Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company
 |
| Industry | Armaments |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1888 |
| Defunct | 1897 |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | Vickers, Sons and Maxim |
| Headquarters | 32 Victoria Street SW, London, UK |
| Products | Artillery Ammunition |
The Maxim-Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company was the result of a takeover by Hiram Maxim of Thorsten Nordenfelt's Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company in 1888.
History
The company produced a range of light artillery, machine guns and ammunition.
It was the subject of one of history's most famous court cases in 1894, Nordenfelt v Maxim, Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Co, in which Nordenfelt successfully claimed that the takeover condition preventing him from competing with Maxim for 25 years was an enforceable restraint of trade. It stated the principle of law that a restraint of trade clause is prima facie void but it will be upheld if reasonable, both as between the parties and the public’s interest.
The company competed against the Armstrong subsidiary Elswick Ordnance Company's range of armaments, which included Hotchkiss guns made under licence.
The company became part of the Barrow Shipbuilding Company, which was taken over by Vickers, Sons and Company in 1897 to form Vickers, Sons & Maxim. This gave Vickers a complete naval shipbuilding, engineering and armaments capability, an advantage Armstrongs had held for many years, and eventually allowed Vickers to take Armstrongs over.
See also
Media related to Maxim-Nordenfelt at Wikimedia Commons