Who used the first hand held machine gun?

The first handheld machine gun was the Maxim gun, invented by Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884. It was not technically handheld in the modern sense, as it was quite heavy and typically mounted on tripods or vehicles. However, the concept of portable automatic firearms evolved, leading to the development of lighter models like the Lewis gun and the Browning Automatic Rifle, which became more practical for individual soldiers. These innovations laid the groundwork for the modern handheld machine guns used in warfare.