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What It’s Like to Fire an M134 Minigun?
The vehicle-mounted General Electric M134 "Minigun" was born as a derivative of the 20mm General Electric M61 aircraft gun, retaining the same six-barreled Gatling design concept while being rechambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. This ferocious weapon has gone on to have a lengthy service life, seeing combat action during the Vietnam War (1955-1975) with American forces and in the global wars that followed. Despite its 1960s origins, the M134 continues in service through a large stable of operators today (2015). The concept of rotating barrels for (barrel cooling and to achieve a high rate-of-fire) was far from a new approach with the introduction of the M134. The approach pioneered by Dr. Richard Gatling's original attempts of the 1800s has been evolved through various designs though all follow the core concept - multiple rotating barrels with an external mechanism for rotation. Early forms included a manual hand-cranked action while more modern offerings have since relied upon electric drive assistance.
The vehicle-mounted General Electric M134 "Minigun" was born as a derivative of the 20mm General Electric M61 aircraft gun, retaining the same six-barreled Gatling design concept while being rechambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. This ferocious weapon has gone on to have a lengthy service life, seeing combat action during the Vietnam War (1955-1975) with American forces and in the global wars that followed. Despite its 1960s origins, the M134 continues in service through a large stable of operators today (2015). The concept of rotating barrels for (barrel cooling and to achieve a high rate-of-fire) was far from a new approach with the introduction of the M134. The approach pioneered by Dr. Richard Gatling's original attempts of the 1800s has been evolved through various designs though all follow the core concept - multiple rotating barrels with an external mechanism for rotation. Early forms included a manual hand-cranked action while more modern offerings have since relied upon electric drive assistance.