Page 116 - FAT 105 4.17 MOODLE

the bottom of the action and the second the fourth barrel moves roughly into
barrel has moved to the 4 o’clock position the 6 o’clock position. The empty case is
and fired. The third barrel has moved to kicked out of the bottom of the action
the 2 o’clock position. (4) and the fifth barrel has moved to the 4
o’clock position and fired. The sixth bar-
• The crank continues to rotate, moving
rel has moved to the 2 o’clock position.
the lock cylinder back once more and
The second barrel has moved to the 10
extracting the empty case with it. The
o’clock position and the third barrel has
fifth barrel moves into the 12 o’clock po-
moved to the 8 o’clock position, where
sition and a cartridge drops into the fifth
nothing happens. (7)
groove of the carrier. The crank contin-
ues around, moving the lock cylinder The system will continue through this cycle
forward while simultaneously the second until the crank has stopped moving or the fire-
barrel moves roughly into the 6 o’clock arm has run out of ammunition. Outside of the
position. The empty case is kicked out main parts (barrels, carrier, lock cylinder, shaft
of the bottom of the action and the third and crank), the system utilizes a series of link-
barrel has moved to the 4 o’clock position age, cams and other actuators to assure proper
and fired. The fourth barrel has moved to function. The system is also heavily dependent
the 2 o’clock position. The first barrel has on the timing of all of the parts, but this assures
moved to the 8 o’clock position, where reliability with a high rate of fire.
nothing happens. (5)
Modern Gatling designs have replaced the hand
crank with an electric motor. The system is ac-
• The crank continues to rotate, moving
tuated by a button that causes the motor to spin
the lock cylinder back once more and
the shaft and the system to cycle. The modern
extracting the empty case with it. The
Gatling design is referred to as a “minigun” as it
sixth barrel moves into the 12 o’clock po-
is capable of an insane rate of fire. While most
sition and a cartridge drops into the sixth
crank-driven designs can achieve a rate of fire
groove of the carrier. The crank contin-
around 350 – 600 rpm, the modern minigun is
ues around, moving the lock cylinder
capable of 3,000 – 6,600 rpm with cartridges as
forward while simultaneously the third
large as the 20 x 102mm. The modern design
barrel moves roughly into the 6 o ‘clock
also uses belt or link side-feed (typically right)
position. The empty case is kicked out of
and side-eject (typically left). The system typi-
the bottom of the action and the fourth
cally rotates counterclockwise with the firing
barrel has moved to the 4 o’clock position
position moving to the 12 o’clock position. The
and fired. The fifth barrel has moved to
modern system has also done away with the lock
the 2 o’clock position. The first barrel has
cylinder in favor of individual bolts for each bar-
moved to the 10 o’clock position and the
rel. This allows each bolt to move independently
second barrel has moved to the 8 o’clock
of the others in different stages of the cycle.
position, where nothing happens. (6)
The Gatling design has gained so much popu-
• The crank continues to rotate, moving
larity because of its many advantages. The main
the lock cylinder back once more and
advantage to the Gatling system is the capabil-
extracting the empty case with it. The
ity of very high rates of fire without excessive
first barrel moves back into the 12 o’clock
heat and wear on the barrels/action. For ex-
position and a cartridge drops into the
ample, if the gun featured six barrels and had a
first groove of the carrier again. The
rate of fire around 3,000, each barrel would only
crank continues around, moving the lock
fire around 500 rpm. This figure for each barrel
cylinder forward while simultaneously
is much lower than other fixed barrel machine
guns, which average between 650 and 800 rpm.
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