What is the firing rate of the 30MM GAU-8 gatling gun?

• A. 1000 rpm
• B. 3800 rounds per minute
• C. 6000 rpm
• D. 2000 rpm

Answer: (B)

Firing rate is the cyclic rate—the number of rounds the gun can expel per minute when it’s running at full cadence. The GAU-8 is a seven-barrel rotary Gatling gun powered by an electric drive, which lets it sustain a very high rate of fire while spreading heat across multiple barrels. Its nominal cyclic rate is about 3,900 rounds per minute, and in practice this is often rounded to roughly 3,800 rounds per minute for quick reference. This high rate is what makes it effective for delivering rapid, dense fire on ground targets. The other rates are simply outside the gun’s typical operating range: they’re either too low for this type of weapon or exceed what the system is designed to safely sustain.