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79-728: The M39 was developed by the Springfield Armory , based on the World War II –era design of the German Mauser MG 213 , a 20 mm (and 30 mm) cannon developed for the Luftwaffe , which did not see combat use. The same design inspired the 30mm British ADEN cannon and the French DEFA , but American designers chose a smaller 20 mm round to increase the weapon's rate of fire and muzzle velocity at

158-544: A foreign object damage hazard with discarded links. A linkless ammunition feed system was developed for the upgraded M61A1 , which subsequently became the standard cannon armament of U.S. fighters. In 1993, General Electric sold its aerospace division, including GE Armament Systems along with the design and production tooling for the M61 and GE's other rotary cannon, to Martin Marietta . After Martin's merger with Lockheed ,

237-685: A 23 mm shell which entered one side of his cockpit and exited the other. When the VPAF MiG flew in front of him after making its pass, Tracy opened fire on it. The gun was installed in the Air Force's A-7D version of the LTV A-7 Corsair II where it replaced the earlier United States Navy A-7's Colt Mk 12 cannon and was adopted by the Navy on the A-7C and A-7E. It was integrated into

316-410: A burst controller is generally used to limit the number of rounds fired at each trigger pull. Bursts of from two or three up to 40 or 50 can be selected. The size of the airframe and available internal space limits the size of the ammunition drum and thus limits the ammunition capacity. When vehicle-mounted, the only limiting factor is the vehicle's safe carry weight, so commensurately larger ammo storage

395-681: A force of 10 North American F-100 Super Sabres (two of which were assigned weather reconnaissance duties) escorting 48 Vulcan-armed and "bomb-laden" F-105 Thunderchiefs , shooting down two of the latter. The MiG leader and only survivor from the four MiGs, Captain Tran Hanh, reported that U.S. jets had pursued them and that F-105s had shot down three of his aircraft, killing lieutenants Pham Giay, Le Minh Huan and Tran Nguyen Nam. Captain Donald Kilgus, piloting an F-100, received an official probable kill with his four M39 20 mm cannons during

474-402: A friction wheel that followed the contours of the metal rifle pattern, and the cutting wheel that imitated the movements of the friction wheel to make an exact replica of the pattern in wood. In the 1840s the old flintlock gave way to a percussion ignition system that increased the reliability and simplicity of longarms. The Springfield Armory was largely involved in the growth and influence of

553-718: A highly modified version of the M1 Garand. The M14 was produced from 1959 to 1964 and was the U.S. Army's primary combat rifle until being replaced by the M16 rifle gradually from 1964 to 1970. The M14 has evolved over the years into a more modern sniper rifle—the M21 . By the time the U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War , Springfield Armory developed not only rifles but machine guns for ground and air use, grenade launchers , and associated equipment. Many weapons were not manufactured at

632-504: A hydraulic drive motor through a system of flexible drive shafts. The round is fired by an electric priming system where an electric current from a firing lead passes through the firing pin to the primer as each round is rotated into the firing position. The self-powered version, the GAU-4 (called M130 in Army service), is gas-operated , tapping gun gas from three of the six barrels to operate

711-591: A major leap forward in aircraft armament, all revolver cannon suffer from the effects of barrel wear, heat dissipation, and parts life. The final improved version of the M39 had barrel changes mandated at 4000 rounds. The system would be replaced by the M61 Vulcan in aircraft for this and MTBF as well as weight considerations. The M39 served as the basis for the T-75 autocannon developed by Taiwan (Republic of China), as

790-626: A more-powerful partial replacement for the M2HB machine gun onboard naval vessels and the HMMWV tactical vehicle, with its latest use being within the XTR-101 and XTR-102 weapon stations. The T-82 20mm Twin Anti-Aircraft Cannon as the basis for the T-75 autocannon developed by Taiwan (Republic of China). Springfield Armory The Springfield Armory , more formally known as

869-515: A much higher volume of fire. While captured German designs (principally the Mauser MG 213C ) showed the potential of the single-barrel revolver cannon , the practical rate of fire of such a design was still limited by ammunition feed and barrel wear concerns. The Army wanted something better, combining an extremely high rate of fire with exceptional reliability. In 1947, the Air Force became

