I know the military is not all about firing-from-the-hip and looking like movie starts but when would a soldier use the handheld M134 minigun? I know I probably won't ever use it in the marine corps but just to know, when would it be used?
It is never hand held, the weight of the ammo and battery it requires would keep you from going very far, then when you fired it the recoil of up to 6000 rounds a minute would put you on your back. Also since it burns ammo so fast someone would have to carry a few thousand rounds for you, not to forget the fact that the battery is only good for 2000 rounds meaning you would have to bring a few extra batteries (which aren't light), the combined time of reloading and switching batteries makes the user combat ineffective... especially since he would LITERALLY be spraying rounds everywhere.
The M-134 was used during the Vietnam war. The Guns were mounted on Navy Speedboats . They were not hand guns, but machine guns, like the Gatlin guns. 1963 up until now they are still available for use in the United States Military. I never heard or saw a M-134 handgun.
mini guns are fired from and stationary mounts.
They have a firing rate of 6000 rounds a minute and they require an external power source. firing a weapon with that rate of fire standing will knock you down.
The heaviest Weapon you will fire from the shoulder or unsupported would be a machine gun like the m60