Weapon Name- XM214
Round Type- 5.56mm x 45mm NATO
Over-all length- 43 inches (1092mm)
Barrel length- 28 inches (711mm)
Weight- 27.6 lb (12.5 KG) (unloaded, one battery),
28 (12.7 KG) pounds per 1000 round belt
Rate of Fire- 400-6000 RPM (Electronically controllable)
Feed Mechanism- Belt Fed
Round Capacity- 500, 1000, 2000, linked belts+
Effective Range- 825 Meters
Range- 1200 meters, 1500 meters (Area Target)
Accuracy- 2.5 MOA
Accessories-
Quick switch firing mechanism- N/A
Scope/Sights- Picanty Rail
Muzzle Velocity- 1020 m/s (4.1 g)
Firing System- XM214 mixed with High-low System
Miscellaneous/electronic information- Electronically controllable firing rate and aim
Basic Information
While a weapon of this kind typically has too much recoil to be a viable option for an individual unit in combat, modern technologies have allowed the recoil to be dispersed and absorbed enough in order for the average soldier, or average squad automatic rifleman, to be capable of carrying and using such a weapon in infantry combat (although the drawbacks and advantages may not equally outweigh each other). It should be noted that the weight and size of the weapon itself is comparable to the M240, which is actually 6 (152mm) inches longer, has a 3.3 inch (72.6mm) shorter barrel, and is fired from the shoulder, making it 'jut out' from the body farther. In addition to this, the weight of 1000 round of ammunition is much higher. It should also be noted, that the backpack necessary for carrying the ammo and battery make the weapon much larger and heavier than the M240, along with the fact that each belt of ammo can be emptied in roughly and the highly uncontrollable high rate of fire).
The weapon, capable of firing over 6000 rounds per minute, produces an enormous amount of gas from the burning nitrocellulose. The massive amount of constantly expanding nitrocellulose, while typically too hot and having too much felt recoil to be dealt with, can be diffused by the High-low system. While originally designed for rockets and rocket launchers, along with grenades, the high rate of fire and massive amount of propellant burned (especially from the 5.56mm rounds) leads to enough expanding gases being released to actually take advantage of the system. While the system essentially takes an extremely high pressure chamber that releases the expanding gases to a low pressure chamber to be exhausted in an easier, it typically does not experience enough recoil or exploding propellant to actively or effectively reduce recoil from ordinary rifle rounds. Considering, however, that the average rifle fires roughly 10 rounds per second, and the minigun can fire up to 100 rounds per second, the stacking of gases occurs at a geometric rate, an example being that after a full 10 seconds of firing at 10 rpm, 100 rounds from an ordinary are rifle being fired and nearly 900 more rounds from the minigun being fired with 100 rpm. These resulting gases, both by expansion and in sheer volume, are enough to begin to allow the high low pressure system to effectively minimize recoil with the weapons own expanding gases. Basically, while ordinarily large rounds such as grenades or rockets (or tank rounds) could exploit the system by the sheer force of recoil and gas being present, and bullet oriented weapons could not, the sheer volume of gas present from over 100 rounds per second in the system allows for an area of high pressure and low pressure to effectively minimize recoil by a substantial amount. In accordance with this, it essentially makes what was ordinarily equivalent to a 'rocket blast' to be manageable recoil, that is nearly completely reduced in some aspects of the weapon.
Another feature present on the gun is the addition of impact gel inserts. The gel inserts help manage recoil by absorbing massive amount of shock through a gelled non-newtonian fluid. The material is essentially a binder with corn starch, the can absorb a large amount of recoil efficiently by becoming "hard" when force is applied and soft when the force is not applied. This also allows the material to respond accurately to low pressure high impact forces, such as large dead weights falling, or the recoil of a bullet that gets absorbed through a weapon and eventually into a handle. While the impact gel does not help manage muzzle lift or kick back, it does minimize the felt recoil on the individual, and makes the normal 'vibration' which can occur as a result from normal weapons firing to basically be absorbed; I.E. the 'pain' and 'soreness' essentially disintegrates from the firing recoil of the weapon.