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948-533: A separate branch of the military. The new Air Force made a request for a new aircraft gun. A lesson of World War II air combat was that German, Italian, and Japanese fighters could attack American aircraft from long range with their cannon main armament. American fighters with .50 caliber (12.7 mm) main armament, such as the P-51 and P-47 , had to be close to enemy aircraft in order to hit and damage them. The 20 mm (0.79 in) Hispano cannon carried by

1027-455: A six-barrel weapon capable of firing 7,200 rounds per minute (rpm). Although European designers were moving towards heavier 30 mm (1.181 in) weapons for better hitting power, the U.S. initially concentrated on a powerful 0.60-inch (15 mm) cartridge designed for a pre-war anti-tank rifle, expecting that the cartridge's high muzzle velocity would be beneficial for improving hit ratios on high-speed targets. The first GE prototypes of

1106-689: A week without cleaning or lubrication." Further testament to the M1s role in combat was given by another well-respected military officer, General George S. Patton, Jr. , who reported to the Army Ordnance Department on January 26, 1945, "In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." The last small arm developed by the Armory was the M14 rifle , which was, essentially,

1185-566: Is a semi-armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary (SAPHEI) round, providing improvements in range, accuracy, and power over the preceding M56A3 HEI round. The PGU-28/B is a "low-drag" round designed to reduce in-flight drag and deceleration, and has a slightly increased muzzle velocity of 1,050 metres per second (3,450 ft/s). However, the PGU-28/B has not been without problems. A 2000 USAF safety report noted 24 premature detonation mishaps (causing serious damage in many cases) in 12 years with

1264-455: Is available. Until the late 1980s, the M61 primarily used the M50 series of ammunition in various types, typically firing a 99-gram (3.5 oz) projectile at a muzzle velocity of about 1,030 metres per second (3,380 ft/s). A variety of armor-piercing incendiary (API), high-explosive incendiary (HEI), and training rounds are available. A new PGU-28/B round was developed in the mid-1980s. It

1343-442: Is gas operated and consists of a five–chamber magazine running parallel to the barrel. Sealing was provided by a forcing cone that was pressed into the barrel. The sealing movement was at no time more than 1/4". A feeder mechanism ensured the proper placement of the rounds for ramming. This was powered by a feeder shaft that received kinetic force via the rotating magazine drum. This in turn was powered by propellant gas. The exterior of

1422-519: Is in excess of 10,000 rounds, making it an extremely reliable weapon. The success of the Vulcan Project and its progeny, the very-high-speed Gatling gun, has led to guns of the same configuration being referred to as "Vulcan cannons" , which can sometimes confuse nomenclature on the subject. Most aircraft versions of the M61 are hydraulically driven and electrically primed. The gun rotor, barrel assembly and ammunition feed system are rotated by

1501-417: Is supplied with sufficient ammunition for a full minute of firing, due to its weight (at 6,000 rpm, the projectiles alone would represent a mass of about 600 kg (1,300 lb) for one minute of firing; and by including the brass shell, filling and primer the weight is slightly double that at 1,225 kg (2,701 lb)). In order to avoid using the 600 to 1,000 rounds carried by aircraft all at once,

1580-521: Is typically 6,000 rounds per minute, although some versions (such as that of the AMX and the F-106 Delta Dart ) are limited to a lower rate, and others ( A-7 Corsair , F-15 Eagle ) have a selectable rate of fire of either 4,000 or 6,000 rounds per minute. The M61A2's lighter barrels allow a somewhat higher rate of fire, up to 6,600 rounds per minute. Practically no powered rotary cannon

1659-526: The F-22 Raptor , designated M61A2, is mechanically the same as the M61A1, but with thinner barrels to reduce overall weight to 92 kilograms (202 lb). The rotor and housing have also been modified to remove any piece of metal not absolutely needed for operation and replaces some metal components with lighter-weight materials. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet also uses this version. The Vulcan's rate of fire

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1738-597: The Industrial Revolution . Much of this grew out of the military's fascination with interchangeable parts , which was based on the theory that it would be easier to simply replace firearm parts than make battlefield repairs. Mass production of truly interchangeable parts demanded greater use of machines, improved gauging, quality control, and division of labor; all characteristics of the Industrial Revolution. From these individual components,

