Vladimir Baranovsky lived only 33 years but made a significant contribution to domestic science. He invented a compressed air motor vehicle, a pneumatic engine for submarines, a drainage machine for gold mines, and much more. However, his main project was the rapid-fire gun.

Baranovsky based his design on the American Gatling gun, transforming it into an artillery piece and adding several technical improvements, such as a recoilless carriage and an optical sight. This significantly increased shooting accuracy, as previously gunners used a standard front sight. The gun could fire 5-6 shots per minute, which was a real breakthrough for that time.

In 1875, the first official tests were conducted under the supervision of the military ministry. For comparison, a German Krupp gun was brought in, but the Russian gun surpassed it in all parameters and was recognized as the best. Modifications were also developed: mountain, horse-drawn, and naval artillery.

The gun saw its combat debut in the Russo-Turkish War, where it performed admirably, although some shortcomings were revealed. In particular, the unitary ammunition proved to be imperfect: during transportation, they became deformed and unfit for firing.

These issues were reported to Baranovsky, and he decided to investigate personally. The damaged ammunition was delivered to him from the front, and according to some reports, one of the guns detonated spontaneously, killing its creator. Nevertheless, Baranovsky's inventions were ahead of their time, and his rapid-fire guns were used in the army until the end of the Russo-Japanese War.