Nordenfelt Machine-Guns

In 1881, Nordenfelt was manufacturing or had tested 28 different machine-guns to meet various customer requirements. These can be categorised by the calibre (rifle, 1 inch, and shell) or by the system of mechanism used for loading and firing. The rifle and 1 inch guns were multi-barrel volley fire weapons, while shell guns had but a single barrel that fired a larger, heavier, explosive shell with greater velocity.

The Nordenfelt machine guns can be classified by the system of mechanism used to load and fire. These were:

First System or Mechanism	10 barrelled rifle-calibre gun
	12 barrelled rifle-calibre gun
	4 barrelled 1 inch gun
	5 barrelled 1 inch gun
	5 barrelled rifle-calibre (mark I)
Second System	2 barrelled rifle-calibre gun
	3 barrelled rifle-calibre gun
	5 barrelled rifle-calibre gun (Mark II)
	2 barrelled 1 inch gun
	2 barrelled shell gun
Third System	Single barrel 1 inch gun
Third System	Single barrelled Quick Firing shell gun

The first and second systems are volley fire weapons, that is they fire a number of rounds almost simultaneously in a volley, as opposed to rapid fire guns such as the Gatling and Gardner, which fire a single barrel at a time.

The First System of volley firing guns was originally invented by Helge Palmcrantz of Sweden, but the manufacturing and exploitation were taken over by Thorsten Nordenfelt, and the actual guns described in this site are 'Nordenfelt machine guns on the Palmcrantz system'. The Second system shares the characteristic backwards-and-forwards operation of a lever to fire the gun but can no longer be considered purely Palmcrantz's design.

Nordenfelt vs. Hotchkiss

Much has been written by the two manufacturers about the superiority of their gun over the rival. It is not intended in this web site to enter into the discussion (too far). Extensive comparative tests were carried out in the early 1880s. The Royal Navy had already adopted the Nordenfelt 1" anti-torpedo boat gun, and the 5 barrel rifle-calibre machine guns, and seemed content to stick with this decision, while the more open minded Navies of Europe and America frequently selected the Hotchkiss. The Nordenfelt clearly had greater penetrating power, and was probably better suited for the anti-torpedo boat role. The Hotchkiss was better suited for creating damage to un-armoured shipping.

Neither gun (Nordenfelt 4- or 2-barrel, and Hotchkiss revolving cannon) was really tested in ship to ship action. However, during the bombardment of Alexandria, in June 1882, the various ships fired 16,000 rounds of 1" Nordenfelt ammunition against the forts protected by sand and earth berms. Little damage seems to have been done.

In the report of the action, some telling comments were made by Captain Jackie Fisher, Captain of HMS Inflexible:

"Most of the ships used their Nordenfelt machine guns, but nothing is known as to the effect produced. The bullets were found far and near, so it is feared the fire was not very accurate.

The Nordenfelt machine gun labours under three great disadvantages, as compared to a gun of the Hotchkiss type, more particularly in such a case as engaging forts.

1. The comparatively small Nordenfelt simple bullet cannot produce the same demoralising effect as the comparatively large Hotchkiss shell.

2. It is difficult, indeed almost impossible, to see where the comparatively small Nordenfelt bullet hits, whereas the bursting of the comparatively large Hotchkiss shell at once indicates the range.

3. In the Hotchkiss gun, the man who aims the gun fires it; this is only practicable in the Nordenfelt gun, at great loss of rapidity of fire, and requires a long-armed man like Mr Nordenfelt to make good practice; at all events the official drill lays down that No. 1 aims the gun, and No. 2 fires it.

It is earnestly desired that a machine gun of the Hotchkiss type may eventually be adopted in the Naval Service. The new Gardner machine gun can only be considered as an improvement on the Gatling." [N6]

To which I would add, that it is especially difficult to see where Nordenfelt bullets are landing at night, even with electric searchlights illuminating targets. And the doctrine of the time expected torpedo-boat attacks at night! However the Gunnery Manual of 1885 (N1] makes the valid point that correcting the range of a Hotchkiss using the explosions of shells is very much more difficult if a number of guns are firing.

The Gunnery Manual goes on to note that both 1 inch Nordenfelt and 37 mm Hotchkiss guns have very inferior shooting powers, and fell well below the requirements of the time. Their defects being:

a. velocities very low

b. projectiles only 2.6 calibres long, instead of 3.5 which means that initial velocity rapidly diminishes

c. projectiles too small for the work.

The multi-barrel machine guns of larger calibre were quickly superseded by the Quick Firing (QF) single barrel guns, such as the Nordenfelt 6 pdr and the Hotchkiss 3 and 6 pdr guns.

Where to See Them.

While Nordenfelt advertised the wide range of machine and quick firing guns listed above, I am not certain that all variants were actually sold as production versions, consequently this table lists known examples of guns. The gaps either mean I have not found out about them, they never entered service, or have all been destroyed.

Type	Location of Examples	Links to other photographs
10 barrelled rifle-calibre gun	Australian Army Artillery Museum, North Head, Sidney, AUS	http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordenfelt_machine_gun_10_barrels.jpg
12 barrelled rifle-calibre gun
4 barrelled 1 inch gun	'Explosion' Gosport, UK (Mk III) Royal Armouries, Leeds (Mk III?) National Firearms Collection* (MkI or II) Aberdeen Proving Ground The Gardens, Bundaberg, Queensland, AUS	Mk III example. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nord_2.JPG
5 barrelled 1 inch gun
5 barrelled rifle-calibre	Royal Armouries, Leeds (Mk I) 'Explosion', Gosport, UK (Mk II) Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, UK National Firearms Collection*	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GQZBGwQnnc movie of firing 5 barrel gun. Excellent photo of Mk I gun http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordenfelt.PNG
2 barrelled rifle-calibre gun
3 barrelled rifle-calibre gun	Australian Army Artillery Museum, North Head, Sidney, AUS
2 barrelled 1 inch gun	Queen's Park, Maryborough, Queensland, AUS The Gardens, Bundaberg, Queensland, AUS
2 barrelled shell gun
Single barrel 1 inch gun
Single barrelled Quick Firing shell gun	Australian Army Artillery Museum, North Head, Sidney, AUS

* Locations marked with an asterisk are not generally open to the general public

If you have any photographs of Nordenfelt machine guns that I can include in the Gallery or provide links to in the table please let me know. I would also like to know of examples of the actual guns that may still exist around the world.