1817-555: The M1A rifle series. M61 Vulcan The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically , electrically, or pneumatically driven, six- barrel , air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm × 102 mm (0.787 in × 4.016 in) rounds at an extremely high rate (typically 6,000 rounds per minute). The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft for over sixty years. The M61

1896-535: The P-38 and P-61 , while formidable against propeller-driven planes, had a relatively low rate of fire in the age of jets, while other cannons were notoriously unreliable. In response to this requirement, the Armament Division of General Electric resurrected an old idea: the multi-barrel Gatling gun . The original Gatling gun had fallen out of favor because of the need for an external power source to rotate

1975-637: The Rock Island Arsenal was established in 1862. During this time production ramped up to unprecedented levels ever seen in American manufacturing up until that time, with only 9,601 rifles manufactured in 1860, rising to a peak of 276,200 by 1864. These advancements would not only give the Union a decisive technological advantage over the Confederacy during the war but served as a precursor to

2054-562: The SUU-16/A (also designated M12 by the US Army) and improved SUU-23/A (US Army M25), were developed in the 1960s, often used on gunless versions of the F-4. The SUU-16/A uses the electric M61A1 with a ram-air turbine to power the motor. This proved to cause serious aerodynamic drag at higher speeds, while speeds under 640 kilometres per hour (400 mph) did not provide enough airflow for

2133-694: The United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield located in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts , was the primary center for the manufacture of United States military firearms from 1777 until its closing in 1968. It was the first federal armory and one of the first factories in the United States dedicated to the manufacture of weapons. The site is preserved as the Springfield Armory National Historic Site , Western Massachusetts ' only unit of

2212-476: The assembly line style of mass production , and modern business practices, such as hourly wages. The facility would play a decisive role in the American Civil War , producing most of the weaponry used by Union troops which, in sum, outpaced Confederate firearm production by a ratio of 32 to 1. American historian Merritt Roe Smith has posited that advancements in machine manufacturing which allowed

2291-577: The national park system . It features the world's largest collection of historic American firearms. Famous first as the United States' primary arsenal during the American Revolutionary War , and then as the scene of a confrontation during Shays' Rebellion , the Springfield Armory in the 19th and 20th centuries became the site of numerous technological innovations of global importance, including interchangeable parts ,

2370-517: The 0.60-inch (15 mm) caliber T45 were ground-fired in 1949; it achieved 2,500 rpm, which was increased to 4,000 rpm by 1950. By the early 1950s, the USAF decided that high velocity alone might not be sufficient to ensure target destruction and tested 20 and 27 mm (0.787 and 1.06 in) alternatives based on the 0.60-inch (15 mm) caliber cartridge. These variants of the T45 were known as

2449-584: The 5-cylinder drum was studded with bearings that acted on a shifting cam located below the rammer/extractor platform. The gun could be set up for either right- or left-hand feed by switching the feeder head around. Some 35,000 were produced before being superseded by the M61 cannon which outperformed the M39 in almost every way. The only US aircraft still flying with the M39 is the Northrop F-5, an aircraft now only used for training. Extensive work had to be done on

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2528-479: The Armory and wrote his poem "The Arsenal at Springfield." The anti-war poem described the rows of finished guns, by that point 1,000,000 stockpiled there, stored vertically in open racks: "Like a huge organ, rise the burnished arms." With the destruction of the Harpers Ferry Armory early in the American Civil War , the Springfield Armory was briefly the only government manufacturer of arms, until

2607-571: The Armory, but plans and specifications were drawn up for the use of private contractors who built them elsewhere, representing an economic shift toward the American private arms industry. In 1968, the Springfield Armory was closed. Outer portions of the armory were sold off, including the "Water Shops" production facilities, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Water Shops Armory . The core site

2686-742: The Italian/Brazilian AMX International AMX (on Italian aircraft only), and the F-22 Raptor . It was fitted in a side-firing installation on the Fairchild AC-119 and some marks of the Lockheed AC-130 gunships , and was used in the tail turrets of both the Convair B-58 Hustler and Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bombers. Japan's Mitsubishi F-1 carried one internally mounted JM61A1 Vulcan with 750 rounds. Two gun pod versions,

