Fastest Gun in the West, Vulcan M61 Cannon (1974)

This training circular was written by the U.S. Army Air Defense School, Fort Bliss, TX, and published by the U.S. Army Combat Arms Training Board, Fort Benning, GA. The information conforms as closely as possible with approved Department of the Army doctrine and is intended to complement existing training literature.

The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barrel, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm 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 fifty years.

This automatic weapons system was designed to fill the holes in the low altitude air defense curtain. Enemy planes were able in the past to fly through the ack-ack holes because there simply wasn't enough lead flying around. Now, when you pump out 3,000 rounds a minute, you pretty well close the holes.

The weapon was named after Vulcan-the God of Fire and Armor who forged thunderbolts for the Greek Gods. This six-gun packs wallop. With it you can fire 3,000 rounds of 20 mm ammunition a minute. Who else throws around hot lead that fast?