Gatling Gun

When you walk into the Armory, you can't help but notice the amazing Gatling Gun. The gun was designed and patented in 1861 by Dr. Richard Gatling, who intended to make the war so terrible it would end quickly. But the gun was used very little in the Civil War.

This is a .45 caliber long Gatling gun of 1875. It used a four man crew, has ten barrels, and could shoot up to 350 rounds a minute, controlled by the speed of the gunner turning the crank. The clip held about 30 rounds. The main carriage the gun sits on an 1883 brass Naval ship mount.

This gun has an especially interesting history. It was originally presented to and mounted in the Wilmington Cemetery in 1924. There are conflicting stories as to who donated it. The gun remained there peacefully until some youngsters tried to load and fire the gun and a .32 caliber bullet became lodged the wrong way in one of the barrels. In 1962 vandals cut the gun from its cement foundation and it disappeared... until 1969 when it was found, dismantled, in a San Pedro Dump. It was turned over to the police, who contacted the Society for the Preservation of the Drum Barracks (it was not yet a museum) and the Wilmington Cemetery and it was identified as the missing gun by the .32 bullet still stuck in one of the barrels. It was kept in the basement of the Banning mansion until the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum was ready to open in 1987.