2765-473: The M39 mounted inverted on the forward hardpoints on the underside of a UH-1 helicopter, with ammunition feed out the left cargo door through a chute. The unit's report for May through July 1967 states "A low-level type of attack has been used on bunker lines with a good deal of success. It consists of locating and pinpointing the target area, then turning out, dropping down to about 50 feet [15 m] (at 120 knots [220 km/h]) and when about 500 meters from

2844-556: The M61 gun internally. The Vulcan was later fitted into the weapons bay of some Convair F-106 Delta Dart and General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark models. It was also adopted as standard in the "teen"-series air superiority fighters: the Grumman F-14 Tomcat , the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle , General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon , and McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet . Other aircraft include

2923-658: The Revolutionary War. He had the cannons sent to a local foundry to be melted down. The foundry kept some of the iron as payment, and the remainder was cast into 9-foot palings, formed as pikes and spearheads which were then sunk into a red sandstone base. During the Spanish–American War , it was recognized that the Spanish Mauser Model 1893 , exhibited characteristics superior to the "trapdoor" Springfield and Krag–Jørgensen rifles carried by

3002-625: The SAPHEI round, compared to only two such mishaps in the entire recorded history of the M56 round. The report estimated that the PGU-28/B had a potential failure rate 80 times higher than USAF standards permit. Due to safety issues, it was limited to emergency wartime use in 2000. The main types of combat rounds and their main characteristics are listed in the table: The Vulcan was first used in aerial combat on 4 April 1965, when four North Vietnamese Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) MiG-17s ) attacked

3081-956: The Springfield Armory produced the new nation's first musket - the Model 1795 Musket which was largely patterned after the French Charleville musket which had armed the French army during the American Revolution . The Armory played a major role in providing weapons for the American Army during the War of 1812 . Its monthly reports to the War Department are online, and they indicate it made 9588 new muskets in 1814 and repaired 5190 old ones that year. It several times reported that its funding had been delayed. Fueled by

3160-410: The Springfield Armory was defended by state militia, who fired grapeshot at the rebels, forcing them to flee. This confrontation proved decisive, as Shays' Rebellion was crushed soon thereafter, and some of its participants tried for treason. Shays' Rebellion directly influenced the delegates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Washington cited it as his reason for coming out of retirement. During

3239-460: The Springfield Armory, the City of Springfield quickly became a national center for invention and development. In 1819 Thomas Blanchard developed a special lathe for the consistent mass production of rifle stocks. Thomas Blanchard worked at Springfield Armory for 5 years. The lathe enabled an unskilled workman to quickly and easily turn out identical irregular shapes. The large drum turned two wheels:

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3318-675: The T171 and T150 respectively and were first tested in 1952. Eventually, the standard 20×102 mm cartridge was determined to have the desired balance of projectile/explosive mass and muzzle velocity, resulting in an optimum balance of range, accuracy and kinetic energy on target. The development of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter revealed that the T171 Vulcan (later redesignated M61 ) suffered problems with its linked ammunition , being prone to misfeed and presenting

3397-559: The United States troops. On August 15, 1900, Springfield Armory completed an experimental magazine rifle which they believed to be an improvement over the Krag. They fashioned a clip loading magazine rifle in which the cartridges were contained within the stock, preventing damage to an otherwise exposed magazine. It was approved for production in as the Model 1903 . Mauser later sued for patent infringement and won royalties from Springfield. By

3476-407: The additional 47,251 rifles produced by the Rock Island Arsenal and the weapons already in service, were enough to supply the war effort. During World War I the Springfield Armory produced ≈25,000 M1911 pistols before all facilities were dedicated to production of M1903 rifles . In 1919, when John Garand was 31, he came to Springfield, where he worked to develop a semi-automatic rifle . Over

3555-545: The armory. His father Capt. John Ames was a blacksmith who had provided guns to the Colonial army. In 1786 and 1787, American Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays led an armed, populist uprising that attempted to overthrow the Government of Massachusetts . On January 25, 1787, thousands of Shays' Regulators marched on the Springfield Armory, hoping to seize its weaponry and force a change of government. That day

