Developed in 1884 by US-British inventor Hiram Maxim, the Maxim gun was the first self-powered machine gun. Capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute, the water-cooled weapon profoundly altered modern warfare. It inflicted heavy casualties during the Russo-Japanese War, and guns modeled after its design dominated the WWI battlefield. The gun was lighter and easier to transport than earlier hand-cranked ones, but military authorities were initially reluctant to use it because of what issue? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary