Error creating thumbnail: File missingGeneral Electric M134 with first pattern spade grip mount and crosshair sights. Note the lack of flash suppressor and three disked barrel cluster - 7.62x51mm NATO
The M134 Minigun is a six-barrelled, electrically-driven rotary gun originally designed by General Electric. Essentially a miniaturised version of the 20mm M61 Vulcan chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, it was originally designed during the Vietnam War to provide a high-volume-of-fire weapon suitable for mounting on helicopters. Boasting a fire rate of up to 6,000 rounds per minute, the minigun proved far more capable than any single-barrelled weapon in this role and, through numerous updates, remains in it to this day.
A distinctive invention of fiction is the hand-held M134 minigun, a concept which was popularised by the film Predator. Physically demanding even for a slowed-down minigun firing blanks, such a weapon would be impossible for a human being to either carry or operate. This fact has not stopped it appearing frequently in other works, especially in video games. Generally such depictions will totally ignore the weapon's need for external power, and sometimes even forget it requires a source of ammunition.
The M134 Minigun and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Mounted on a tank commanded by Bond; also seen attached to enemy drone guns
2001
Dillon Aero M134 Minigun
Error creating thumbnail: File missingDillon Aero M134 with flash suppressor - 7.62x51mm NATO. These are new model M134 Miniguns or just updated GE Miniguns which are usually seen with a different spade grip mount that were used during the Vietnam War.Error creating thumbnail: File missingDillon Aero M134D-H (H stands for Hybrid) combines the titanium and skeletonized parts that were engineered for use in the M134D-T minigun with the steel housing of the previous M134D - 7.62x51mm NATO
"Ol' Painless" Handheld M134 Minigun with M60 Handguard, as seen in Predator - 7.62x51mm NATOError creating thumbnail: File missingAirsoft handheld M134 Minigun with 'Chainsaw grip' to handle the recoil force. This variant was seen in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This is an airsoft version which retains the half-circle attachment point for the M60 foregrip from Predator; the real T2 minigun did not have this - (fake) 7.62x51mm NATO
