| Tango01 | 26 Nov 2014 10:42 p.m. PST |
"General Electric's armament division struck it big when it brought Gatling guns back in the late 1950s. The company hoped it could sell different models for almost every conceivable mission. So less than a decade after introducing the iconic Minigun, the Vermont-based defense contractor developed yet another multiple-barrel light machine gun. The designers expected the new "Microgun" to be an popular alternative to traditional infantry weapons. But the new weapon quickly became the black sheep of the gun family.."
Full article here
link Amicalement
Armand |
| Sobieski | 27 Nov 2014 3:16 a.m. PST |
Someone needs to learn what "disinterested" means. |
| tuscaloosa | 27 Nov 2014 9:21 a.m. PST |
Amen. As my old battalion commander used to say, "I need a disinterested party to conduct an investigation. You can be uninterested or not, but you have to be disinterested". |
| Lion in the Stars | 27 Nov 2014 4:49 p.m. PST |
Between the battery to power the gun and all the ammo one of those beasts eats, a Microgun is NOT a light load for a grunt. Oooh, 28lbs for gun and motor. That's heavier than an M60 with a less effective cartridge. But using one on a PBR or vehicle in a convoy makes sense as an ambush-breaker. |
| goragrad | 27 Nov 2014 9:37 p.m. PST |
Read about these in Science & Mechanics back in the 60s. They were supposed end up everywhere. Conceptually a good idea, but that bit about accuracy loss when mounted on aircraft is a killer. Having one in .22 lr would be a kick though… |
| Katzbalger | 28 Nov 2014 8:11 a.m. PST |
If they had not built it, then we wouldn't have that awesome scene in Predator…right? Rob |
| Only Warlock | 28 Nov 2014 8:51 a.m. PST |
I wonder if giving it a try with modern super-materials to reduce weight might make it more useful? Maybe with a soldier in a Herc exoskeleton humping a few thousand rounds as an urban combatant. |
| Apache 6 | 28 Nov 2014 3:41 p.m. PST |
I have seen them employed by USN and USMC in riverine missions in Iraq. |
| capncarp | 28 Nov 2014 4:08 p.m. PST |
Why not go even further down the rabbit hole? For some time now, I've been blathering about what might be considered a "nano-gun"--the "6-pack" scaled down to .17 HMR for use in built-up areas. The round has lots of speed, flat trajectory, and is even cheaper and lighter per round than the 5.56mm. Stick it on a vehicle mount and spray and pray. |
| Lion in the Stars | 28 Nov 2014 8:44 p.m. PST |
If they had not built it, then we wouldn't have that awesome scene in Predator…right? I thought that was a 7.62mm minigun, not a micro. a "nano-gun"--the "6-pack" scaled down to .17 HMR for use in built-up areas. The round has lots of speed, flat trajectory, and is even cheaper and lighter per round than the 5.56mm. Stick it on a vehicle mount and spray and pray. Will 17HMR actually put a man down, though? Wound a man sufficiently that he is completely out of the fight? |
| Andy ONeill | 29 Nov 2014 2:21 p.m. PST |
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| capncarp | 29 Nov 2014 10:17 p.m. PST |
One might not…but a burst of 3 or 4 dozen would seriously put a hurt on anyone, even without the rounds penetrating body armor!
My main concern for its function would be dealing with feeding rimfire rounds a high rate without having them detonate from jostling in the feed chute. |
