M134 Minigun
General Electric · Machine Gun · In Service · 1963
Also known as: Minigun, GAU-2/A, GAU-2B/A, GAU-17/A, Mk 44 Mod 0, M134D
Overview
The M134 Minigun is a six-barrel, externally-powered electric Gatling-style machine gun chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and developed by General Electric in 1960-1963 as a scaled-down derivative of the 20mm M61 Vulcan aircraft cannon. The weapon achieves a cyclic rate of up to 6,000 rounds per minute by spinning a six-barrel cluster electrically rather than relying on the fired round's gas, recoil, or blowback energy to cycle the action. Each barrel fires once per rotation of the bolt assembly, and because power is supplied externally a misfired round simply ejects rather than stopping the weapon. The Minigun was developed in response to the U.S. Army's need for a high-volume suppressive-fire weapon for helicopter gunships during the Vietnam War, where it was mounted on UH-1 Iroquois 'Hueys', AH-1 Cobras, and AC-47 'Spooky' gunships and proved devastating against ground troops in the open. The standard M134 weighs approximately 15.9 kg without ammunition or feed system and is fed from linkless or disintegrating-link belts stored in 1,500, 3,000, or 4,500-round canisters. The modernized M134D, manufactured by Dillon Aero of Arizona since the late 1990s, fixes the rate of fire at 3,000 rpm and incorporates improved metallurgy, gas pathways, and a redesigned bolt for substantially extended service life. The Minigun remains in widespread service with the U.S. armed forces and over 40 nations on aircraft, vehicles, fast boats, and naval point-defense mounts.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 15900 g (560.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 800 mm (31.50") |
| Barrel Length | 559 mm (22.01") |
| Action Type | Electric Gatling |
| Firing Mechanism | Externally Powered |
| Trigger Type | Automatic Only |
| Magazine Capacity | 1500 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 869 m/s (2851 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3580 J (2640 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3700 m (4046 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 6000 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62 NATO — also known as 7.62 NATO, .308 Winchester (commercial equivalent), 7.62x51
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Belt Fed Disintegrating Link, Linkless Feed System, 1500 Round Canister, 3000 Round Canister, 4500 Round Canister
- Safety mechanisms: External Power Required, Manual Clearing
- Features: Six Barrel Rotary, Externally Powered Electric Motor, Selectable Rate Of Fire, Delinking Feeder, Vehicle Helicopter Naval Mount, Crew Served, No First Round Misfire Risk, High Volume Suppressive Fire
Variants
- M134D — Dillon Aero Modernized
- M134D-H — Hybrid Titanium Steel
- GAU-2/A — Us Air Force Designation
- GAU-17/A — Us Navy Helicopter Pintle
- XM196 — Ah-56 Cheyenne Variant
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1963 · as M134
- United States Air Force · adopted 1963 · as GAU-2/A
- United States Navy · as GAU-17/A
- United States Marine Corps · as Mk 44
- British Armed Forces · as L134A1
- Australian Defence Force · as M134D
- Israel Defense Forces · as M134D
- Polish Armed Forces · as M134G
- Mexican Armed Forces
- Brazilian Armed Forces
- Turkish Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Vietnam War (1963-1975)
- Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada) (1983)
- Gulf War (1990-1991)
- Operation Gothic Serpent (Somalia) (1993)
- War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)
- Iraq War (2003-2011)
- Russo-Ukrainian War (2022-present)
Production
Estimated total produced: 20,000 · Production years: 1962-present
Over 20,000 units produced across original General Electric M134 production and ongoing Dillon Aero / Garwood Industries M134D manufacture. Unit costs in 2003-2007 ranged $17,750-$20,500 USD.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: General Electric Armament Systems Division
Notes
The 'Mini' in 'Minigun' is relative - the weapon is a miniaturized version of the 20mm M61 Vulcan, not a small weapon by any other measure. Power consumption is roughly 3 kW from a 28V DC source. The weapon requires approximately 0.4 seconds to spin up to full cyclic rate from rest. Because barrels share heat across the cluster, the M134 can sustain firing rates that would melt a single-barrel design. The military version requires external power; civilian-legal Dillon-Aero ground mounts retain the same characteristics but are generally limited to dealer/film-industry sales due to U.S. National Firearms Act registration requirements pre-1986. Cost per unit is approximately $20,000-30,000 (USD) and ammunition costs are often the limiting factor on training use.
Background
The Minigun's distinctive 'BRRRRRT' is so loud and continuous that individual gunshots are imperceptible, and the muzzle flash from six firing barrels appears as a single blowtorch flame meters long in low light. Helicopter pilots in Vietnam reported that a 5-second M134 burst from a Huey door gun left a kill-zone roughly the size of a basketball court completely flat - every 6th round was a tracer, producing a literal red beam between the helicopter and the target.