Joseph Montigny was a Belgian gunsmith, from Fontaine l'Evèque near Brussels, and the developer of the Montigny mitrailleuse, an early European machine gun, in 1863.[1] The design was based on the early 1850s prototype of a volley gun by the Belgian officer Fafschamps.[2] Montigny managed to offer his design to Napoléon III, who adopted it in 1867, with Colonel De Reffye making various improvements to the weapons.[3][4]
Joseph Montigny | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Belgium |
| Occupation | Gunsmith |
| Known for | Development of the Montigny mitrailleuse |
Joseph Montigny also developed various rifles and shotguns with breech loading mechanisms based on the designs of the Swiss inventor Jean Samuel Pauly.[1]
Notes edit
- ^ a b Rifles of the World By John Walter p.570
- ^ Machine Guns: An Illustrated History of Their Impact - Page 35 by James H. Willbanks [1]
- ^ "He offered his weapon to Joseph Montigny, a noted Belgian engineer, who persuaded the French Emperor, Napoleon III, to adopt the weapon in 1867." in Encyclopedia of Firearms - Page 221 by Harold Leslie Peterson
- ^ A History of Firearms By W. Y. Carman p.84