h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I remember watching a documentry on the History channel about the machine gun. The well known gun maker Browning, was the first to sell the idea to the US army, and in fact gave up any rights and royalties to his patent, and said it was his gift to the country. He was indeed the best gun maker of the century, his inventions were way ahead of the time. I believe he took the idea of auto re load from the cocking mechanism of a repeating winchester, and develpoed that into a machine gun.

I believe he refered to it as a "trench broom"

John Moses Browning was a designer rather than a gunmaker. He was one of the most prolific too. He went on to work at FN and produced many of his designs there.

The winchester company had previously bought his designs direct, rather than have the competition. When he asked for a royalty from them on each gun sold, they refused. So he came to Europe and bought the failing gun making company, Remmington. Where he made his first auto/shotgun, which revived the Remmington company to survive still today.