Joseph Belton had a weapon in 1777 that was capable of firing 16 shots in 20 seconds, he attempted to sell them to the government but they were priced higher than the government wanted to pay. The Bil... View MoreJoseph Belton had a weapon in 1777 that was capable of firing 16 shots in 20 seconds, he attempted to sell them to the government but they were priced higher than the government wanted to pay. The Bill of Rights which contains the 2nd amendment was added to the constitution in 1791, so yes there were rapid fire weapons when it was written and Congress allowed them.
