| Weapon | Date | RPM* |
|---|---|---|
| Harquebus | 15th century | 1 |
| Wheel-lock musket | 1517 | 1 |
| Flintlock musket | c. 1610 | 2 |
| Gatling gun | 1862 | 200 |
| Maxim gun | 1884 | 600 |
| Lee-Enfield rifle | 1902 | 20 |
| Thompson submachine gun | 1919 | 1,200 |
| Bren gun | 1937 | 500 |
| M-1 Garand Rifle | 1937 | 24 |
| Kalashnikov AK-47 | 1949 | 600 |
| M-16 assault rifle | 1959 | 800 |
| General-purpose machine gun | 1956 | 1,000 |
| M-134 minigun | 1963 | 6,000 |
| SA-80 assault rifle | 1985 | 770 |
| Metal Storm (fired by electronic ignition) | 1997 | 1 million |
* RPM = rounds per minute
