Why is it called a Minigun?

Miniguns are called that because they're 'mini' in comparison to the gun they were based off of: gatling guns. An example of such a gatling gun would be the M61 Vulcan, chambered for 20mm Vulcan. Miniguns are more often than not chambered in rifle cartridges, such as 7.62 NATO or 5.56 NATO.

Why are miniguns called mini guns?

Etymology 1. mini- +‎ gun, so-called because General Electric designers scaled down the rotating-barrel 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon for 7.62×51mm ammunition (in order to create a weapon with a higher and more reliable rate of fire).

Why is it called a minigun when it is not mini?

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 mm M61 Vulcan, and "gun" for the use of rifle ammunition as opposed to autocannon shells.

What is the minigun actual name?

The XM214 Microgun is an American prototype 5.56 mm rotary-barreled machine gun. It was designed and built by General Electric. The XM214 was a scaled-down smaller and lighter version of the M134 Minigun, firing M193 5.56×45mm ammunition.

What is the difference between a Gatling gun and a minigun?

Short answer: in basic operations none. A minigun is an electronic Gatling gun that fires 7.62 NATO. It is called a minigun because the designers took the plans for the 20mm m61 Vulcan Gatling gun and shrank it down. There is also a 5.56 version called the micro gun.

Why Call It A Minigun?

What gun shoots faster than a minigun?

METAL STORM

That equates to a million rounds per minute, which absolutely destroys anything put in its path. A Metal Storm gun can fire the same rounds in one second that an M134 Minigun could fire in two and a half minutes.

Can you hold a minigun and shoot?

The Minigun is not a carry-friendly gun. Remember, it weighs almost a hundred pounds and only fires the 7.62 round. That's not exactly man-portable and certainly not man-fireable. The weight is one factor, but the recoil of the super-fast firing rate would make it uncontrollable.

What is the deadliest minigun in the world?

the vehicle-mounted General Electric m134 minigun was born as a derivative of the 20 millimeters General Electric m61 aircraft gun retaining the same six barrel Gatling design concept while being re-chambered for the seven 62x 51 millimeters NATO cartridge This ferocious weapon has gone on to have a lengthy service ...

Why don t soldiers carry miniguns?

Why don t soldiers carry miniguns? Because the things are heavy, require a heavy battery pack or something equivalent to get the barrels spinning, and eat through ammunition at a rate you would need a dozen people per gun just carrying the (heavy, even in 5.56) ammunition.

How many bullets can a minigun shoot per second?

The M134 Minigun's fire rate is 3,000 rounds per minute (or 50 rounds per second).

How many bullets does a minigun shoot per minute?

The Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire (2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute), employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source.

Why can't miniguns burst fire?

Because you have to spin the barrels up to full speed or wait for them to stop. You CAN fire bursts from it, but you have to wait for the barrels to spin down fully before firing again.

Are miniguns illegal in the US?

Perfectly legal- and so are the grenades as long as they are not filled with explosives. How much does it cost (in bullets and consequently dollars) to shoot a minigun for 10 seconds? The M134 minigun is a beast, putting 7.62x51mm NATO down range at 2,000-6,000 rounds per minute out of its 6 barrels.

Can you own a minigun in the US?

Provided it was made before 1986, registered as a transferable machine gun, and you can pass a background check, pay a $200 tax, and show you have safe and secure storage for it, yes, it is perfectly legal (at least on a Federal level, some states disallow NFA weapons entirely) for a civilian to own a minigun, or any ...

Does it cost 400000 dollars to fire a minigun for 12 seconds?

No, even at the highest rate of fire 6,000 rounds per min it wouldn't shoot fast enough to cost that much. Maybe then meant to purchase and shoot? How much does it cost (in bullets and consequently dollars) to shoot a minigun for 10 seconds?

Has anyone ever been killed by a minigun?

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A new human rights report says Mexican marines improperly used a helicopter-mounted minigun that fires 3,000 rounds per minute in a 2018 border city shooting that killed three civilians.

What is the baddest gun in the world?

The AK-47 assault rifle is perhaps the defining piece of military hardware of the 20th century. Countless guerrilla, militant, and revolutionary movements adopted the weapon, and it was estimated that there were as many as 100 million AK-47s in circulation in the early 21st century.

What is the predator Minigun called?

"Old Painless" was the handheld M134 Minigun used by Blain Cooper, specifically when he hired was for a rescue mission in Guatemala in 1987. During the attack on the guerrilla's camp, Blain used the weapon to great effect, taking out several of the Guatemalan rebels.

Is the Widowmaker the same as the Minigun?

The Widowmaker is essentially a four-barrelled plasma variant of the Minigun with a similar rate of fire and ammunition capacity. Compared to the Minigun, the Widowmaker might have a lesser rate of fire, owing to the former being a six-barrelled machine gun.

Can a civilian own a Black Hawk?

The Civilian Black Hawk Helicopter

These multi-purpose Black Hawk helicopters were originally designed with military use in mind, but with the certification they received they are now available to the U.S commercial and civilian market.

Can a minigun have a silencer?

With the understanding that machine guns are much more than just big guns in big calibers, the question of suppressing a machine gun can become simpler. So the short answer is yes, you can use a suppressor on a machine gun.

How heavy is a minigun?

11 The Minigun is a 36-pound, six-barrel, electrically powered machinegun. It is in the U.S. military inventory and identified as the "M-13411 (Army), "GAU-2B/A" (Air Force), and "GAU-17/A" (Navy). It is a lightweight and extremely reliable weapon, capable of discharging up to 6,000 rounds per minute.