VORWERK Gast Machine Gun Model 1917 Complete Specs and Full Gun Specifications

The weapon combines two barrels into a single mechanism so that the recoil from firing one barrel loads and charges the second. Ammunition feeds into the gun from two vertically mounted cylindrical drums, one on each side. The drums held 180 rounds of German 7.92 mm rifle ammunition, feeding them into the breech using a compressed spring. An experienced gunner could change ammunition drums in a few seconds. The weapon could fire single shots if one side of the mechanism had a problem. The gun's relative lightness at approximately 27 kg (60 lb) without ammunition[1] led to its airborne use; a telescopic sight was mounted between the two barrels. Its simple design eased maintenance and enabled its being field stripped in one minute.