Originally Posted by IR
I think the article favoured the 27mm mauser as the best on paper, but isn't it v. expensive and eats barrels.
Indeed, all the rounds go down one barrel, therefore more internal wear. However, changing 6 barrels less frequently would be just as expensive. The main factor with the Mauser is the ammo - having a steel driving band, which is what eats the lands in the barrel.
As for spin up time, the greater mass of a gatling does require more time to get up to speed, but to be honest it happens very quickly and the first rounds out of the barrels still work just as well and bullet density is comparible to the revolver. Remember that the entire mechanism isn't accelerating from zero as the fly-wheel (design dependent) is rotating all the time the gun is selected, just not at full chat.