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{{Short description|German twin barrelled machine gun}}
{{Wikify|November 2006}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
⚫ The '''Gast Gun''' was ] twin barreled ] developed by ] of the 'Vorwerk' company and used during the ]. It was notable for its high rate of fire of 1,600 rounds per minute and unique mechanism that is used today in the ] series of Russian aircraft cannon.
{{Infobox weapon|is_ranged=yes|
|image= Gast machine gun with drum magazines.jpg
|caption= Loaded Gast machine gun, with drum magazines
|name= Gast gun
|type= ]
|origin= ]
|design_date=
|production_date= 1916
|service=
|used_by= ]
|wars= ]
|caliber= ]
|part_length=
|cartridge= ]
|barrels=2
|feed= ]
|action= ]
|rate= 1,600 round/min
|velocity= {{convert|930|m/s|ft/s}}
|weight= {{convert|27|kg|abbr=on}} (without ammunition)
|length=
|variants=
|number=
|range= {{convert|1800|m|yd|abbr=on}}
}}

⚫ The '''Gast gun''' was a German twin barrelled ] that was developed by Karl Gast of ] of ] and used during the ]. Its unique operating system produced a very high ] of 1,600 rounds per minute. The same principle was later used as the basis for the widely used ] series of Russian aircraft autocannon.


==Description== ==Description==
The weapon uses two barrels combined into a single mechanism in such a way that the recoil from firing one gun loads and primes the second. Ammunition was fed into the gun from two drums, one on each side of the gun. The drums had a capacity of 180 rounds of German 7.9 mm rifle ammunition which were fed by a compressed spring one by one into the breech. The changing of ammunition drums could be completed in a few second by an experienced gunner. The weapon would also fire single shots if there was a problem with one side of the mechanism. The weapon combines two barrels into a single mechanism so that the recoil from firing one barrel loads and charges the second. Ammunition feeds into the gun from two vertically mounted cylindrical drums, one on each side. The drums held 180 rounds of German 7.92 mm rifle ammunition, feeding them into the breech using a compressed spring. An experienced gunner could change ammunition drums in a few seconds. The weapon could fire single shots if one side of the mechanism had a problem.


The gun's relative lightness at approximately {{convert|27|kg|abbr=on}} without ammunition<ref name=woodman138/> led to its airborne use; a ] was mounted between the two barrels. Its simple design eased maintenance and enabled it to be field stripped in one minute.
The weapon was also easy to maintain, and could be field stripped in one minute, thanks to its simple design.

The gun was relatively light at approximately 60 pounds (27 kg) without ammunition and it was felt that it was highly suited to airborne use. A telescopic sight was mounted between the two barrels to aid aiming.


==History== ==History==
In January 1915, Karl Gast invented the gun, which would become known as the ''Gast Maschinengewehr Modell 1917'', while working for the Vorwerk company, the first weapon was produced in January 1916. Gast took out patents on 21 January 1916 and 13 February 1917, describing his weapon as "a double-barreled machine gun with recoiling barrels".<ref name=woodman137>Woodman, p. 137</ref> Rates of fire of 1,600 rounds per minute were achieved during trials.
The gun was first produced by Karl Gast in January 1916 while working for the Vorwerk, the first weapon being produced in January 1916. During trials, rates of fire of 1,600 rounds per minute were achieved. Demonstrations of the weapon were conducted on ] ], which were attended by German government officials who soon after placed an order for 3,000 of the guns, along with ten ammunition drums and spare parts for each gun at a unit price of 6,800 marks each. Delivery for the first 100 guns was promised for ] ], with production ramping up to 500 guns per month by September 1918.


Production of the weapon exceeded these initial projections, and the weapons were received favourably with promises of an order for a further 6,000 guns being promised in September 1918. In August 1917, Gast's demonstration so impressed ordnance experts that a production order for 3,000 guns, along with spare parts and ten ammunition drums for each gun, was awarded to Vorwerk und Companie<ref name=woodman138>Woodman, p. 138</ref> at a unit price of 6,800 marks each. Delivery of the first 100 guns was promised for 1 June 1918, with production increasing to 500 guns per month by September 1918. Production of the weapon exceeded these initial projections, and the weapons were favorably received with promises of an order for a further 6,000 guns being made in September 1918.


A version of the gun firing 13 mm ammunition, the Gast-Flieger MG was also under development. <ref>''Flying Guns of World War I'', Anthony G. Williams & Dr. Emmanuel Gustin. </ref> A version of the gun in 13&nbsp;mm (]), the Gast-Flieger MG, was also under development, which used the same ammunition as the Maxim MG TuF and had two, curved, box magazines.<ref>{{cite book | last = Williams | first = Anthony |author2=Dr. Emmanuel Gustin | title = Flying Guns of World War I | publisher = The Crowood Press | year = 2004 | isbn = 1-84037-396-2}}</ref>


However, the gun was not widely used, and their existence was kept secret until three years after the Armistice, when a cache of 25 of the guns, ammunition and designs was found near ]. The gun was rarely used in service, and its existence was kept secret until three years after the ]; in 1921 the ] finally became aware of the Gast gun when a cache of 25 of the guns, ammunition, and designs was found near ].<ref name=woodman138/> Gast himself had applied for a US patent in 1920, which was issued in 1923. A Gast gun was evaluated by the ] and found to be reliable and mechanically practical. However it was not felt to offer a sufficient advantage over existing machine guns to justify the expense of producing the weapon.


