The Billinghurst Requa Battery Gun,Manufactured by the Billinghurst Company of Rochester, New York,

The Billinghurst Requa Battery Gun,Manufactured by the Billinghurst Company of Rochester, New York, the Billinghurst Requa Battery Gun was a type of volley gun commonly used by Union forces during the American Civil War.  Featuring 25 barrels that fired simultaneously, the Billinghurst actually was not a muzzleloading device like early volley gun designs.  Rather it was loaded from the breech with .58 caliber metallic self contained cartridges. Each cartridge lacked a primer, but were discharged simultaneously through the ignition of one central percussion cap.  Furthermore, all 25 chambers of the gun could be loaded simultaneously using a special 25 round clip which held the cartridges.  Using this system a crew of 3 could fire 7 volleys a minute, discharging 175 rounds. On the battlefield the Billinghurst saw little action.  Drawn on a carriage by horse or mule, it was very immobile.  All enemy soldiers had to do to avoid its deadly volleys was stay out of its way.  However, the Billinghurst had a very specific role where it excelled; in tight spaces where soldiers could not maneuver, such as narrow bridges, river crossing, and small paths.  The Confederates made their own copies, but of lesser quality. -- source link

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