It turns out there's a practical limit to the rate of fire in a single-barrelled weapon.
The good news is you can always add more.
The Minigun.
A scaled-down rotary cannon capable of a terrifying level of output.
So, what are the advantages of a multi-barrelled design?
How did miniguns become a staple of first person shooters?
And is it even possible to carry one?
Multiple-barrelled firearms have long been a solution to increasing rate of fire: early
volley guns peppered the battlefield with multiple shots - but each barrel still needed
to be reloaded individually.
Named for its inventor, the Gatling gun used a rotating array of barrels to automate the
firing/reloading sequence through mechanical means.
Operated with a hand crank, it provided an unprecedented level of sustained fire, with
effective use by Union forces during the American Civil war.
Such designs are generally misfire-tolerant, as any cartridge that fails to fire will simply
be extracted: one of the benefits of not relying on the cartridge to power the action.
By the early 20th century, the now-mature single-barrelled machine guns were the predominant
solution for sustained fire: but the principles behind Gatling's rotary cannon would prove
the basis for a new generation of post-war designs.
General Electric developed the M61 Vulcan rotary cannon in 1959, in an effort to provide
more effective armament for jet-powered fighter aircraft.
During the Vietnam War, a similar solution was sought for helicopter-mounted weapons:
with conventional machine guns such as the M60 proving inadequate from the air.
The 20mm Vulcan design was scaled down to fire a rifle cartridge instead - and this
smaller design was dubbed the 'M134 Minigun'.
Like its bigger brother, it has 6 barrels that rotate continuously during firing: this
assists air cooling and allows the chambering / firing / extraction sequence to be performed
simultaneously on different barrels.
The net result?
The M134 is capable of putting out between 2000 to 6000 rounds per minute, without pause.
That's up to 100 rounds per second: an incredible rate that will saturate a target area, even
when firing from a fast-moving platform.
Designed to be vehicle-mounted, it is commonly seen strapped to helicopters or humvees in
games, as it would be in real life.
Here lies frequent use in the turret sequences so often seen in modern FPS: the clichéd
shooting gallery, with waves of enemies succumbing to your unending fire.
While often on rails, such sections are at least exhilarating - they come as a climax,
or mark a pivotal plot point by means of frantic action.
Often emerging towards the ultimate chapters of a story, facing overwhelming odds, continuous
fire can be your only saviour:
Just hold the trigger and hope for the best.
It is a shame to leave such an awesome weapon attached to its emplacement, however - and
so while unrealistic, the platform is often man-handled.
1987 film Predator is largely to blame for this: the 6 barrels are given significant
screen time, furiously tearing through the jungle, at some invisible threat.
Terminator 2 saw a similar treatment, albeit in slightly more believable fashion, wielded
by a future cyborg.
So, is such use even possible?
For all the firepower it offers, the minigun is a very compact weapon - at just over 800
millimetres long, it's shorter than most rifles.
Despite this, it's not particularly portable: it weighs in at 40 kilos, not including ammunition.
The high rate of fire and full-powered rifle cartridge would make for some mean recoil,
too - and on top of all this, the weapon demands an external power supply: so man-portable
use in any practical sense is impossible.
Virtual depictions in games are not bound by reality, of course - and it should come
as no surprise that such a memorable weapon had an impact on the earliest FPS games.
The chaingun of Wolfenstein and Doom set a prototype for those that followed, and ensured
that any future clone worth its salt would have a multi-barrelled option.
Technically, the in-game appellation is incorrect: 'chain guns' are a similar class of externally-powered
weapon - but they have only a single barrel, unlike the minigun's multiple.
Still, these gatling-style inclusions in early classics set a powerful precedent.
The ability to wield such a potent weapon exhibits super-human or heroic status: an
extraordinary feat beyond any ordinary man.
A signature for Serious Sam, nothing puts more lead downrange than a minigun: with an
endless belt, high rate of fire and no need for precision - you can mow 'em all down without
ever needing to reload.
Similarly, the Heavy Weapons Guy from Team Fortress 2 is clearly built for the job - shooting
many bullets is his raison d'etre.
Some need external augmentation in order to employ the weapon: the XMGs from Call of Duty:
Advanced Warfare are dual wielded with the help of a powered exoskeleton.
Not a standard weapon by any measure.
It is sometimes reserved as a reward - delivered as a killstreak, outside of a conventional
weapon power band.
Here it can be as overpowered as it needs to be: although the weapon is often lumbered
with at least some disadvantage.
A heavy weapon will leave you less nimble: movement speed is often slowed with the minigun
is equipped, rendering you more vulnerable to retaliation.
Quite often you'll need to spool up the barrels before you'll be able to fire: a pause that
reduces reactivity and can potentially warn the enemy of your presence.
The soft whirr of the electric motor a prelude to a cacophony of carnage.
Chaos in a compact package - the very definition of a bullet hose.
From classic FPS to modern military shooters, nothing delivers more.
The antithesis of precision; a hammer to crack a nut.
Completely unrealistic to wield solo - but it gets a pass by virtue of being absolutely
awesome.
The Minigun.
Six barrels.
Endless fire.
Payback time.
Thank you very much for watching - and until next time, farewell.