Gast Model 1917
Vorwerk und Companie · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1917
Also known as: Gast Gun, Gast-Maschinengewehr Modell 1917, Fliegermaschinengewehr Modell 1917
Overview
The Gast Model 1917 is a German twin-barreled, recoil-operated machine gun developed during World War I as an aircraft armament. Designed by Carl Gast for Vorwerk und Companie, its two barrels reciprocate in opposition so that the recoil of each firing barrel powers the loading and cocking of the other, yielding a combined cyclic rate of around 1,600 rounds per minute. Each barrel is fed from its own 192-round drum magazine. The Armistice of November 1918 ended the war before the design entered meaningful service.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 27000 g (952.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1390 mm (54.72") |
| Barrel Length | 720 mm (28.35") |
| Action Type | Recoil Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Magazine Capacity | 192 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Drum |
| Muzzle Velocity | 945 m/s (3100 fps) |
| Effective Range | 1829 m (2000 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 1600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 7.92x57mm, 8x57mm IS
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Two 192-Round Drum Magazines
- Features: Twin Barrels, Air-Cooled, Dual Drum Magazines, Alternating Reciprocating Action
Production
Production years: 1917-1918
An order for several thousand guns was placed in 1917, but the Armistice ended the war before large-scale production occurred; very few were built.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Carl Gast
Discontinued: 1918
Notes
An exceptionally rare design; surviving examples were concealed after the war and only rediscovered decades later. The alternating-barrel principle later influenced post-war high-rate-of-fire weapon concepts.
Background
Kept secret by Germany, the Gast gun's twin-barrel principle was so concealed that the Allies remained largely unaware of it until examples surfaced after the war, making it one of WWI's least-known yet most ingenious automatic weapons.