Rate of Fire: What Determines it and How to Change It
The rate of fire in machine guns is primarily dictated by the bolt's cycle time. Key factors influencing this are the bolt's travel distance and its average velocity. Shorter bolt travel and higher velocity lead to a faster cycle and thus a higher rate of fire. In blowback systems, the cartridge case's rearward force initiates the cycle, and reducing bolt mass can increase cyclic speed.









