What was Leonardo da Vinci's proposed military weapon with 33 barrels arranged on a rotating platform?

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Leonardo da Vinci's 33-barrel rotating weapon is commonly described as an organ gun.

His 1480s design placed multiple small cannons in three rows on a wheeled platform. The rows could be fired in sequence while the platform was angled, allowing one group to cool or reload as another fired. The name “organ” refers to the visual resemblance to the pipes of a musical instrument.

Leonardo intended the weapon to deliver a dense volley against infantry. It remained a drawing rather than a standardized battlefield arm, and no evidence shows that his exact machine entered service.

The weapon is not the same as his armored vehicle. The tank design emphasized protected movement and a large number of guns, whereas the organ gun concentrated many barrels for rapid salvo fire.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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