Years later the Gast design was copied by Soviet engineers seeking to improve firing rates of their aircraft ] without resorting to the ] concept or powered ]. Previous efforts either had relatively poor rates of fire, or used ] revolvers, neither of which proved entirely satisfactory. The Gast concept was adopted for the ], which quickly replaced many previous designs. It was also used in the larger 30 mm version, the ], as well as the ] autocannon found on the ] and ].
A Gast gun was evaluated by the US Army, and found to be reliable and mechanically practical. However it was felt that it did not offer enough of an advantage over the existing machine guns to justify the expense of producing the weapon.


==References== == Citations ==
{{reflist}}
⚫ <references/>

⚫ * George M. Chinn, ''The Machine Gun. History, Evolution, and Development of Manual, Automatic, and Airborne Repeating Weapons'', Volume I.
⚫ == General references ==
⚫ * {{cite book | last = Chinn | first = George M. | title = The Machine Gun: History, Evolution, and Development of Manual, Automatic, and Airborne Repeating Weapons | url = http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/MG/index.html | publisher = Bureau of Ordnance | year = 1951 }}
* {{cite book | last = Woodman | first = Harry | title = Early Aircraft Armament: The Aeroplane and the Gun Up to 1918 | publisher = Smithsonian Institution Press | year = 1989 | url = https://archive.org/details/earlyaircraftarm00wood_0/page/138 | isbn = 0-87474-994-8 | page = | url-access = registration }}


==External links== ==External links==
* {{cite web | last = Gast | first = Karl | title = Double Barreled Machine Gun with Recoiling Barrels | work = US Patent 1,477,115 | publisher = USPO | date = December 1923 | url = https://patents.google.com/patent/US1477115A}}
*


{{Multiple Barrel Firearms}}
⚫ ]
⚫ ]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Gast Gun}}

⚫ ]
{{firearms-stub}}
⚫ ]

Latest revision as of 03:21, 29 October 2024

German twin barrelled machine gun

Gast gun
Loaded Gast machine gun, with drum magazines
TypeMachine gun
Place of originGerman Empire
Service history
Used byGerman Empire
WarsWorld War I
Production history
Produced1916
Specifications
Mass27 kg (60 lb) (without ammunition)
Cartridge7.92×57mm Mauser
Caliber7.92 mm
Barrels2
ActionRecoil
Rate of fire1,600 round/min
Muzzle velocity930 metres per second (3,100 ft/s)
Effective firing range1,800 m (2,000 yd)
Feed systemDrum magazine

The Gast gun was a German twin barrelled machine gun that was developed by Karl Gast of Vorwerk und Companie of Barmen and used during the First World War. Its unique operating system produced a very high rate of fire of 1,600 rounds per minute. The same principle was later used as the basis for the widely used Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L series of Russian aircraft autocannon.

Description

The weapon combines two barrels into a single mechanism so that the recoil from firing one barrel loads and charges the second. Ammunition feeds into the gun from two vertically mounted cylindrical drums, one on each side. The drums held 180 rounds of German 7.92 mm rifle ammunition, feeding them into the breech using a compressed spring. An experienced gunner could change ammunition drums in a few seconds. The weapon could fire single shots if one side of the mechanism had a problem.

The gun's relative lightness at approximately 27 kg (60 lb) without ammunition led to its airborne use; a telescopic sight was mounted between the two barrels. Its simple design eased maintenance and enabled it to be field stripped in one minute.

History

In January 1915, Karl Gast invented the gun, which would become known as the Gast Maschinengewehr Modell 1917, while working for the Vorwerk company, the first weapon was produced in January 1916. Gast took out patents on 21 January 1916 and 13 February 1917, describing his weapon as "a double-barreled machine gun with recoiling barrels". Rates of fire of 1,600 rounds per minute were achieved during trials.

In August 1917, Gast's demonstration so impressed ordnance experts that a production order for 3,000 guns, along with spare parts and ten ammunition drums for each gun, was awarded to Vorwerk und Companie at a unit price of 6,800 marks each. Delivery of the first 100 guns was promised for 1 June 1918, with production increasing to 500 guns per month by September 1918. Production of the weapon exceeded these initial projections, and the weapons were favorably received with promises of an order for a further 6,000 guns being made in September 1918.

A version of the gun in 13 mm (13.2×92mmSR), the Gast-Flieger MG, was also under development, which used the same ammunition as the Maxim MG TuF and had two, curved, box magazines.

The gun was rarely used in service, and its existence was kept secret until three years after the Armistice; in 1921 the Allied Control Commission finally became aware of the Gast gun when a cache of 25 of the guns, ammunition, and designs was found near Königsberg. Gast himself had applied for a US patent in 1920, which was issued in 1923. A Gast gun was evaluated by the US Army and found to be reliable and mechanically practical. However it was not felt to offer a sufficient advantage over existing machine guns to justify the expense of producing the weapon.

Years later the Gast design was copied by Soviet engineers seeking to improve firing rates of their aircraft autocannon without resorting to the Gatling gun concept or powered revolver cannon. Previous efforts either had relatively poor rates of fire, or used gas operated revolvers, neither of which proved entirely satisfactory. The Gast concept was adopted for the Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23, which quickly replaced many previous designs. It was also used in the larger 30 mm version, the Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2, as well as the 2A38 autocannon found on the 2K22 Tunguska and Pantsir S1.

Citations

  1. ^ Woodman, p. 138
  2. Woodman, p. 137
  3. Williams, Anthony; Dr. Emmanuel Gustin (2004). Flying Guns of World War I. The Crowood Press. ISBN 1-84037-396-2.

General references

External links

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