General Electric M134 with first pattern spade grip mount and crosshair sights. Note the lack of flash suppressor and three disked barrel cluster - 7.62x51mm NATO
The M134 Minigun is a six-barreled, electrically-driven rotary gun originally designed by General Electric. Essentially a miniaturized version of the 20mm M61 Vulcan chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, it was originally designed during the Vietnam War to provide a high-volume-of-fire weapon suitable for mounting on helicopters. Boasting a fire rate of up to 6,000 rounds per minute, the minigun proved far more capable than any single-barreled weapon in this role and, through numerous updates, remains in it to this day.
A distinctive invention of fiction is the hand-held M134 minigun, a concept which was popularized by the film Predator. Physically demanding even for a slowed-down minigun firing blanks, such a weapon would be near impossible, and highly impractical for a human being to either carry or operate. This fact has not stopped it appearing frequently in other works, especially in video games. Generally such depictions will totally ignore the weapon's need for external power, and sometimes even forget it requires a source of ammunition.
The M134 Minigun and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
GE M134 Minigun
General Electric M134 - 7.62x51mm NATO
GE M134 Minigun (GAU-2/A) in an SUU-11/A gunpod - 7.62x51mm NATO
Film
Television
Anime
Video Games
Title
|
Character
|
Notation
|
Date
|
Ironsight |
Metal Reaper drone |
Mounted on left arm |
2018
|
Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex First Assault |
Ishikawa |
Mounted on his Cyber Sentry |
2015
|
Time Crisis 5 |
Robert Baxter |
Mounted on his robot |
2015
|
Grand Theft Auto V |
|
|
2013
|
Dead Island: Riptide |
|
|
2013
|
Call of Duty: Black Ops II |
|
|
2012
|
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier |
Ghosts, rebels, Watchgate PMC |
Mounted on Black Hawk helicopters, also as stationary turrets |
2012
|
Project Reality: Vietnam |
|
Mounted on UH-1C Huey helicopters in M21 armament subsystem |
2012
|
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 |
|
|
2011
|
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon |
|
Mounted on MH-60L Black Hawk helicopters |
2011
|
Bodycount |
|
Oversized M134-based gatlings mounted on enemy helicopters |
2011
|
Battlefield Play4Free |
|
Mounted on Black Hawk helicopters |
2011
|
Crysis 2 |
|
Mounted on helicopters, trailers only |
2011
|
Yakuza 3 |
CIA Agent |
Mounted on a UH-60 "Black Hawk" helicopter |
2010
|
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker |
Enemies, MSF |
XM-196, mounted on AH-56 "bomber" variant |
2010
|
Call of Duty: Black Ops |
|
|
2010
|
Dead Rising 2 |
Soldiers |
|
2010
|
Just Cause 2 |
Rico Rodriguez, Alexander Mirkov, enemy soldiers |
Mounted on military helicopters, fighters, land vehicles and motor torpedo boats |
2010
|
Left 4 Dead 2 |
|
"Minigun." Mounted on a monopod, can overheat, 2010 DLC map No Mercy only |
2009
|
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 |
|
|
2009
|
Resident Evil 5 |
Sheva Alomar |
Mounted on the back of a HMMWV |
2009
|
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin |
Armacham soldiers |
mounted on helicopters |
2009
|
Left 4 Dead |
|
"Minigun." Mounted on a monopod, can overheat |
2008
|
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 |
|
|
2008
|
Crysis Warhead |
Michael "Psycho" Sykes, enemies |
Crysis' portable Hurricane is fictional, but Warhead's mounted guns are clearly M134s with minimal changes |
2008
|
Grand Theft Auto IV |
|
|
2008
|
Devil May Cry 4 |
Dante |
"Pandora;" elaborate semi-portable ground mounting, used in the air anyway; shortened M134 barrels with one of the front clamps missing |
2008
|
F.E.A.R. |
|
Door guns on Black Hawk helicopters |
2005
|
Battlefield 2 |
|
Mounted on Black Hawk helicopters |
2005
|
Project Reality |
|
Mounted on Black Hawk and Little Bird helicopters |
2005
|
The Matrix: Path of Neo |
Neo |
Mounted on helicopter |
2005
|
Resident Evil 4 |
Mike |
Mounted on Blackhawk helicopter |
2005
|
Time Crisis: Crisis Zone |
|
Mounted on M2 Bradley, Unusable |
2004
|
Ghost Squad |
|
Mounted on enemy helicopters, unusable |
2004
|
Ghost Recon: Island Thunder |
|
mounted on Black Hawk |
2003
|
Shinobi |
Hiruko (via magic) |
Mounted in SUU-11/A gunpods on posessed Black Hawk helicopter |
2002
|
007: Nightfire |
|
Available in multiplayer mode only, and with certain weapon sets |
2002
|
Crisis Zone |
|
Mounted on M2 Bradley, Unusable |
1999
|
Dillon Aero M134 Minigun
Dillon Aero M134 with flash suppressor - 7.62x51mm NATO. These are new model M134 Miniguns or just updated GE Miniguns which are usually seen with a different spade grip mount that were used during the Vietnam War.
Dillon Aero M134D-H (H stands for Hybrid) combines the titanium and skeletonized parts that were engineered for use in the M134D-T minigun with the steel housing of the previous M134D - 7.62x51mm NATO
Film
Television
Video Games
General Dynamics GAU-17/A
General Dynamics GAU-17/A, US Air Force version of the M134 Minigun - 7.62x51mm NATO
General Dynamics GAU-17/A, US Air Force version of the M134 Minigun - 7.62x51mm NATO
GAU-17/A mounted in Osprey V-22 VTOL fuselage via Remote Guardian System - 7.62x51mm NATO.
