▁person , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁heavy ▁machine ▁guns ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁M 2 ▁Brow ning , ▁which ▁fire ▁more ▁powerful ▁cart rid ges ▁but ▁require ▁a ▁crew ▁to ▁operate ▁at ▁full ▁effect iveness . ▁ ▁Over view ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁weapons ▁used ▁in ▁this ▁role ▁was ▁the ▁Mad sen ▁machine ▁gun . ▁Although ▁limited ▁in ▁today ' s ▁terms , ▁the ▁Mad sen ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁an ▁era ▁when ▁the ▁standard ▁inf antry ▁rif le ▁was ▁a ▁b olt - action ▁repe ater ▁with ▁fixed ▁mag az ines ▁re loaded ▁with ▁single ▁r ounds ▁or ▁charg ers ; ▁sust ained ▁rapid ▁fire ▁with ▁these ▁weapons ▁could ▁be ▁maintained ▁only ▁for ▁very ▁short ▁periods ▁of ▁time . ▁The ▁Mad sen ▁was ▁capable ▁of ▁fully ▁automatic ▁fire ; ▁despite ▁having ▁only ▁limited ▁magazine ▁capacity , ▁this ▁was ▁still ▁more ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁inf antry ▁rif le , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁of ▁the ▁quick ▁change ▁det ach able ▁box ▁magazine ▁type . ▁Though ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁years ▁old , ▁the ▁Mad sen ▁is ▁still ▁in ▁limited ▁use ▁today . ▁The ▁standard ▁machine ▁guns ▁of ▁this ▁era ▁were ▁of ▁the ▁Maxim ▁type . ▁U sed ▁by ▁the ▁British , ▁Germ ans , ▁and ▁the ▁Rus si ans , ▁these ▁weapons ▁were ▁bul ky , ▁heavy , ▁tri pod - based , ▁and ▁water - co o led , ▁they ▁required ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁four ▁men ▁and , ▁although ▁excellent ▁in ▁the ▁defence , ▁were ▁not ▁su ited ▁to ▁man oe uv re ▁war