, he worked in different places and changed many professions. But everywhere he was distinguished by such qualities as an inquisitive mind and a desire for invention.
Hiram Maxim with his first machine gun.
Interestingly, his brother, Hudson Maxim, was also a military inventor who specialized in the development of explosives. For the time being, they worked quite closely, but then they had disagreements over a patent for smokeless powder. The patent filed by Hiram was signed by “H. Maxim, and that's why they quarreled. Now it is difficult to say which of them borrowed what from whom, but jealousy and disagreements between us caused such a discord that it lasted the rest of their lives, which, by the way, caused Hudson to stay in the United States, and Hiram was forced to leave for Europe. It turned out to be cramped for two bears in one den!
A sample of the 1884 machine gun in the section.
Hiram Maxim married the Englishwoman Jane Budden for the first time on May 11, 1867 in Boston, Massachusetts. Children were born Hiram Percy Maxim, Florence Maxim and Adelaide Maxim. Hiram Percy Maxim followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle, and also became a mechanical engineer and weapons designer. He later wrote a book about his father called "Genius in the Family", containing about 60 funny stories from his life with his father. Most of these stories are very interesting and provide the reader with a visual representation of the personal and family life of a person of such a multifaceted talent. Interestingly, in 1946, a feature film was even shot on it.
Patent No. 297278 of 1884 for the mechanism of recharging the M1876 hard drive. As you can see, the device is very simple. The plate on the back of the butt is connected by a spring-loaded lever to the bolt. The recoil force pushes the plate and simultaneously activates the shutter. Everything is very simple. Simpler than this system was perhaps one of the first Browning automatic rifle systems with a cup at the muzzle of the barrel with a crank and a long pull to the bolt. When fired, the bullet flew into the hole in the cup, but the gases pressed on it, threw it back on the crank and made the thrust and bolt move. A very workable design. But very inconvenient!
He remarried his secretary and mistress, Sarah, daughter of Charles Haynes of Boston, in 1881. The marriage was registered at Westminster, London in 1890. In addition, there was a woman named Helen Leighton who claimed that he married her in 1878 and that "he knowingly committed bigamy" while married to his current wife, Jane Budden. She claimed to have given birth to a daughter from him, to whom he subsequently left 4,000 pounds sterling. It is possible (although the claims of this woman were not proven in court) that such generosity could have some basis.
Another Maxim's patent for an automatic shotgun. The massive bolt rests against a spring-loaded rod located in the butt tube. Well, there is even nothing to explain. Before us is a diagram of a finished submachine gun, which simply did not occur to anyone!
I must say that Maxim was the author of a lot of useful inventions, and they were often born spontaneously, as he personally had a need. For example, he suffered from bronchitis for a long time and … made and then patented a pocket menthol inhaler, and then a larger tabletop steam inhaler, which used coniferous steam, which, according to him, could relieve asthma, tinnitus, fight with hay fever and catarrh. And when he was reproached that with his machine gun he added suffering to people, he invariably replied that no one considered how many people he brought relief from suffering.
Hiram Maxim crowned with glory!
For example, one large furniture factory often suffered from fires, and Maxim was invited for a consultation on how to prevent their recurrence. As a result, Maxim invented the first automatic fire sprinkler, which also reported a fire to the fire station. He also designed and installed the first electric lights in New York (Life Fair Building at 120 Broadway) in the late 1870s. How significant his work in the field of electrification was, is evidenced by his litigation with Edison himself over the patent rights for the incandescent light bulb. Working in this area, he came to England in 1881 to reorganize the London offices of the Electric Electricing Company. And here in Vienna (at least so the legend says, the author of which, most likely, was himself) in 1882 he met an American acquaintance who advised him to give up chemistry and electricity and come up with something murderous, since this is the only way to do well make money.
"Maxim" Mk. I model 1892. Already pretty close to what we know.
And I must say that as a child, Maxim was knocked down by the recoil of the rifle butt when fired, and this led him to the idea of using this recoil to create an automatically reloading weapon. In the period from 1883 to 1885, Maxim patented a number of mechanisms that use the force of recoil. It was then that he moved to England, settled in a large house previously owned by Lord Thurlow in West Norwood, where he developed his machine gun, acting with recoil energy. He advertised in the local press that he was going to experiment with firearms in his garden and asked neighbors to open their windows to avoid any trouble with broken glass.
"Maxim-Nordenfeld" - ultralight model of 1895. Many military men at that time thought the very idea of water cooling of the barrel and all this fuss with topping up water seemed absurd. They rightly noted that the soldiers may not always have water, especially in such quantities as the Maxim machine gun devoured it. In addition, with a water jacket and water in it, it was much heavier than without them. And in general, the weapon, in their opinion, was too heavy … And Maxim did not argue, but immediately made a model of a machine gun, firstly, extremely lightweight, and secondly, with air cooling.
Machine gun of 1895 under the British caliber.303.
Note also that Maxim was not only a good inventor, but also a skillful manager. He regularly invited crowned heads of different countries to the demonstration of his machine guns, and when they honored him with their visit, he took pictures with them and immediately published these photographs in print!
King Edward VII of England personally fires the Maxim machine gun. Here's how to promote your inventions !!!
On March 8, 1888, the Russian Emperor Alexander III shot from the Maxim machine gun in the arena of the Anichkov Palace. After the tests, representatives of the Russian military department ordered Maxim 12 machine guns of the 1885 model for the 10, 67-mm cartridge of the Berdan rifle. In 1914, this machine gun was donated to the Artillery Historical Museum in St. Petersburg by the Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich. For some reason, the caliber indicated on the signature under the machine gun is 11, 43 mm. Museum workers were mistaken. Berdan's rifle had a caliber of 4, 2 Russian lines, which is exactly 10, 67 mm. (Photo by N. Mikhailov)
A very interesting sample, and above all in that it has both a pistol grip and a trigger, and a grip with a trigger. That is … your choice! If you want - so, you want - here's a commercial: "Any whim for your money!" A great marketing ploy. (Photo by N. Mikhailov)
