An interesting bit of history.

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http://www.ctsportsmen.com/news/disp..._control_m.htm

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The "Puckle gun" patented in 1718.

The Puckle gun was a British flintlock machinegun invented
by James Puckle and patented in 1718. It took a nine-round
revolving block, was mounted on a tripod and was designed
to be portable and especially to prevent an enemy boarding a
ship. An unusual feature was that it fired square bullets.

This weapon fired nine shots per minute at a time when the
standard soldier's musket could be loaded and fired but three
times per minute.

Puckle demonstrated two versions of the basic design.

One weapon, intended for use against Christian enemies, fired
conventional round bullets, while the second variant, designed
to be used against the Muslim Turks, fired square bullets,
which were believed to cause more severe and painful wounds
than spherical projectiles.