 The gun's relative lightness at approximately without ammunition led to its airborne use; a telescopic sight was mounted between the two barrels.Its simple design eased maintenance and enabled its being field stripped in one minute.In January 1915, Karl Gast invented the gun, which would become known as the "Gast Maschinengewehr Modell 1917", while working for the Vorwerk company, the first weapon was produced in January 1916.