A machine gun (e.g., a minigun) has a delinker including cylindrical or round pushrods inserted in complementary slots in a carrier. The generally cylindrical pushrod and corresponding slots in the carrier require less machining steps than prior rectangular, T shaped or H shaped pushrods and complementary carrier slots making them faster and less expensive to produce and replace. The cylindrical pushrods apply force evenly to heads of ammunition cartridges received in the delinker as they push rounds forward within the delinker such that the rounds are not forced outward from a longitudinal axis of the delinker by the pushrod as the pushrod. A front face of the pushrod has a recess corresponding to a primer of the ammunition cartridge pushed forward by the pushrod within the delinker such that the pushrods do not contact the primer of the ammunition cartridge.

A rotor for a firearm having a tracks and locks for interaction with at least one firearm bolt with a rotatable head and carrier body may have a reversible lock structure such that locks may be merely turned around in relation to the rotor when one set of lock bosses is worn by the interaction of the lock and bolts when firing. Drive and delinker gears may also be geometrically keyed to the rotor to efficiently divide torque across the gears and to maintain correct timing for the firearm.

A rotor for a firearm having a tracks and locks for interaction with at least one firearm bolt with a rotatable head and carrier body may have a reversible lock structure such that locks may be merely turned around in relation to the rotor when one set of lock bosses is worn by the interaction of the lock and bolts when firing. Drive and delinker gears may also be geometrically keyed to the rotor to efficiently divide torque across the gears and to maintain correct timing for the firearm.

An improved door assembly for a delinking feeder of a minigun includes an access door mounted to a delinking feeder housing and movable between a closed position and an open position. The access door has an enclosed recess for receiving a tongue that is rotationally coupled to the access door and is movable between a retracted position and a deployed position. When the access door is in the open position, the tongue is in the deployed position and a tongue first contact surface can contact and secure a linked cartridge positioned in the delinking feeder. When the access door is in the closed position, the tongue is in the retracted position and a tongue second contact surface can contact and guide a cartridge positioned in the delinking feeder.

An improved door assembly for a delinking feeder of a minigun includes an access door mounted to a delinking feeder housing and movable between a closed position and an open position. The access door has an enclosed recess for receiving a tongue that is rotationally coupled to the access door and is movable between a retracted position and a deployed position. When the access door is in the open position, the tongue is in the deployed position and a tongue first contact surface can contact and secure a linked cartridge positioned in the delinking feeder. When the access door is in the closed position, the tongue is in the retracted position and a tongue second contact surface can contact and guide a cartridge positioned in the delinking feeder.

A machine gun (e.g., a minigun) is provided with a modular delinker. The front of the delinker (i.e., nose) can be removed from the main body of the delinker without tools. The paddle wheel in the main body includes a front paddle wheel and a rear paddle wheel. The front paddle wheel is removable from the main body with the nose, and the rear paddle wheel remains within the main body on a driven shaft of the delinker when the nose is removed from the main body. Thus, some components of the delinker are accessible and serviceable without tools, and the nose and front paddle wheel may be swapped out without tools out to alter a compatible ammunition cartridge type of the delinker. A jam can be cleared and damaged front and/or rear paddle wheels can be replaced in the field to return a gun to service.

A machine gun (e.g., a minigun) is provided with a modular delinker. The front of the delinker (i.e., nose) can be removed from the main body of the delinker without tools. The paddle wheel in the main body includes a front paddle wheel and a rear paddle wheel. The front paddle wheel is removable from the main body with the nose, and the rear paddle wheel remains within the main body on a driven shaft of the delinker when the nose is removed from the main body. Thus, some components of the delinker are accessible and serviceable without tools, and the nose and front paddle wheel may be swapped out without tools out to alter a compatible ammunition cartridge type of the delinker. A jam can be cleared and damaged front and/or rear paddle wheels can be replaced in the field to return a gun to service.

An electrically driven machine gun can include a drive motor, a feeder delinker, a clutch, and a motor control unit. The drive motor is configured to rotate a rotor of the gun when receiving power. The feeder delinker is configured to provide ammunition cartridges to the rotor while being rotated. The rotor fires the ammunition cartridges while receiving them from the feeder delinker and being rotated by the drive motor. The clutch is configured to selectively engage the rotor and the feeder delinker while actuated. The motor control unit is configured to receive input from a user and provide power to the drive motor as a function of the input received from the user and to actuate the clutch while providing power to the drive motor. The motor control unit includes a battery to eliminate the necessity of an external power supply.

An electrically driven machine gun can include a drive motor, a feeder delinker, a clutch, and a motor control unit. The drive motor is configured to rotate a rotor of the gun when receiving power. The feeder delinker is configured to provide ammunition cartridges to the rotor while being rotated. The rotor fires the ammunition cartridges while receiving them from the feeder delinker and being rotated by the drive motor. The clutch is configured to selectively engage the rotor and the feeder delinker while actuated. The motor control unit is configured to receive input from a user and provide power to the drive motor as a function of the input received from the user and to actuate the clutch while providing power to the drive motor. The motor control unit includes a battery to eliminate the necessity of an external power supply.

A clutch assembly for a rotary machine gun includes a drive sleeve mountable to the gun, a clutch gear slidably and rotatably mounted on the sleeve, a clutch housing on the sleeve, a shifter in the housing, and a solenoid assembly secured to the housing. The clutch gear is configured to engage and rotate with the sleeve. A plunger on the sleeve urges the clutch gear away from engagement with the sleeve. The shifter is configured to push the clutch gear into engagement with the sleeve when actuated. The solenoid assembly includes a solenoid housing, a plunger configured to actuate the shifter, a plunger rod, a biasing member, and a lever on the plunger rod. The lever is manually pivotable to move the clutch gear to a neutral position wherein the gear is rotatable about the sleeve in either of two opposing directions until the solenoid assembly is electrically actuated.