Feuerrate

Feuerrate is a term used to describe the pace at which a firearm can discharge rounds. Derived from German, it literally means rate of fire and is commonly expressed in rounds per minute (RPM) or rounds per second (RPS). In both real weapons and simulations, feuerrate reflects two related concepts: the cyclic rate and the sustained rate. The cyclic rate is the theoretical maximum rate at which the mechanism could cycle if it were allowed to operate continuously without interruption or cooling. The sustained rate is the practical rate achievable under typical conditions, taking into account heat buildup, ammunition, and reliability concerns.

Several factors influence a weapon's feuerrate: the type of action (bolt, gas-operated, recoil-operated, or blowback), the design of the feed mechanism, bolt mass and locking geometry, the gas system timing, and the barrel and cooling capacity. In addition, the chosen fire mode affects effective rate: semi-automatic fire limits the rate by trigger pulls, while full-automatic and burst modes set higher nominal rates that may exceed the operator's ability to control accuracy.

In engineering and testing, feuerrate is specified to help evaluate performance, balance handling characteristics, and anticipate heat-related wear. In video games and simulators, it is commonly adjustable, with higher rates increasing recoil and reducing accuracy unless compensated by attachments, stabilization, or training.

Overall, feuerrate is a fundamental performance parameter describing how quickly a firearm can deliver rounds, balanced against controllability, heat management, and reliability.