Leonardo da Vinci proposed an organ gun with multiple barrels fired in sequence.
His military drawings show rows of small cannon barrels arranged on a frame. The arrangement resembles the pipes of a musical organ, which gave this class of weapon its name. The aim was to create a rapid volley rather than rely on one slow-loading barrel.
Leonardo’s design could be elevated and transported on a wheeled carriage. Multiple barrels offered a way to increase firepower while individual guns were being loaded, although coordinating ignition and handling the smoke would have created serious practical difficulties.
An organ gun is not the same as a modern machine gun. It fires separate volleys from multiple barrels and does not use a continuous ammunition feed or automatic action. Leonardo’s drawing represents an early multi-barrel artillery concept.