Gatling gun fires off interest at Historic Hanna's Town Civil War event

Jul. 30—As a young boy, Keith Takacs knew he wanted a Gatling gun.

The rapid-fire weapon, a precursor to modern machine guns patented in 1862, looked cool in old cowboy movies. Fast-forward a few decades, and Takacs dropped about $12,000 on one in 2019.

"Saw it, wanted it, made it a dream," said Takacs, a Civil War reenactor from Cambria County. "Put it on the bucket list and made it happen."

It appeared he made the dreams of others come true Sunday at Historic Hanna's Town in Hempfield. A crowd gathered while Takacs explained the weapon's history in the Civil War and answered questions about it. Then, the best part — he stood by while fellow reenactor Alex Loy of Connellsville turned a crank, firing it.

Takacs said his reproduction gun on wheels is likely one of few to be used in the field in the eastern United States. Others are more of display pieces, and originals carry a much heftier price tag.

"I'm very pleased with the amount of crowds that it brings," he said.

The gun was part of the Westmoreland Historical Society's Civil War battle reenactment and encampment at Historic Hanna's Town. The settlement was established in 1773 as the first seat of government in Westmoreland County, and it became a stop for travelers and those seeking justice. It was attacked and burned in 1782 and now is preserved as a historic site.

While Hanna's Town didn't play a role in the Civil War, which started in 1861, support and soldiers were provided by Southwestern Pennsylvania. Visitors on Sunday learned about Civil War medicine, battle tactics and important people from a number of reenactors.

The Gatling gun was invented by Richard Jordan Gatling in an effort to peacefully end the battle and reduce casualties and costs of the war, said reenactor Dave Mason of Centerville.

A three-member crew is needed to operate the weapon — one for turning the hand crank to fire it, a second to load magazines and a third, usually the gun's owner, to look downfield and provide support in aiming it.

The gun could fire up to 200 rounds per minute, a huge advancement at the time, but it had to be purchased by private individuals for use in the Civil War, Mason said. Iterations after the original became part of the U.S. military arsenal.

"This design is still used today," he said.

Current automatic machine guns — such as the M134 Minigun, the design for which is based on the Gatling gun — can fire thousands of rounds per minute.

Takacs purchased his Gatling gun from a manufacturer in Michigan. The reproduction fires .45-caliber bullets, but the original used .58-caliber ammunition.

The gun has been a hit at events and is a help drumming up interest in reenacting. Takacs said his group — 45th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Company K — has grown in the past few years.

"It's made our numbers really triple since we've had it," he said. "For a dying hobby, it's pretty important."

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .