Miniguns

[Genghis]

Someone just sent me a Dillon video clip of an SUV with a Minigun installed. I forwarded it to a friend who is not familiar with such things. I started to include the oft-quoted claim that the three Miniguns in an AC-47 can "in three seconds cover an area the size of a football field with at least one bullet to every square foot." Then I did the math, and it just doesn't add up.

Here is one reference to this claim: http://yarchive.net/gun/vulcan.html

Each Minigun shoots up to 6,000 rounds a minute, or 100 rounds a second. So three guns fire a total of 300 rounds per second, or 900 rounds in 3 seconds.

A football field is 120 yards long (counting the end zones) and 53 1/3 yards wide. That's 360 feet by 160 feet, so the total area is 57,600 sq ft. So it would take the three Miniguns 192 seconds (57,600 / 300) to fire enough rounds to cover each square foot (assuming they were evenly distributed). Even if you go by square yards, it would take them 21 1/3 seconds (6400 / 300) to cover the whole field.

ONE Minigun can put one bullet in every LINEAR foot of a football field (excluding end zones) in three seconds.

Am I missing something?

[bigbrowndog]

I recall it being one bullet every foot,the length of the football field. so, linear foot would be what I remember.

trapr

[Chris Keen]

Not that it matters @ 192 seconds but I wouldn't have included the end-zones. They really arent part of a football field.

[-JQ-]

Not that it matters @ 192 seconds but I wouldn't have included the end-zones. They really arent part of a football field.

and I bet when that rains down on you and your field, you're not too concerned with the math.

Those things are awesome!!

6000 rds per minute = $3000 per minute...plus or minus a few cents

[BSeevers]

A Spectre can also have various cannons like 2 to 4 Vulcan's shooting 20mm 6600 rds a min or even including a 105mm howitzer!!!!!!! a few shots from those with the mini's will help remove the football field, very quickly.

[ChuckS]

The 25 and the 40 are being replaced by a pair of 30mm MK-44 guns on the AC-130U. The range of the 25 was too short considering the MANPADS that are out there these days. And the ammo handler for the 25 was quirky. I guess they never really mastered mag tuning

Later,

Chuck

[Jaxshooter]

Contact the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (Northern Section) they may be able to verify the numbers for you.

[Scout454]

I don't know about your math but I do know that we had a four man team out one night and they spotted a re-enforced company of NVA regulars just north of Cau Viet. The only fire support we could get was a C-47 Dragonship. He fired a bit more than a 3 second burst (he emptied a full load) and cleared up the problem. The impact area was about the size of a football field and there wasn't enough "evidence" left to get a body count.

[jasmap]

I believe Dillon has miniguns that are capable of 9,000 rpm.

[SDM]

Not that it matters @ 192 seconds but I wouldn't have included the end-zones. They really arent part of a football field.

and I bet when that rains down on you and your field, you're not too concerned with the math.

Those things are awesome!!

6000 rds per minute = $3000 per minute...plus or minus a few cents

That's what I was thinking. Whether the math is right or not I don't want to be on the 7/10 of an acre that's within range of 3 hostile miniguns.

[Genghis]

I don't know how they evaluate gunners during their training, but I'd hate to have to tape their targets.

[ChrisStock]

I don't know how they evaluate gunners during their training, but I'd hate to have to tape their targets.

What targets?

[dajarrel]

However much real estate it covers, I'd hate to be on the recieving end

dj

[Genghis]

I don't know how they evaluate gunners during their training, but I'd hate to have to tape their targets.

What targets?

Fighter pilots shoot their cannons at targets towed behind other planes (hate to be flying one!). I assume Minigun gunners have some similar exercise to show they've learned their craft.

[JoshF]

Fighter pilots shoot their cannons at targets towed behind other planes (hate to be flying one!). I assume Minigun gunners have some similar exercise to show they've learned their craft.

I believe they call their precision targets "Taliban"

[Scooter]

To further disprove the theory, AC-47 miniguns didn't fire at 6,000 rpm, typically about 3,000 rpm. Plus they rarely ever light up all three guns at the same time. A friend's dad was a crew chief on the AC-47's during Vietnam. With all three guns going, they have a hard time flying in circles because the plane will start moving outward from the recoil.

[BSeevers]

To further disprove the theory, AC-47 miniguns didn't fire at 6,000 rpm, typically about 3,000 rpm. Plus they rarely ever light up all three guns at the same time. A friend's dad was a crew chief on the AC-47's during Vietnam. With all three guns going, they have a hard time flying in circles because the plane will start moving outward from the recoil.

There were different versions of Spectre/Spooky AC130, the first ones sucked and probably thats one of the reasons why 1 instead of 3 were fired usually at a fixed 2K or upgraded to select 2K/4K, that's the 7.62 early versions and yes some also shot a 20mm Vulcan at 6000 RPM.

The current ships use a different arms but big bullets, 25mm, 30mm, 40mm and good old 105mm. Some versions also had more than 3 miniguns, as said above. Its kind of a cool weapon.

By the way, the definition of a cannon is it can shoot a projectile that can explode. Much more fun and an exploding shell can ruin a bunch of peoples day. I still like the idea of a 105mm shooting at a football field too.

[cking]

Mini guns can run an pretty much any speed you want because they are electric driven, controlled round feeding and extraction. The best hit ration comes around 3000 3200 rpm with some tracers to control your fire. Don't remember the ratio of tracers.

But the one I'd like to shoot the most is quad electric anti aircraft gun 50 Cal. Your sitting right in middle of all four guns, and brass piles up so fast. Dillion has film of one mounted on truck shooting at night. So much concussion you must be numb after the first salvo.

[davidwiz]

But the one I'd like to shoot the most is quad electric anti aircraft gun 50 Cal. Your sitting right in middle of all four guns, and brass piles up so fast. Dillion has film of one mounted on truck shooting at night. So much concussion you must be numb after the first salvo.

It is on their "Firestorm in the Desert" video.