Maxim .303 inch extra light machine gun, 1895

The Maxim recoil-operated machine gun was invented by Hiram Maxim and patented in 1884. It replaced machine guns such as the Gatling, Gardner and Nordenfelt which were used by British forces. The gun was belt-fed from 250 round ammunition belts and it fired .45 inch rounds which were later replaced by .303 inch rounds. Initially the machine gun was mounted on a carriage with the first tripod mount introduced in 1897. The Maxim saw action with British forces on the North West Frontier of India, Matabeleland and the Sudan and it became an icon of colonial power. The Maxim Gun Company was eventually absorbed into the Vickers company in 1897.

Machine guns gave Europeans a huge firepower advantage in colonial battles. Journalist George Steevens heard the Maxims 'growling savagely' at Omdurman in 1898. He noted that 'it was not a battle, but an execution'. Known as the 'Extra Light', this model was intended for cavalry use.