A revolver cannon is a type of autocannon. It uses a cylinder (like that of a revolver) with multiple chambers to speed up the loading-firing-ejection cycle. It differs from a Gatling gun in having only a single barrel. Revolver cannons were invented by Mauser late in WW2 as aircraft guns, and have since been produced by many different European manufacturers (whereas the US and to a lesser extent Russia favour the Gatling gun).

Revolver cannons have a lower sustained rate of fire than Gatling guns, but do not require time to spin up, so that a short burst is fired with a similar rate.

The leading current example is arguably the Mauser BK-27.

External links

List of Military Gatling & Revolver cannons (http://www.canit.se/~griffon/aviation/text/akandata.htm)