M61 Vulcan

In June 1946, the General Electric Company was awarded the contract for "Project Vulcan". In 1956 the T171 20mm gun was standardized by the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force as the M61 20mm Vulcan aircraft gun.

The M61 20mm Vulcan is an externally powered, six-barrel, rotary-fire gun having a rate of fire of up to 7200 rounds per minute. The firing rate is selectible at 4,000 or 6,000 orunds per minute. The gun fires standard electrically primed 20mm ammunition.

Each of the gun's six barrels fires only once during each revolution of the barrel cluster. The six rotating barrels contribute to long weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation. The gun's rate of fire, essentially 100 rounds per second, gives the pilot a shot density that will enable a "kill" when fired in one-second bursts.

The M61 20mm cannon is a proven gun, having been the US military's close-in weapon of choice dating back to the 1950s. The F-104, F-105, later models of the F-106, F-111, F-4, B-47, B-52, B-58, all used the M61, as does the Air Force's F-15 , F-16 and F-22, and the Navy's F-14 and F/A-18. The primary use of the cannon is in the extremely short range (less than 2000 feet) air-to-air environment, where more sophisticated air-to-air missiles are ineffective. Alternately, the cannon has limited usefulness in a ground strafing role.

The M61 Vulcan Cannons used in the film industry have been converted to percussion primer cases using a sub caliber cartridge adapter.

Specifications

M61 Vulcan

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GE M61Vulcan 20mm Cannon

• General Electric M61 Vulcan Cannon.
• Caliber: 20mm
• Length: 73.80 inches
• Barrel Length:
• Weight:
• :Gun: 248 pounds
• Muzzle Velocity: 3380 feet per second
• Cyclic rate of fire: 4,000-6,000 rounds per minute

Used In

Film

• Chin-mounted on a Colombian Army gunship helicopter in XXX

• Mounted on the 'Armadillo' vehicles in Armageddon

• Mounted on a 2004 Dodge RAM 4WD driven by Tyrese Gibson in Death Race

• Seen in a weapons shed in Lone Wolf McQuade

• On a Phalanx CIWS Platform in Under Siege

• Tommorow Never Dies

• Seen in the movie Top Gun

• Blue Thunder

Specifications

M197

This is a three barreled version of the M61 Vulcan and most commonly seen mounted in the chin turret of the AH-1 Cobra series of attack helicopters.

Used in

Film

• mounted on the AH-1 Cobras in the film Con Air