Since late in the nineteenth century, when it was first introduced in the Czar's Army, there has never been an interval when the Maxim, originally built at the Maxim Company in England, was not actively in use in Russian forces.
It has proved to be not only the first successful automatic firing mechanism but also one of the most reliable.
Its rugged construction and moderate rate of fire make it ideal for arming troops that have little mechanical aptitude — it rarely gets out of order.
For generations, Russian soldiers have been trained on this mechanism, even after the introduction of newer and supposedly better types.
The M4M was the standard pre-war anti-aircraft weapon of the Red Arny and was built of four water-cooled Model 1910 maxim machine guns.
It was installed on literally everything that moved, i.e. trucks, railroad and armoured trains, boats and even sleighs.