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Surface Vessel Weapon System M134 / Mk.44 rotary machine gun system |
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| 12/22 |
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The M134 Minigun is a 7.62x51mm NATO,
six-barrel rotary machine gun with a high rate of fire (2,000 to
6,000 rounds per minute) which can also fire at a high sustained
rate. It features Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external
power source, normally an electric motor. The "Mini" in the name is
in comparison to larger caliber designs that use a rotary barrel
design, such as General Electric's earlier 20-millimeter M61 Vulcan,
and "gun" for the use of rifle caliber bullets as opposed to
autocannon shells. Versions are designated M134 and XM196 by the United States Army, and GAU-2/A and GAU-17/A by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. The M134 Minigun is known as the Mk.44 when installed on Royal Navy ships. "Minigun" refers to a specific model of weapon that General Electric originally produced, but the term "minigun" has popularly come to refer to any externally powered rotary-style gun of rifle caliber. The term is sometimes used loosely to refer to guns of similar rates of fire and configuration regardless of power source and caliber. Weight: 39 kg (85 lb) / 19 kg (41 lb) - lightweight model Lenght: 801,6 mm (31.56 inches) Barrel lenght: 558,8 mm (22 inches) Caliber: 7,62mm Cartridge: 7,62x51mm NATO Barrels: 6 Action: electrically driven rotary breech Rate of fire: variable, 2000-6000 rpm Muzzle velocity: 853 m/s (2800 ft/s) Maximal range: 1000 m (3280 feet) Feed system: Cartridge on disintegrating link belt or linkless feed; dependent on installation (500-5000-round belt) Used on: in use on aircraft, ships and vehicles |
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