How many barrels did Leonardo da Vinci's experimental machine gun design display in one arrangement?

The story behind the answer

Leonardo da Vinci's experimental machine-gun design displayed 33 barrels in one arrangement. The device was a multi-barrel cannon concept intended to increase the rate of fire compared with a single gun.

Leonardo arranged the barrels in three rows, with each row containing 11 guns. The arrangement could be fired in sequence while another row cooled or was reloaded. A wheeled frame was intended to make the weapon easier to move across a battlefield.

Calling it a machine gun can create a modern misunderstanding. Leonardo's weapon still relied on gunpowder, individual barrels, and manual loading; it was not an automatic firearm. It also belongs to a broader group of Renaissance artillery ideas, many of which remained drawings rather than completed machines.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

Add question to a list

Choose a list to keep this question in: