What is "volley gun"

Volley \Vol"ley\, n.; pl. Volleys. [F. vol['e]e; flight, a volley, or discharge of several guns, fr. voler to fly, L. volare. See Volatile.]

1. A flight of missiles, as arrows, bullets, or the like; the simultaneous discharge of a number of small arms.

   Fiery darts in flaming volleys flew.
   --Milton.

   Each volley tells that thousands cease to breathe.
   --Byron.

2. A burst or emission of many things at once; as, a volley of words. ``This volley of oaths.''
   --B. Jonson.

   Rattling nonsense in full volleys breaks.
   --Pope.

3. 1. (Tennis) A return of the ball before it touches the ground.

   2. (Cricket) A sending of the ball full to the top of the wicket. Half volley.

      1. (Tennis) A return of the ball immediately after is has touched the ground.

      2. (Cricket) A sending of the ball so that after touching the ground it flies towards the top of the wicket.
         --R. A. Proctor.

         On the volley, at random. [Obs.] ``What we spake on the volley begins work.''
         --Massinger.

         Volley gun, a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots simultaneously; a kind of mitrailleuse.

A volley gun is a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots, either simultaneously or in sequence. They differ from modern machine guns in that they lack automatic loading and automatic fire and are limited by the number of barrels bundled together.

In practice the large ones were not particularly more useful than a cannon firing canister shot or grapeshot. Since they were still mounted on a carriage, they could be as hard to aim and move around as a cannon, and the many barrels took as long or longer to reload. They also tended to be relatively expensive since they were more complex than a cannon, due to all the barrels and ignition fuses, and each barrel had to be individually maintained and cleaned.