3634-582: The arsenal expanded to a second area south and west in Springfield, where water power was available. Around that time, the Mill River was dammed to form a mile-long lake called Watershops Pond . The main shops were behind the dam and a foundry was built below it. This factory was modernized, and the greater part of machining for Springfield and Garand rifles was conducted in it. President George Washington appointed David Ames as first superintendent of

3713-429: The barrel assembly, but the new generation of turbojet-powered fighters offered sufficient electric power to operate the gun, and electric operation was more reliable than gas-operated reloading . With multiple barrels, the rate of fire per barrel could be lower than a single-barrel revolver cannon while providing a greater overall rate of fire. The idea of powering a Gatling gun from an external electric power source

3792-464: The bluff on which the Springfield Armory would become located during the 17th century for militia training, particularly after the Attack on Springfield during King Philip's War . In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War , George Washington scouted and approved the site of the Springfield Armory, after it was referred to him by General Henry Knox , his artillery chief. Although a small town at

3871-429: The closure of the U.S. Army Springfield Armory in 1968, the L. H. Gun Co. of Devine, Texas , was renamed Springfield Armory, Inc. to capitalize on the name recognition. There is no affiliation or licensing between the original Springfield Armory and Springfield Armory, Inc., despite a timeline on the commercial website of the latter that includes the history of the former. The company's products include M1911 pistols and

3950-516: The complete weapon. Most aircraft installations are double-ended, because the ejection of empty cartridges can cause a foreign-object damage hazard for jet engines and because the retention of spent cases assists in maintaining the center of gravity of the aircraft. The first aircraft to carry the M61A1 was the C model of the F-104 , starting in 1959. A lighter version of the Vulcan developed for use on

4029-413: The concept of the assembly line was devised. The Springfield Armory also contributed to improved business management techniques. Colonel Roswell Lee, hired as superintendent in 1815, brought centralized authority, cost accounting for payroll, time, and materials, and increased discipline to a manufacturing environment—all business practices still in use today. In 1843, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited

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4108-618: The debates over the U.S. Constitution, in encouraging a stronger Federal government, James Madison cautioned the attendees that "the rebellion in Massachusetts is a warning, gentlemen." In 1793, the National Arsenal contained brass ordnance, howitzers , traveling carriages, shot strapt, canisters filled, quilted grape, iron shot, shells, powder, musket ball , cylinders, caps, paper cartridges, fuzes filled, muskets , swords, various military stores, and implements. In 1795,

4187-410: The earliest years of the 1913–1915 automobile assembly line, indirectly due to mass production manufacturing advancements pioneered by the armory 50 years earlier. In 1865, Master Armorer Erskine Allin introduced the "Allin Conversion," which incorporated the far more advanced design of breech-loading into the now-obsolete muzzleloaders , thereby extending their service life. In 1891 a new function

4266-421: The end of the M3 .50 caliber as the preferred fighter weapon system ongoing. It was subsequently adopted as standard armament of the F-86H fighter-bomber , F-100 Super Sabre , F-101A and F-101C Voodoo , and the F-5 Freedom Fighter . The M39 was also used on the B-57B tactical bomber. Current models of the F-5 Tiger II still use the M39A2 version of this weapon. The M39A2 was introduced in 1964. The weapon

4345-481: The enemy is using less than bunker-type cover, the 20mm coverage is so effective that it is quite reasonable to assume that those individuals who were in the area are either dead or severely wounded." As to the ammunition, the same unit report says, "The ammunition is M-56AZ high explosive incendiary #12 link. It weighs almost one pound per round and has a bursting radius of 9 meters. It is spin-actuated at about 50 meters. It detonates upon contact with anything." While

4424-400: The engagement; however no other US pilot reported destroying any MiGs during the battle, leaving open the possibility that at least two of the MiG-17s may have been downed by their own anti-aircraft fire. The first confirmed Vulcan gun kill occurred on 29 June 1966 when Major Fred Tracy, flying his F-105 with the 421st TFS, fired 200 rounds of 20 mm into a MiG-17 that had just fired

