Maxim accomplished this with his machine gun, which was adopted by numerous nations in Europe and beyond.
However, one of the major powers on the European continent wasnt convinced namely Austria-Hungary.
The guns were reportedly reliable and could fire for upwards of nine minutes without stoppage.
Hungarian troops train with the water-cooled Schwarzlose machine gun. Image: József Horváth/Fortepan
The U.S. assessment was that it was reliable, but not able to endure the rigors of field use.
As Schwarzlose had primarily been a handgun designer, it took several years for his design to be finalized.
However, that helped stabilize the weapon.
In this image from 1942, a Schwarzlose M.07/12 machine gun is mounted on a three-legged anti-aircraft stand. Image: Konok Tamás/Fortepan
In practice, a fourth soldier was also employed to carry the tripod.
However, the M.07/12 was relatively scarce as machine gun detachments were organized at the battalion level.
Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops (k.u.k.
In this 1920 photograph, troops of the Second Polish Republic man a Schwarzlose heavy machine gun during the Polish-Soviet War. Image: National Digital Archives of Poland
Luftfahrtruppen) were equipped with the modified M.07/12/R16, an air-cooled variant.
During World War I, Austria-Hungary also exported the M.07/12 to its Bulgarian and Ottoman Empire allies.
The former adopted a number and used them in the campaign in North Africa.
Royal Hungarian Army soldiers sit for this 1924 unit photograph at the Batthyány barracks in Pécs. The machine guns are the Schwarzlose M.07/12. Image: Bakó Jenő/Fortepan
The Romanian versions were converted to 7.62x54mmR the same cartridge used by the Mosin-Nagant rifle.
These also were fitted with a longer barrel and lengthened water jacket.
Thus some Romanian forces used an Austro-Hungarian machine gun against the Hungarians!
This 1916 photograph shows a Lohner B.VII version of the Austrian-developed, two-seat light bomber aircraft. It used a rear mounted Schwarzlose machine gun. Image: Saly Noémi/Fortepan
Yet, even these non-firing examples have become extremely rare in recent years.
More recently, it is among the firearms seen in a weapons museum inJohn Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum.
The Czech M.07/24 has also appeared in several movies, in some cases standing in for the M.07/12.
In 1939, Hungarian soldiers practice with a Schwarzlose M.07/12 in the vicinity of Honvéd Street in Budapest, Hungary. Image: Kókány Jenő/Fortepan
The M.07/12 remains an innovative firearm that saw use in the First World War and beyond.
In 1941, these soldiers man a Schwarzlose machine gun mounted in a rail car in the Pécs railway station. Image: Lissák Tivadar/Fortepan
A Royal Hungarian Air Force officer administers an oath at a Kecskemét airport. In the foreground is a Schwarzlose machine gun. Also shown is a Heinkel He-70K reconnaissance aircraft. Image: Fortepan
These Polish soldiers stand in a trench during the Polish-Soviet War in 1919. Visible is the Schwarzlose M.07/12 machine gun. Image: National Digital Archives of Poland
In 1938, Polish troops train with Schwarzlose machine guns using a road as a defensive position. Image: National Digital Archives of Poland
