Gast gun
| Gast gun | |
|---|---|
Loaded Gast machine gun, with drum magazines | |
| Type | Machine gun |
| Place of origin | German Empire |
| Service history | |
| Used by | German Empire |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1916 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 27 kg (60 lb) (without ammunition) |
| Cartridge | 7.92×57mm Mauser |
| Caliber | 7.92 mm |
| Barrels | 2 |
| Action | Recoil |
| Rate of fire | 1,600 round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 930 metres per second (3,100 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 1,800 m (2,000 yd) |
| Feed system | Drum 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.