4503-471: The entire production history of the M1 rifle, the Springfield Armory produced over 4.5 million of them. The M1's accuracy and durability in battle earned it high praise. General Douglas MacArthur reported on the M1 to the Ordnance Department during heavy fighting on Bataan that "Under combat conditions it operated with no mechanical defects and when used in foxholes did not develop stoppages from dust or dirt. It has been in almost constant action for as much as

4582-435: The expense of hitting power. The 20×102mm round was later chosen by France for the M621 cannon . Initially designated the T-160, the new gun was installed for combat testing on a number of F-86 Sabre aircraft under the "GunVal" program in late 1952, and used in action over Korea in early 1953. The results of the program were startling, with the GUNVAL F-86F's having downed 6 MIG fighters and damaged 12 others. This signaled

4661-411: The facility to increase production capacity by more than 25 fold, from 9,601 rifles in 1860 to 276,200 in 1864, served as a precursor to the mass production of the Second Industrial Revolution and 20th century assembly line production. The numerous firearm models produced at the Springfield Armory from 1794 to 1968 are referred to as "Springfield muskets and rifles ". Local and colonial militia used

4740-404: The forcing cone, heat dissipation, cook-off prevention, link testing, and reinforcement, to raise the mean time between failures to 1-in-1000 rounds fired. Four arms manufacturers, three independent companies, and a university research department, were involved in getting the weapon working correctly. In Vietnam in 1967 the 116th Assault Helicopter Company operating out of Củ Chi Base Camp used

4819-452: The gun gas-driven mechanism. The self-powered Vulcan weighs about 4.5 kilograms (10 lb) more than its electric counterpart, but requires no external power source to operate, except for an electric inertia starter to initiate gun rotation, allowing the first rounds to be chambered and fired. The initial M61 used linked ammunition, but the ejection of spent links created considerable (and ultimately insuperable) problems. The original weapon

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4898-413: The legacy of technological innovation at the Springfield Armory site. The Main Arsenal Building and the Commanding Officer's Quarters were extensively renovated by Eastern General Contractors of Springfield, Massachusetts between 1987 and 1991. The Main Arsenal now houses the Springfield Armory Museum, which includes the Benton Small Arms Collection, one of the largest collections of weaponry. Following

4977-414: The mass production manufacturing that contributed to the post-war Second Industrial Revolution and 20th century machine manufacturing capabilities. American historian Merritt Roe Smith has drawn comparisons between the early assembly machining of the Springfield rifles and the later production of the Ford Model T , with the latter having considerably more parts, but producing a similar numbers of units in

5056-443: The maximum rate of fire. The subsequent SUU-23/A uses the GAU-4/A self-powered Vulcan, with an electric inertia starter to bring it up to speed. Both pods ejected empty cases and unfired rounds rather than retaining them. Both pods contained 1,200 rounds of ammunition, with a loaded weight of 733 and 780 kilograms (1,615 and 1,720 lb) respectively. During service in the Vietnam War , the pods proved to be relatively inaccurate:

5135-418: The newer F-4E Phantom II variants. The F-4 was originally designed without a cannon as it was believed that missiles had made guns obsolete. Combat experience in Vietnam showed that a gun could be more effective than guided missiles in many combat situations and that an externally carried gun pod was less effective than an internal gun; the first generation of gun pods such as the SUU-16 were not oriented with

5214-413: The next five years many designs were submitted for the rifle, but none met the army's rigid specifications. In 1924, Garand offered a design that was approved for further testing. This was the famous M1, or " Garand rifle " as it came to be known. The army adopted the rifle in 1936, and production began the next year. This began what was to become the greatest production effort in the armory's history: during

5293-408: The pylon mounting was not rigid enough to prevent deflection when firing, and repeated use would misalign the pod on its pylon, making matters worse. A variant with much shorter barrels, designated the M195, was also developed for use on the M35 Armament Subsystem as used on the AH-1G Cobra helicopter . This variant fed from ammunition boxes fitted to the landing skid and was developed to provide

5372-530: The rotary cannon became the responsibility of Lockheed Martin Armament Systems. Lockheed Martin Armament Systems was later acquired by General Dynamics , which produces the M61 and its variants as of 2000 . Each of the cannon's six barrels fires once in turn during each revolution of the barrel cluster. The multiple barrels provide both a very high rate of fire—around 100 rounds per second—and contribute to prolonged weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation. The average time between jams or failures

