How to Reload the Minigun in Rust
How to reload the Rust Minigun: 300-round 5.56 magazine, NOT field-reloadable (must use a Tier 2 or 3 Workbench), spin-down mechanic, ammo costs and why this weapon is loot-only.
The Minigun is Rust's heaviest weapon — a 300-round rotary chain gun that fires 5.56 rifle ammo. Unlike every other gun in the game, the Minigun is not craftable and not field-reloadable. It only drops as loot (locked crates ~3% drop, Heavy Scientist drops, Bradley/Cargo) and the only way to reload it is at a Tier 2 or Tier 3 Workbench. Once empty, you must travel back to your base or find a workbench in the world.
Step-by-step
Find a Minigun (it's loot-only)
The Minigun is not a craftable weapon and never has been. It drops as rare loot from locked crates (about a 3% drop rate per unlocked locked crate), Heavy Scientists, Bradley APC crates and Cargo Ship loot. When you find one, it comes pre-loaded with about 75 5.56 rifle ammo as a starter magazine.
Stop firing and let the rotor spin down
Release left-click. The barrel spins down for ~1.5 seconds. During spin-down you can't reload, you can't sprint, and you can't switch weapons cleanly — plan the spin-down window.
Travel to a Workbench Level 2 or 3
The Minigun does not reload by pressing R like every other gun. Instead, stand next to a placed T2 or T3 Workbench and the in-inventory Minigun shows a Reload button when you open it. Click reload and the workbench feeds the gun from your inventory's 5.56 stock.
Load a full mag of 5.56
The magazine holds 300 rounds of 5.56 Rifle Ammo (standard, HV or Explosive — same ammo type as the M249, AK47 and LR-300). At 0.6 scrap per round to craft, a full 300-round mag costs ~180 scrap in raw scrap-to-ammo conversion plus the gunpowder/sulfur.
Stay in cover before you ever empty the mag
Because reloading requires returning to base, running the Minigun dry mid-fight is catastrophic. Smart Minigun users tap-fire in 30-50 round bursts and disengage long before they're empty. The intimidation factor of a half-loaded Minigun is more useful than the firepower of an empty one.
Detailed walkthrough
The Minigun is one of Rust's strangest weapons — high-firepower in a way nothing else in the game matches, but designed with friction so deep that most players never use it as a primary. The 300-round magazine and no-attachments rule make it a base-defence specialist; the workbench-only reload rule means you're locked into one engagement per outing. The typical use case is roof defence: a clan that's expecting a counter-raid sets up on the metal-roof shooting platform with a Minigun pre-loaded, opens fire when raiders push the wall, and absolutely nukes anyone in the open. Once the Minigun goes dry it's swapped for an AK or M249 and the user retreats inside to a workbench. For solos, the Minigun is rarely worth using — the weight slows you down, the no-field-reload rule strands you, and the ammo cost (180+ scrap per refill) is unsustainable without clan-tier resource flow. As a loot-trophy item it's iconic; as a daily-driver it's a clan tool. Heavy Scientist farms (around the Patrol Helicopter or military monuments) are the most reliable source for non-Cargo players, with the locked-crate chain at major monuments being the secondary path.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Pressing R to reload. Doesn't work — the Minigun is the only Rust weapon without field reload. You have to be at a workbench.
- Trying to craft one. Not a craftable weapon. Don't waste research time on it. Find one in loot or kill a Heavy Scientist.
- Putting attachments on it. The Minigun explicitly cannot accept any attachments — no scope, no muzzle, no laser. The hard-coded restriction is part of the balance.
- Running the magazine dry mid-fight. 300 rounds feels like a lot, but at the Minigun's high fire rate you can empty it in under 30 seconds. Tap-fire and stay above 100 rounds remaining as a buffer.
- Solo-using the Minigun for roaming. The weight, ammo cost and reload restriction make it impractical anywhere away from your own base. Leave it on the wall hook for defence; bring an AK or LR-300 for roaming.
Pro tips
- Mount it on a base shooting platform. A pre-loaded Minigun on a roof platform is one of the strongest static defence options in the game. Most veteran clans keep one ready on every wipe.
- Combine with Explosive 5.56. Explosive 5.56 ammo has a small AoE damage component — combined with the Minigun's fire rate, it shreds groups of raiders at a wall breach in seconds. Expensive per-round but devastating.
- Place a T2 or T3 Workbench in your shooting room. If your defensive position is also next to a workbench, you can reload mid-counter-raid without leaving cover. Standard for high-end clan bases.
- Don't sell or recycle a found Minigun. Even if you don't plan to use it actively, the trophy-tier value of a Minigun on display in your base (or as the centrepiece of a clan's wall-mount collection) is part of the wipe experience.
Frequently asked questions
What ammo does the Rust Minigun use?
5.56 Rifle Ammo — the same ammo as the M249, AK47, LR-300 and bolt-action rifles. Standard, High Velocity (HV) and Explosive variants all work. Magazine capacity is 300 rounds, the largest in the game.
Can you craft the Minigun in Rust?
No. The Minigun is not craftable and not researchable. It drops only from elite loot sources: locked crates (about a 3% drop rate), Heavy Scientists, Bradley APC crates and Cargo Ship loot. Hunt those sources for a chance at one.
How do you reload the Minigun in Rust?
Not in the field. The Minigun is the only Rust weapon that requires a Tier 2 or Tier 3 Workbench to reload. Stand next to a placed workbench, open the Minigun in your inventory, and click the Reload button — the workbench feeds the gun from your 5.56 ammo stock. Pressing R while holding it does nothing.
Why is the Minigun reload so different from other Rust guns?
Game balance. Facepunch added the workbench-reload restriction to prevent the Minigun from dominating PvP — you can't roam with it indefinitely the way you can with an AK. Combined with no attachment slots and high weight, it's positioned as a base-defence specialist rather than a roaming weapon.
Where can you get a Minigun in Rust?
Locked crates at major monuments (drop chance ~3%), Heavy Scientists at the Patrol Helicopter and Cargo Ship, Bradley APC's elite crates, and the Cargo Ship's locked-crate spawns. Chinook 47 reinforcement crates also occasionally drop one. There is no crafting path; loot only.
Is the Minigun worth using in Rust PvP?
Situational. For static base defence — a fortified shooting platform with a workbench nearby — it's one of the strongest weapons in the game. For roaming, monument runs or anything outside your own base, it's heavy, expensive and reload-locked, so most veteran players prefer the AK47 or LR-300 for those scenarios.