Catling Gun
Preserved but no longer current.
An early form of automatic weapon invented in the U.S.A. in 1867. It had a large number of barrels, the projectiles in which could be discharged in rapid succession. It preceded all types of weapons constructed on the principle of discharging numerous pro- jectiles rapidly through the same barrel, as a machine gun.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Catling Gun” mean?
An early form of automatic weapon invented in the U.S.A. in 1867. It had a large number of barrels, the projectiles in which could be discharged in rapid succession. It preceded all types of weapons constructed on the principle of discharging numerous pro- jectiles rapidly through the same barrel, as a machine gun.
Is “Catling Gun” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.