M134 GAU-17 Gatling Gun

GAU-17 Gatling Gun

Manufacturer: General Electric
Service: USN, USAF, US Army
Weight: 85 pound

Length: 29.5 in
Barrel length: 22 in
Caliber: 7.62×51mm NATO
Action: Electrically drive traffic circle breech
Rate of fire: 2,000–6,000 revolutions per minute
Muzzle velocity: 2,800 ft/sec ( 853 m/s )
Maximum range: 1,093 yd
The M134 GAU-17 “ Vulcan ” cannon is a six-barreled, tune cooled, medium machine grease-gun used primarily as a fire suppression weapon in aircraft for the U.S. military. The alleged “ Gatling ” purpose relies on electric motors to world power the barrels resulting in a arouse pace vitamin a a lot as 6,000 rounds per moment. It is used in a variety of rotor wing aircraft in the “ door artilleryman ” placement and is used by the U.S. Navy for its riverine craft and special operations vessel .
soon after the end of the Second World War the newly formed United States Air Force identified a necessitate for an improved gun arrangement for its aircraft. While adequate as an air battle / prime attack weapon during World War Two, the Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun had been rendered disused by jet aircraft and needed to be replaced by a weapon with increase range, rate of fire, and projectile deadliness.

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Profense LLC demonstrates their M134 mini gun during Range Day at the 2019 Shot Show. Realizing that singled barreled automatic rifle weapons had basically reached their design limits, the U.S. Army Ordnance Research and Development Service hit on the idea of re-introducing the multi-barreled traffic circle weapon invented by Richard J. Gatling in the 1880s. initial tests proved promise as a vintage Gatling gunman, now powered by an electric centrifugal in position of the common pass crank, was able to achieve rates of fire in excess of 4,000 rounds per hour .
In 1946 the General Electric company received the contract for this new course of study, code named “ project Vulcan, ” and was tasked with producing functional prototypes in a total of calibers for far test. In 1952 GE produced three different guns ; .60 quality, 20mm, and 27mm. After extensive test, the 20mm translation was selected for foster test to determine its suitability as an aircraft mounted weapon. In 1956 the grease-gun was standardized as the M61 20mm cannon and entered service with both the United States Army and Air Force .
With the introduction of helicopters to the modern battlefield, the M61 system was redesigned and scaled down for use as a helicopter weapon arrangement. Designated the M134, this new weapon was exchangeable to the M61A1 but it fired the much smaller 7.62mm percussion primed rifle cartridge. capable of firing 6,000 rounds per moment, the M134 was used on a issue of helicopters, such as the UH-1 Iroquois, OH-6 Cayuse, and AH-1 Cobra, angstrom well as the AC-47 gunship, during the Vietnam War .
In these cases the M134 was part of an armament organization and fired by either the fly or copilot. The M134 besides saw military service in the Vietnam War in a number of under wing pods, allowing aircraft such as the AD-1 Sky Raider to deliver frightful amounts of firepower in CAS missions .
The crew served interpretation of the M134 is the GAU-17. Fired from a pintle ride on the helicopter fuselage, the GAU-17 is very similar to the M134 except that it is equipped with a “ ” high ” ” ( 4,000 revolutions per minute ) and “ low ” ( 2,000 revolutions per minute ) selector switch. The GAU-17 is presently in overhaul on the UH-1N, H-3, and H-60 helicopters, adenine well as a number of american Special Operations aircraft, helicopters and boats .
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U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venoms and AH-1Z Cobras lead Aerial Gunnery Range .