5451-404: The sights of the fighter. The improved pods were self-powered and properly synchronized to the sights, while the USAF versions of the F-4 were hastily fitted with internal M61 cannons in a prominent fairing under the nose, well before the war ended (Navy Phantoms never received cannons, continuing to rely on air-to-air missiles alone). The next generation of fighters built post-Vietnam incorporated

5530-466: The target, popping up to about 150 feet [46 m], turning hell, death and destruction onto the target, turning off, and being gone before Charlie recovers from the shock....It is most effective on huts or heavily wooded tree lines. A hut is almost totally destroyed, i.e., to the point of setting it on fire and reducing it to ashes, and a tree line is so effectively covered that many of the trees are defoliated or limbs, etc., blown off. In situations where

5609-445: The time that the United States entered World War I , approximately 843,239 standard service Model 1903 rifles had been manufactured. However, this was insufficient to arm U.S. troops for an undertaking of the magnitude of World War I. During the war Springfield Armory produced over 265,620 Model 1903 rifles. In addition, the War Department contracted for production of the M1917 Enfield Rifle to help aid American troops. These, along with

5688-500: The time, Springfield, Massachusetts , offered obvious geographical advantages—it lay at the intersection of three rivers (including the major Connecticut River ), and four major roads headed toward New York City, Boston, Albany, and Montreal. Additionally, Springfield is located just north of the Connecticut River's first waterfall ( Enfield Falls ), which is too steep to be navigated by ocean-going vessels. Thus, Springfield

5767-594: The war effort. During the Revolution, the arsenal stored muskets, cannon, and other weapons. Patriots built barracks, shops, storehouses, and a magazine. Some doubt exists that the colonists manufactured arms during the Revolutionary War. After the war, the Army kept the facility to store arms for future needs. By the 1780s, the Springfield Arsenal functioned as a major ammunition and weapons arsenal. Some time later, when manufacturing became important,

5846-508: Was assigned to the Armory—it became the army's main laboratory for the development and testing of new small arms. One of the most distinctive elements of the Armory is the fence surrounding the site, which was started after the Civil War and completed in 1890. Unable to find funding for the purchase of a fence, Major James W. Ripley requested obsolete cannons from government storage, some from

5925-483: Was not a novel idea at the end of World War II, as Richard Jordan Gatling himself had done just that with a patent he filed in 1893. During World War I , a similar 12-barreled Fokker-Leimberger aircraft rotary machine gun, powered by either the aircraft engine or an electric motor, had been under development by the German Empire . In 1946, the Army issued General Electric a contract for "Project Vulcan",

6004-498: Was originally produced by General Electric . After several mergers and acquisitions, it is produced by General Dynamics as of 2000 . At the end of World War II , the United States Army Air Forces began to consider new directions for future military aircraft guns. The higher speeds of jet-powered fighter aircraft meant that achieving an effective number of hits would be extremely difficult without

6083-598: Was preserved and the property was turned over to the city and state. It is now the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, and is managed and operated by the National Park Service . As of 2011, the 35 acres behind the Springfield Armory (and several of its former buildings) housed Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). STCC is the only "technical" community college in Massachusetts, which aims to continue

6162-503: Was soon replaced by the M61A1, with a linkless feed system. Depending on the application, the feed system can be either single-ended (ejecting spent cases and unfired rounds) or double-ended (returning casings back to the magazine). A disadvantage of the M61 is that the bulk of the weapon, its feed system, and ammunition drum make it difficult to fit it into a densely packed airframe. The feed system must be custom-designed for each application, adding 140 to 180 kg (300 to 400 lb) to

6241-606: Was the first town on the Connecticut River protected from attack by seafaring naval vessels. The Armory site itself sits atop a high bluff like a citadel, overlooking a wide stretch of the Connecticut River, at its confluence with the Westfield River . General Knox concurred with Washington that "the plain just above Springfield is perhaps one of the most proper spots on every account" for the location of an arsenal. In 1777, patriot colonists established "The Arsenal at Springfield" to manufacture cartridges and gun carriages for

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