New Hand-Crank Gatling?

[Langenator]

Just curious-is a hand cranked gatling gun considered to be a Class III firearm, subject to NFA controls and 1986 FOPA prohibitions on new manufacture?

I remember reading that the old hand-crankers could manage up to almost 800 rounds a minute, nowhere close to electric gatling rates, but still quite a lot of bullets. I you had a place to fire it, one would sure be fun to own.

If I was going to make a new one, I think my choice would be 7.62x54R if it required rimmed cartridges (I know nothing about the feed mechanisms or these things) and either .223 or 7.62x39 if they can fire rimless.

 

[Greg L]

As long as the crank isn't hooked up to any sort of motor then you should be ok. The ATF considers you turning the crank to be manually pulling the trigger (no matter how many times the cam activates the trigger with each crank) - IOW you have to make multiple actions to keep the bullets heading downrange (continuing to crank). If you hook some sort of motor to the crank then you only have to make one action (starting the motor) to send multiple rounds downrange causing a less than fun discussion with them if they found out .

I have a .22 one made out of 2 10/22s. It's a fun way to convert dollars to noise but not much good for anything than general area fire (however a true gattling gun would probably work much better).

http://www.gatlingguns.com/

Greg

 

[MagKnightX]

Maybe hook up a nice gearbox to get it to 100 shots per turn, or such.

 

[4v50 Gary]

When I was in Gettysburg last month in August, I left the park and was walking down the Baltimore Pike past their "railroad" museum and commerical "Civil War Museum." OK, I can't rate it as I only went in and bought two books. But outside the museum was an encampment of reenactors and what drew my attention was a Gatling gun.

I spoke with "Rusty" who was a bit miffled when I asked him whether the replica fired. It's original and his grandfather bought it in '96, that is, 1896 as scrap metal. Rusty button rifled four barrels (two are original) and a friend (who was the president of the blacksmith association of America) hand forged the mounts. He had the wheels made and it cost him $35k to restore it. It's absolutely gorgeous and his crew handloads their "chambers." Rusty has done extensive research on it and can prove that the Gatling (not his in particular) were actually used by Beast Butler during the Siege of Petersburg. His own gun was owned once by the Hearst papers in NY and were in the Big Apple at the time of the '63 anti-draft riots. He's got Lloyds of London insurance on it and is attempting to get a waiver from the National Park Service so he can demonstrate it on their grounds. Pray for the waiver.

BTW, do you think the ATF would mind if we hook up a Gatling to a stationary bicycle? Heck, what good are those go no where bikes anyway?

 

[ACP230]

Gatlings are considered the same as any other hand operated firearm.

I saw one in operation at a Sportsmen's Expo in Escanaba, MI several years ago. It was in .30-40 Krag and really piled up the empty brass.
It was a Colt made gun, and the worksmanship was beautiful.

Putting a motor on one turns it into a machine gun and is illegal.

Some are being made in .22 caliber now. They are neat, but aren't cheap.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

BTW, do you think the ATF would mind if we hook up a Gatling to a stationary bicycle? Heck, what good are those go no where bikes anyway?

Now THAT is a good idea! As long as it's still human powered, I don't see why it wouldn't be legal, but of course, I don't work for ATF.

 

[Justin]

Maybe hook up a nice gearbox to get it to 100 shots per turn, or such.

I know I'm pointing out the painfully obvious by stating this, but doing so is amazingly illegal.

But as has already been stated, hand-cranked gatling guns are not regulated any more than your standard rifle. I used to see them occasionally at the big gun shows in Indianapolis.

 

[SodiumBenzoate]

I know I'm pointing out the painfully obvious by stating this, but doing so is amazingly illegal.

Why would that be illegal? It's still hand cranked, it's just adjusted so it shoots much more per turn.

 

[geekWithA.45]

If they made a hand cranked gatling in .22lr at a reasonable price, I'd sure buy it!

 

[jefnvk]

How about this?

http://gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=22547034

They make them for AK's too.

 

[Jim K]

In addition to some made in .22, there was also someone maybe twenty years ago who made a full size Gatling in .45-70. It was one of those "labor of love" things that cost him about the price of three or four Cadillacs, but he enjoyed it. He was a machinist and used the original blueprints; he had seen originals, but had none at hand to work from.

I guess something like that would be a little like the old joke about trapping an elephant - now that you have it, what do you do with it?

Jim

P.S. When first I saw the General Electric mini-gun at a (then) AOA convention, I suggested that they put a handcrank on it and sell it through the home appliance division. The GE rep didn't seem to think that was very likely to happen.

J.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Jim, that was a nice try with the GE folks.

 

[Weimadog]

The AK video at www.GatlingGuns.com shows a couple guns which need a better mount.

Seems like it would be fun for about two seconds.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Years ago some outfit was making reduced size firing replicas of the original Gatling.
I think they were 22LR.
Very expensive but they looked good.

 

[SoCalGeek]

Maybe hook up a nice gearbox to get it to 100 shots per turn, or such.

I think you'd either have to slow the turn down somewhat or have one hell of an action on that gun in order to get it to cycle that fast.

 

[jdkelly]

OKAY,OKAY... How about this!

You attach a BIG spring that can be wound up like those old toy cars and wind the cr*p out of it. A Lever starts the unwinding process spinning the gattling gun barrels.

Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom BoomBoom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom !

Is it still legal? Can I have one,.. can I, can I?


Respectfully Confused,

jdkellly

 

[Slimjim]

GE brings good things to life.

 

[Greg L]

JD,

I don't think that your spring idea would be legal. Even though you wound it up by hand, you activated multiple shots with one motion (pulling the lever). In theory you could trip the lever & then step away to watch as the spring unwound, whereas with the gattling you have to keep turning the crank to keep it working.

Land of the free indeed .

Greg

 

[jdkelly]

Sure, all the good stuf is illegal

I don't think that your spring idea would be legal.

Man you sound just like parents.


Respectfully,

jdkelly

 

[Jim K]

I am reminded of the comment by the King of Denmark when the Gatling gun salesman demonstrated a 1" gun. "A gun like that would bankrupt my little kingdom in a few minutes", he remarked somewhat sadly, walking away without signing a contract.

Jim

 

[ponyexpress]

Here's a page with some cool video's of a .22 gatling gun. Everytime I watch I keep thinking about building one myself.

http://www.gatlingguns.net/

 

[Rockrivr1]

$10,700 for a fully functioning Gatling Gun!!!!!
Are they still in business?