GAU-19/A
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems · Machine Gun · In Service · 1983
Also known as: GECAL 50, GAU-19/A, GAU-19/B, Three-Barrel Fifty
Overview
The GAU-19/A is a three-barrel, externally-powered electric Gatling-style heavy machine gun chambered in .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) and developed by General Electric in the early 1980s, with current production handled by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. Often described as the .50-caliber 'big brother' of the 7.62mm M134 Minigun, the GAU-19 was designed to provide aircraft, vehicles, and naval craft with a heavy machine gun capable of delivering massive volumes of accurate, hard-hitting fire against light armor, technicals, and infantry in the open at ranges where the M134's 7.62mm rounds lose effectiveness. The original GAU-19/A weighs approximately 63 kg with feeder and offers selectable cyclic rates of 1,000 or 2,000 rounds per minute; the lighter GAU-19/B variant introduced in 2012 weighs 48 kg and is optimized for the U.S. Armed Aerial Scout helicopter program with a fixed 1,300 rpm rate. The weapon accepts standard NATO M9-linked .50 BMG ammunition or can be fed via linkless system, and like all externally powered Gatlings it is virtually immune to misfire stoppages because dud rounds are mechanically ejected rather than blocking the action. Mounting platforms include the M1114 HMMWV, AH-6 Little Bird, OH-58 Kiowa, MH-60 helicopters, and various special operations boats. Adoption has been modest by comparison to the M134, with confirmed users including the United States, Mexico, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 62700 g (2211.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1369 mm (53.90") |
| Barrel Length | 914 mm (35.98") |
| Height | 381 mm (15.00") |
| Width | 343 mm (13.50") |
| Action Type | Electric Gatling |
| Firing Mechanism | Externally Powered |
| Trigger Type | Automatic Only |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 890 m/s (2920 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 18000 J (13276 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1830 m (2001 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 7400 m (8093 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 2000 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 381 mm (15.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 8 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 12.7x99mm NATO (.50 BMG) · primary · .50 BMG — also known as .50 BMG, .50 Browning, 12.7x99mm, .50 Caliber
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Belt Fed Disintegrating Link M9, Linkless Feed Optional
- Safety mechanisms: External Power Required, Manual Clearing
- Features: Three Barrel Rotary, Externally Powered Electric Motor, Selectable Rate Of Fire, Linked Ammunition Feed, Delinking Feeder, Vehicle Helicopter Naval Mount, Crew Served, No First Round Misfire Risk, Anti Armor Anti Personnel
Variants
Service history
Operators
- United States Armed Forces · adopted 1983
- Mexican Armed Forces
- Colombian Armed Forces
- United Arab Emirates Armed Forces
- Royal Saudi Armed Forces
Conflicts
- War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)
- Iraq War (2003-2011)
- Mexican Drug War (2006-present)
- Yemeni Civil War (2014-present)
Production
Production years: 1983-present
GAU-19/A in production since 1983; GAU-19/B since 2012. Production numbers not publicly disclosed by General Dynamics but adoption is far smaller than the M134 family.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: General Electric Armament Systems Division
Notes
The GAU-19's three-barrel cluster is a deliberate compromise between the firepower of a six-barrel design and the weight/electrical-power demands a full Vulcan-style six-barrel .50 BMG would impose. The GAU-19/B's 30 percent weight reduction came primarily from titanium and aluminum components in the rotor housing and feeder. Power requirement is approximately 1.5 kW from a 28V DC source. Recoil force during sustained fire is on the order of 1,200 lbf (5,300 N), requiring substantial mounting infrastructure. Because the .50 BMG cartridge is significantly larger and more powerful than 7.62 NATO, the GAU-19 has roughly 10x the muzzle energy of the M134 per round but at one-third to one-half the rate of fire.
Background
The GAU-19 was originally pitched in the 1980s as a counter-defensive weapon for the forward-firing pintles of helicopter cabins, where its three .50 BMG barrels could simultaneously engage technicals, light armor, and aircraft. In a single one-second burst at 2,000 rpm the GAU-19 puts roughly 33 .50-caliber rounds - over 600 grams of armor-piercing lead - onto a target, with combined muzzle energy exceeding half a megajoule per second.