The Gatling Gun is one of the most iconic American firearms of the 19th century and is generally considered to be the forerunner of true machine guns and is often called a "hand-cranked machine gun." Gatling also experimented with electrically driven models which might be seen as the direct forerunners of the modern auto-cannons such as the M61 Vulcan which can fire 6,000 rounds a minute. Gatling's hand cranked guns had firing rates from 200 to 1,000 rounds per minute. Gatling guns were used by the U.S. military from the Civil War until 1911 when they were declared obsolete compared to modern machine guns. Captain W. F. Randolph of the Fifth Artillery reported: "Four men, including the gunner, are necessary for the service of the piece; with a greater number of cannoneers a more rapid and continuous fire can be sustained (the additional men refilling feed cases and bringing up ammunition), but it is not advisable to expose more men than are absolutely necessary." The included letter from Julia L. Bourbois, Curatorial Assistant of Arms & Armory at the Autry National Center, indicates this Model 1874 Gatling gun is listed in the ledgers as purchased by the U.S. Army in July of 1874 and sent to Indiana. From Indiana, it may have been sent further west to support U.S. Army operations in the West such as the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. This is the shorter version of the Model 1874 which is sometimes call the "Camel Gun" based on reports of them being mounted on camels by the British in Egypt. The sights are off-set to the right. The front sight blade folds down, and the rear sight is adjustable. It has a gravity fed box magazine. The 18 inch barrels are each marked "1" through "10" at the breech end with the corresponding number on the breech plate. "54" is also marked on the barrels in the front section and multiple places on the action. The right arm is marked "H.M/No 52/US." The top of the breech casing has a brass plate which is marked "GATLING'S/BATTERY/GUN/PAT. NOV 4, 1862/MAY 9, 1865/FEB 28, 1871/APR 9, 1872/MADE BY COLT'S/PT. FIRE ARMS/MFG CO/HARTFORD, CONN./U.S.A." ".45 C." is marked on the action by the hinge. "OWA" (Orville W. Ainsworth) is marked on top above the cascabel. The wooden field carriage has iron fittings and wooden wheels with iron hubs and rims. It does not have an elevation screw. A modern tripod is also included.

Fine with mottled gray patina on the barrels, attractively aged patina on the brass, distinct markings, mild wear on the wood which is painted gray on the carriage, and some minor oxidation. Mechanically fine. This is a very impressive piece of firearms history. The Gatling gun helped usher in rapid fire firearms such as the machine guns that debuted in the late 19th century and are among the most distinctive of all American firearms and certainly among the rarest of Colt's firearms.