CODE – 04-040-917

NAME – Gast Model 1917

NAME (NATIVE) – Gast-Gewehr, GAST – Fliegermaschinengewehr Modell 1917 [Aircraft Machine Gun Model 1917]

COMMON NAMES – Gast Gun

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Germany

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1917

CALIBER – 7.92x57mm

OVERALL LENGTH – 147 cm (57.87 in)

BARREL LENGTH – 72 cm (28.35 in)

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 4-Grooves, Right-hand twist, 1 turn in 24 cm (9.45 in)

LOAD – S. Patronen Pointed (Spitzer) Full Metal jacket

BULLET DIAMETER – 8.2 mm (0.323 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 9.91 (153 grains)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 874 m/s (2866 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 3784 j (2791 ft/lb)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 18.5 kg (40 lb 13 oz)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 35.66 kg (78 lb 10 oz) loaded with two drums, 360 rounds

SIGHTS – No integral sights

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 1,000 m (1,094 yards)

OPERATION – Recoil, fires from closed bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – 720 rpm

CYCLIC ROF – 1,600 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 180-round (each) right and left hand dual vertical drum magazine (360 rounds)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 4.35 kg (9 lb 10 oz) each

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 8.58 kg (18 lb 15 oz) each, 17.16 kg (37 lb 13 oz)

BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – Ten drums [5 pairs] (1,800 rounds)

LOAD WEIGHT – 85.8 kg (189 lb 3 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Vorwerk & Co., Barmen, Germany

STATUS – Obsolete

SERVICE – German military, no known field use