A variant of the USAF GAU-2B/A fixed-mount minigun optimised for use in flexible mounts, fitted with a slotted flash hider, MAU-201/A or MAU-56 delinking feeder, flexible feeding chute and optional ejection chute, and a 1,500 or 4,500-round ammunition container.
Surplus GAU-17/As were acquired by the US Navy ahead of the 2003 Iraq war, placed on mountings for Mk 16 20mm cannons and designated as the Mk 44 machine gun: it also goes by this designation when used by US Special Forces and the British Royal Navy.
Film
Video Games
Anime
Title
|
Character
|
Note
|
Date
|
Area 88 |
Kitori Palvanaff, Shin Kazama |
|
2004
|
Hand Held M134 Minigun
"Ol' Painless" Handheld M134 Minigun with
M60 Handguard, as seen in
Predator - 7.62x51mm NATO
Airsoft handheld M134 Minigun with 'Chainsaw grip' to handle the recoil force. This variant was seen in
Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This is an airsoft version which retains the half-circle attachment point for the M60 foregrip from
Predator; the real T2 minigun did not have this - (fake) 7.62x51mm NATO
Handheld M134 Minigun with ammo backpack - 7.62x51mm NATO
Film
Television
Anime
Video Games
Title
|
Character
|
Notation
|
Date
|
House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn |
Ryan Taylor, Kate Green |
"Gatling Gun" |
2018
|
Yakuza Kiwami 2 |
|
Unused |
2018
|
Shadow Warrior 2 |
Lo Wang |
|
2016
|
Call of Duty: Ghosts |
|
|
2013
|
Call of Duty Online |
|
|
2013
|
Grand Theft Auto V |
|
|
2013
|
Payday 2 |
|
Barrels do not spin |
2013
|
The Showdown Effect |
|
|
2013
|
Call of Duty: Black Ops II |
|
|
2012
|
Yakuza: Dead Souls |
All PCs |
Extremely slow rate of fire |
2011
|
Uncharted: Golden Abyss |
Nate, Heavy Troopers |
five barrels only |
2011
|
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D |
Gatling Gun Majini |
|
2011
|
Serious Sam 3: BFE |
Sam "Serious" Stone |
"XM-214-A" |
2011
|
Call of Duty: Black Ops |
Alex Mason |
Referred to as "Death Machine". Heavily altered with custom barrel clamps, offset front grip, ejects up and to left |
2010
|
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker |
|
Based on "Sasha" layout from Team Fortress 2 |
2010
|
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light |
Lara Croft, Totec |
|
2010
|
Just Cause 2 |
Rico Rodriguez, enemy soldiers |
Mounted and used by enemies, but can be detached and carried by player. T2-style chainsaw grip. No ammo drum when carried |
2010
|
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves |
Nathan Drake, heavy soldier (boss enemy) |
Called "GAU-19" and with GAU-19 pickup icon but M134 model, shown with only five barrels |
2009
|
Resident Evil 5 |
Chris Redfield, Gatling Gun Majini (boss enemy) |
With large ammo backpack |
2009
|
Fallout 3 |
|
|
2008
|
Saints Row 2 |
|
|
2008
|
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames |
Mercenaries |
mounted on various vehicles |
2008
|
Combat Arms |
|
With T2-style chainsaw grip |
2008
|
Counter-Strike Online |
|
"M134", available with "Christmas Special" and "Upgraded version" |
2009
|
Army Of Two |
Eliot Salem, Tyson Rios, Ali Yousef (enemy) |
Has half-circle attachment point for Predator M60 foregrip, but not the grip itself; presumably based on the airsoft version pictured above |
2008
|
Team Fortress 2 |
The Heavy |
"Sasha" and "Natasha," both with large ammunition drum mounted to the weapon |
2007
|
STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl |
Marked One |
Only present in leaked alpha from 2003: removed from final game. Released build 1935 includes textures but no weapon model. |
2007
|
Driver: Parallel Lines |
|
|
2006
|
Shadow the Hedgehog |
Shadow the Hedgehog, GUN Walkers (enemies) |
Mounted on walkers, only carried by Shadow |
2005
|
Serious Sam 2 |
Serious Sam, enemies |
"XM-214-A" |
2005
|
Resident Evil 4 |
JJ (boss enemy) |
With large ammo backpack |
2005
|
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas |
Carl Johnson |
"Minigun" |
2004
|
Serious Sam: Next Encounter |
Sam "Serious" Stone |
"XM4000", re-chambered to fire 9mm bullets |
2004
|
Time Crisis: Crisis Zone |
Claude McGarren |
"Gattling Gun", loaded with 60 rounds |
2004
|
Hitman: Contracts |
Agent 47 |
"Minigun" |
2004
|
Far Cry |
Jack Carver, enemy mercenaries |
Mounted, but with T2-style chainsaw grip |
2004
|
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City |
Tommy Vercetti |
"Minigun" |
2002
|
Serious Sam |
|
"XM-214-A" |
various
|
Hitman: Codename 47 |
|
|
2000
|
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis |
|
Only three barrels |
1999
|
Resident Evil 2 |
|
Only three barrels |
1998
|