William Gardner developed the weapon's prototype in the United States, after which Pratt & Whitney produced a military version sold internationally. The Admiralty bought the British production rights, creating an unusual arrangement in which the Army obtained Gardner guns through the Navy. At Abu Klea, Beresford's gun jammed as Dervish forces overran the position, and he escaped by diving beneath the weapon's trail. The incident connects industrial licensing and inter-service procurement with the battlefield limits of an early machine gun.
Notable Point · 59:31-1:01:31
The Gardner gun from Admiralty manufacture to Abu Klea
The Gardner gun links Admiralty-controlled manufacture to Beresford's near-fatal experience when the weapon jammed at Abu Klea.