Joseph Montigny Explained

Joseph Montigny
Nationality:
Known For:	Development of the Montigny mitrailleuse
Occupation:	Gunsmith

Joseph Montigny was a Belgian gunsmith, from Fontaine l'Evèque near Brussels, and the developer of the Montigny mitrailleuse, an early European machine gun, in 1863.^[1] The design was based on the early 1850s prototype of a volley gun by the Belgian officer Fafschamps.^[2] Montigny managed to offer his design to Napoléon III, who adopted it in 1867, with Colonel De Reffye making various improvements to the weapons.^{[3] [4]}

Joseph Montigny also developed various rifles and shotguns with breech loading mechanisms based on the designs of the Swiss inventor Jean Samuel Pauly.^[1]

Notes and References

1. https://books.google.com/books?id=Eq2Dnj4sDZIC&pg=PA570&dq=%22Joseph+Montigny%22 Rifles of the World By John Walter p.570
2. Machine Guns: An Illustrated History of Their Impact - Page 35 by James H. Willbanks https://books.google.com/books?id=VWkYoAkoMHIC&pg=PA35&dq=%22Joseph+Montigny%22
3. "He offered his weapon to Joseph Montigny, a noted Belgian engineer, who persuaded the French Emperor, Napoleon III, to adopt the weapon in 1867." in Encyclopedia of Firearms - Page 221 by Harold Leslie Peterson
4. https://books.google.com/books?id=GmQVan-M3ykC&pg=PA84&dq=%22Joseph+Montigny%22#PPA84,M1 A History of Firearms By W. Y. Carman p.84