A gun control unit for a M134 minigun firearm including an armature and a stator comprising at least one hardware processor; and one or more software modules that are configured to, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, independently control the armature; independently control the stator.

A firearm has an emitter that propagates a light beam to a receiver and at least two finger position beams that propagate horizontally along the firearm on either side of a switch that provides detection of a position of a finger when the finger blocks and unblocks the finger position beam. Further, when only two finger position beams are blocked, this indicates proper positioning of the finger placing the firearm into a dischargeable condition.

A firearm has an emitter that propagates a light beam to a receiver and at least two finger position beams that propagate horizontally along the firearm on either side of a switch that provides detection of a position of a finger when the finger blocks and unblocks the finger position beam. Further, when only two finger position beams are blocked, this indicates proper positioning of the finger placing the firearm into a dischargeable condition.

Implementations of an accessory mount for a machine gun spade grip are provided. A machine gun spade grip includes twin handles that are disposed on opposite sides of, and adjacent to, a thumb pad trigger mechanism for a firearm, such as a machine gun. The accessory mount is attached to the upper arm of the spade grip, adjacent one of the twin handles. One or more control devices used to operate weapon-mounted electrical accessories can be attached to the accessory mount. An example accessory mount comprises: a bridge member having a top and a bottom, the top of the bridge member includes a mounting interface and the bottom of the bridge member includes a cutout adapted to receive a portion of a spade grip arm therein; and a clamp member removably attached to the bottom of the bridge member.

A firearm has a trigger shield configured as a protective loop surrounding a first and a second switch of the firearm, each switch actuates the function of the firearm when activated by a finger to start the firing process, and the first switch is on a first side of the protective loop and the second switch is on a second side of the protective loop. The firearm has at least three receivers on the protective loop and at least three beam windows on the protective loop aligned with the three receivers. Further, the firearm has an emitter outside of the protective loop, the emitter propagates a beam of light to a beam splitter, and the beam splitter propagates three beams of light one beam to each of the three beam windows, the three beams of light are incident on one of the respective receivers. Also, when a finger activates one of the switches, the firearm activates, and when the finger breaks one of the beams of light, the firearm discharges.

A firearm has a trigger shield configured as a protective loop surrounding a first and a second switch of the firearm, each switch actuates the function of the firearm when activated by a finger to start the firing process, and the first switch is on a first side of the protective loop and the second switch is on a second side of the protective loop. The firearm has at least three receivers on the protective loop and at least three beam windows on the protective loop aligned with the three receivers. Further, the firearm has an emitter outside of the protective loop, the emitter propagates a beam of light to a beam splitter, and the beam splitter propagates three beams of light one beam to each of the three beam windows, the three beams of light are incident on one of the respective receivers. Also, when a finger activates one of the switches, the firearm activates, and when the finger breaks one of the beams of light, the firearm discharges.

A firearm has a trigger shield configured as a protective loop surrounding a first and second switch of the firearm. Each switch actuates the function of the firearm when activated by a finger to start the firing process. The first switch is on a first side of the protective loop and the second switch is on a second side of the protective loop. Further, the firearm has an emitter mounted on the trigger shield that propagates a light beam to a receiver mounted on an opposite side of the trigger shield. When a finger depresses one of the switches, his/her finger is blocking the light beam and the firearm will not activate and when the finger is moved away from the light beam, the firearm discharges.

A firearm has a trigger shield configured as a protective loop surrounding a first and second switch of the firearm. Each switch actuates the function of the firearm when activated by a finger to start the firing process. The first switch is on a first side of the protective loop and the second switch is on a second side of the protective loop. Further, the firearm has an emitter mounted on the trigger shield that propagates a light beam to a receiver mounted on an opposite side of the trigger shield. When a finger depresses one of the switches, his/her finger is blocking the light beam and the firearm will not activate and when the finger is moved away from the light beam, the firearm discharges.

A rifle or portable firearm assembly (e.g., 310) configured to work with user-actuable sensors and systems (e.g., S1-S4), comprises a removable receiver assembly 312 attached to and responsive to a trigger assembly 50 which are removably received in a stock or chassis 316 having a middle section 324 with a trigger motion sensing sidewall segment with at least one trigger motion sensor (e.g., 340L, 340R) which does not physically contact or attach to the trigger assembly and is instead spaced from every component of the trigger assembly when the receiver is installed in said stock or chassis. The trigger motion sensor is configured to sense, from a selected standoff distance, without contacting or interfering the trigger assembly in any way, at least one of (a) the trigger's first stage movement or (b) actuation of a safety lever, and generate a “trigger motion sensed” signal in response thereto.

A projectile propulsion system comprises a housing defining a chamber, a propulsive charge including a propulsive charge material loadable into the chamber, a projectile loadable into the chamber proximate to the propulsive charge material, an electric pulse discharge subsystem that provides an electric pulse having a specified pulse amperage for a specified pulse period, a current delivery subsystem electrically connecting the electric pulse discharge subsystem to the chamber to deliver the electric pulse to the propulsive charge material, wherein the specified pulse amperage and the specified pulse period are sufficient to cause at least a portion of the propulsive charge material to generate a propulsive force that is at least partially directed onto the projectile to drive the projectile out of the chamber, and a barrel in fluid communication with the chamber configured to receive the projectile as it is driven from the chamber.