Chainguns vs. Gatlings

Some good info in the discussion so far.

Only, riddle me this - are their chain driven mutli-barrel guns?

If so, then there is a union of the sets Chaingun and Gatling gun. And
someone suggested the 5.56 minigun was like an MG. It must have a
difference - I recall in Predator where Governor Ventura had his minigun
out and was mowing trees.... when he stopped firing, he barrells kept
spinning - I assume by an electric motor (don't know if there was a
chain involved - though it'd be the simplest way to drive such a system
that I can think of). That "electrically driven" part is one of the big
distinctions between a Gatling weapon like the 5.56/7.62/20mm/30mm
multi-barrelled canons and a blowback operated MG. How many of these
systems use chains (which I'd suggest also would involve an oil sump) or
some other drive system for the rotors, I can't imagine.

<From the last few days, why do I feel a desparate need to try to figure
out how this relates to APSWs? *grin*>

Someone also suggested a chain drive gun system has a more predictable
rate of fire. I'd have to wonder if this is true vs. an equivalent
electrical drive system not using a chain? I have to imagine a
multi-barrell weapon is more problem prone than a single barrell, but
chain vs. other form of drive? Chain beats blowback (all sorts of gas
pressure and dirt related stoppages), but is it more reliable than some
other electrical methods used in rotary cannons? I'd think not. And they
too would (I assume) just chuck out dud shells.

Actually, I suspect this is another good argument for going to a gauss
weapon - as long as your electrics are good, no misfires... you don't
get a ferrous needle "blank". You might be capable of a misfeed - this
could I imagine affect any non-energy weapon using some kind of ammo.
But caseless or casted chemical rounds are going to have misfire issues
and dud rounds - something gauss and laser might not. Plasma might or
might not, depending on how we envision the plasma gun system. You might
get a bad "photonic core" (plasma gun round a la 2300 AD), but I don't
think a traveller style PGMP could have that kind of a problem.

G'night all.

Tom B
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