Description
GAU-8/A Avenger — 30mm 7-Barrel Rotary Cannon
WARNING — NFA DESTRUCTIVE DEVICE: This item is classified as a Destructive Device under the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. § 5845). Transfer requires ATF Form 4 approval, $200 NFA tax stamp, and must be handled by a Class III / SOT licensed dealer. Legal in most states; prohibited in some jurisdictions. Buyer must be legally eligible to possess NFA items.
The GAU-8/A Avenger is the General Electric 30mm 7-barrel hydraulically-driven rotary autocannon that serves as the primary weapon system of the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (“Warthog”). Designed specifically for anti-armor ground attack, the GAU-8 is one of the most powerful aircraft autocannons ever installed on a production aircraft.
Key Specifications
- Manufacturer: General Electric (now General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products)
- Caliber: 30x173mm
- Action: 7-barrel Gatling-type rotary cannon, hydraulic drive
- Rate of Fire: 2,100 or 4,200 rounds per minute (selectable)
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,067 m/s (3,500 ft/s) — PGU-14/B API round
- Effective Range: 1,220 m (ground targets)
- Weight (Gun only): 281 kg (619 lbs)
- Length: 1.83 m (72 inches)
- Ammunition: 30x173mm — PGU-13/B HEI or PGU-14/B API (DU)
- NFA Status: Destructive Device / Machine Gun — Pre-1986 registered
A-10 Warthog Heritage
The GAU-8 entered service in 1977 aboard the A-10 Thunderbolt II. In combat during the Gulf War, A-10s destroyed more than 900 Iraqi tanks, 2,000 military vehicles, and 1,200 artillery pieces. Each burst from the GAU-8 releases kinetic energy equivalent to a head-on collision with a freight train. The aircraft must reduce engine power slightly when firing to prevent flameout from propellant gases ingested by the engines.
Legal Transfer
This is a pre-1986 registered NFA Destructive Device. Transfer requires ATF Form 4 approval (typically 10-12 month wait), $200 NFA tax stamp, CLEO notification, and Class III SOT dealer involvement. Contact us for transfer details.