M1903 Gatling Gun - Field Artillery Museum - Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Posted by: gparkes
N 34° 39.943 W 098° 23.111
14S E 556330 N 3836145
The Field Artillery Museum located at Fort Sill in Oklahoma has a lot of very interesting items just waiting to be discovered by you.
Waymark Code: WM9E56
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 08/08/2010
Views: 6
An information card near this cannon reads:
M1903 Gatling Gun
1903
Patented by Dr. Richard Gatling in 1861, this hand-cranked weapon was the first successful machine gun. It was capable of firing 200 rounds per minute but saw extremely limited use in the Civil War. The US Army adopted this weapon in 1866. Over the next four decades Gatling improved his invention, finally resulting in this model. The Gatling saw service in the Indian Wars, Spanish-American War and many of the minor conflicts of the period.
Admission is free, and access to Fort Sill can be done through the visitor's gate. Be sure to have your license, registration and proof of insurance available, because you are almost certain to be asked for. From the gate, you can ask for direction. At you first stop, you can get a map of important sites on the base. Be sure to go to plan additional time to go to the Indian Cemeteries. There you will find the graves of different Indian Tribes, including Geranimo. There are many sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, from the old fort, cemeteries, and aviation related locations. Fort Sill can easily be a place to visit for a couple hours, or for the entire day.