Definition
A Maxim gun is a recoil-operated machine gun, one of the first of its kind. Think of it as the great-granddaddy of modern machine guns. Invented by Hiram Maxim in the late 19th century, it was revolutionary for its time. It was like upgrading from a single-shot rifle to a fully automatic weapon. It used the recoil energy from each shot to reload and fire the next, allowing for rapid fire. Consider it a game-changer in military technology.