Agar Gun

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	Weapon: Agar Gun Type: Hand-Cranked Machine Gun Country of Origin: United States Year Adopted: 1910 Caliber: 58 caliber Action: Manual Crank Overall Length (mm): 1000.0 Weight (kg): 8.00 Effective Range (m): 1500

The Agar Gun, often referred to as the "Coffee Mill Gun" due to its resemblance to a coffee grinder, was an early rapid-fire weapon designed by Wilson Agar during the American Civil War. Utilizing a hand-crank mechanism, the gun could fire .58 caliber cartridges fed from a hopper, achieving a theoretical rate of fire of up to 120 rounds per minute. Its innovative design incorporated a simple breech-loading system and brass-cased ammunition, which minimized fouling and enhanced reliability compared to muzzle-loading firearms of the era.

Approximately 54 Agar Guns were manufactured, with most being produced by the J.D. Mills Company. They were primarily adopted by the Union Army during the Civil War, where they were employed in limited roles such as defending bridges, encampments, and other strategic locations. Despite its potential, the gun's performance in the field was mixed, as it required a consistent crank speed for optimal operation and was prone to overheating during prolonged use.

The notoriety of the Agar Gun lies in its status as one of the first machine guns to see combat, paving the way for later developments in automatic weaponry. While it was ultimately overshadowed by other designs, such as the Gatling Gun, its innovative approach to rapid-fire capability marked a significant milestone in military technology. Today, surviving examples are prized artifacts, symbolizing the ingenuity and experimental nature of weaponry during the mid-19th century.