DIO Akhgar
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 555 mm
- Weight, empty
- 15.90 kg
- Introduced
- 2010
About
What it is, and why it matters
The DIO Akhgar is an Iranian six-barrel, electrically-driven rotary machine gun chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. Built by Iran's Defense Industries Organization and first shown in 2010, it is a domestic copy of the American General Electric M134 Minigun, using a Gatling-style rotating barrel cluster spun by an external electric motor to achieve a very high cyclic rate of up to 6,000 rounds per minute. Intended for mounting on vehicles and aircraft, it has appeared mainly at military parades and exhibitions rather than in widespread front-line service.
Unveiled by Iran in 2010 as an indigenous answer to the American M134 Minigun, the Akhgar became a recurring fixture at Iranian military parades, where its blur of six spinning barrels served as a showpiece of domestic arms capability.
Specifications closely mirror those of the M134 Minigun on which the design is based; published Iranian figures vary and some details are estimated. The cyclic rate is commonly cited as variable between roughly 4,000 and 6,000 rounds per minute.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Defense Industries Organization
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Iran
- Status
- Limited production
- Produced
- 2010
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 555 mm
- Overall length
- 800 mm
- Weight, empty
- 15.90 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Electric gatling
- Firing mechanism
- Externally powered
- Trigger
- Electronic
- Magazine
- Belt
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Parkerized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 869 m/s
- Effective range
- 1000 m
- Rate of fire
- 6000 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
- Six barrel rotary assembly
- External electric drive
Linked belt feed- Vehicle or aircraft mounted
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 32 7.62x51mm NATO machine guns | 15.90 kg | 10.51 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 32 7.62x51mm NATO machine guns | 800 mm | 1149 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Barrel lengthAmong 32 7.62x51mm NATO machine guns | 555 mm | 559 mm | Near the median |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the DIO Akhgar
How much does the DIO Akhgar weigh?
The DIO Akhgar weighs 15.90 kg (35.05 lb) empty.
What caliber is the DIO Akhgar?
The DIO Akhgar is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How long is the DIO Akhgar?
The DIO Akhgar is 800 mm (31.5 in) long overall, with a 555 mm (21.9 in) barrel.
Who makes the DIO Akhgar?
The DIO Akhgar is made by Defense Industries Organization (Iran). It was designed by Defense Industries Organization.
When was the DIO Akhgar introduced?
The DIO Akhgar was introduced in 2010.
How does the DIO Akhgar operate?
The DIO Akhgar uses an electric gatling action, and its firing mechanism is externally powered.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces
- 2010
Provenance
Confidence in this record
55%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/dio-akhgar' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "dio-akhgar", "name": "DIO Akhgar", "manufacturer": { "id": "dio", "name": "Defense Industries Organization", "countryCode": "IR", "foundedYear": 1981, "website": "https://www.diomil.ir", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:42", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:46", "version": "73a23efd83312b8206364872d2a6d56ecece408ad3e70868592ee29e0ee2c00c" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "IR", "year_introduced": 2010, "barrel_length_mm": 555, "weight_empty_g": 15900, "action_type": "electric_gatling"}