M134D "Minigun"
1963-present (currently in service)
7.62x51mm NATO
2-6,000 rpm
Approx. 50-85 lbs.
The Minigun (designated as the M134 in military nomenclature) first originated with Gatling's patent for an electric motor that could, even in the 1800's, spit at around 3,000 rounds per minute, roughly three times the fire rate of a typical single-barreled, gas/recoil-operated machine gun. It eventually fell from grace until Vietnam, when the American military realized their transport helicopters were vulnerable to enemy fire. They began experimenting with Gatling-style guns and eventually resulted with something similar to this. After the war, the Minigun production ceased after the U.S. military stored about 10,000 of the machines. In 1975, the end of the Vietnam War, production stopped; by 1985, there were few spares for replacement and refurbishment. By 1990, only select special forces units used them. At the same time, a private company, Dillon Aero, received a large number of the arms from a "foreign user." In field testing, the gun showed their age through mechanical failures, but instead of scrapping the weapons, the company began redesigning the gun; by 2002, the entire Gatling gun had been redesigned and significantly improved, so it was pushed through production. In 2003, the Minigun was officially adopted by the U.S. military, pushed through the approval process, and designated the M134D. It is still a primary weapons system today in many aspects of the military.
1963-present (currently in service)
7.62x51mm NATO
2-6,000 rpm
Approx. 50-85 lbs.
The Minigun (designated as the M134 in military nomenclature) first originated with Gatling's patent for an electric motor that could, even in the 1800's, spit at around 3,000 rounds per minute, roughly three times the fire rate of a typical single-barreled, gas/recoil-operated machine gun. It eventually fell from grace until Vietnam, when the American military realized their transport helicopters were vulnerable to enemy fire. They began experimenting with Gatling-style guns and eventually resulted with something similar to this. After the war, the Minigun production ceased after the U.S. military stored about 10,000 of the machines. In 1975, the end of the Vietnam War, production stopped; by 1985, there were few spares for replacement and refurbishment. By 1990, only select special forces units used them. At the same time, a private company, Dillon Aero, received a large number of the arms from a "foreign user." In field testing, the gun showed their age through mechanical failures, but instead of scrapping the weapons, the company began redesigning the gun; by 2002, the entire Gatling gun had been redesigned and significantly improved, so it was pushed through production. In 2003, the Minigun was officially adopted by the U.S. military, pushed through the approval process, and designated the M134D. It is still a primary weapons system today in many aspects of the military.
M61A1/A2 "Vulcan"
1959-present (currently in service)
20x102mm
6,000 rpm
Approx. 248 lbs. (A1) or 202 lbs. (A2) excluding feed system; 100g projectile
The Vulcan (designated the M61 in military nomenclature) was originally designed by General Electric in 1946, after WWII. The U.S. military needed a new direction for fixed-wing type aircraft, such as jets. The Armament Division of GE resurrected the old idea of a Gatling-style weapon. The main reason the Gatling had lost favor was the need for an external power source to fire, but the new jet-powered aircraft created enough electrical energy to power the cannon. Electrical motors also proved more reliable than gas-operated recoil weapons. The military assigned GE "Project Vulcan," in which they experimented with many caliber sizes, starting with the 15mm T45 in 1949 at 2,500 rpm. Many European forces were trying for heavier 30mm cannons for more stopping power, but the experimental weapons were smaller for more velocity, thus easy to puncture without much boom. By the Early '50s, the USAF decided that velocity might not be enough alone to take out tanks and large vehicles, so they began playing with T45 20 and 27mm variants. Designated the T171 (20mm) and the T150 (27mm), they began testing in 1952. The ADGE and USAF finally decided that the 20x102mm T171 (later redesignated to its present title, the M61) had the ideal balance of muzzle velocity and power and, after it showed its efficiency in the Vietnam War under the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, became the standard aircraft cannon for the next 5+ decades. During testing, they ran into a few challenges with the feed system, however, so they designed a linkless feed system that fed rounds into the firing chamber that, once fired, were ejected clear of the weapon to prevent damage and jamming.
In 1991, GE sold its Armament Division to Martin Marietta, who merged to form Lockheed-Martin. They then took over the production works of the M61 and its later variants. Today, that privilege is held by General Dynamics.
1959-present (currently in service)
20x102mm
6,000 rpm
Approx. 248 lbs. (A1) or 202 lbs. (A2) excluding feed system; 100g projectile
The Vulcan (designated the M61 in military nomenclature) was originally designed by General Electric in 1946, after WWII. The U.S. military needed a new direction for fixed-wing type aircraft, such as jets. The Armament Division of GE resurrected the old idea of a Gatling-style weapon. The main reason the Gatling had lost favor was the need for an external power source to fire, but the new jet-powered aircraft created enough electrical energy to power the cannon. Electrical motors also proved more reliable than gas-operated recoil weapons. The military assigned GE "Project Vulcan," in which they experimented with many caliber sizes, starting with the 15mm T45 in 1949 at 2,500 rpm. Many European forces were trying for heavier 30mm cannons for more stopping power, but the experimental weapons were smaller for more velocity, thus easy to puncture without much boom. By the Early '50s, the USAF decided that velocity might not be enough alone to take out tanks and large vehicles, so they began playing with T45 20 and 27mm variants. Designated the T171 (20mm) and the T150 (27mm), they began testing in 1952. The ADGE and USAF finally decided that the 20x102mm T171 (later redesignated to its present title, the M61) had the ideal balance of muzzle velocity and power and, after it showed its efficiency in the Vietnam War under the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, became the standard aircraft cannon for the next 5+ decades. During testing, they ran into a few challenges with the feed system, however, so they designed a linkless feed system that fed rounds into the firing chamber that, once fired, were ejected clear of the weapon to prevent damage and jamming.
In 1991, GE sold its Armament Division to Martin Marietta, who merged to form Lockheed-Martin. They then took over the production works of the M61 and its later variants. Today, that privilege is held by General Dynamics.