M197 electric cannon
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (September 2010) |
M197 Gatling gun | |
---|---|
20 mm | |
Barrels | 3-barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 9 grooves) |
Rate of fire | 750-1500 rpm[1] |
Muzzle velocity | 1,030 metres per second (3,400 ft/s) |
The M197 electric cannon is a 20 mm three-barreled electric
Development
The M197 electric cannon was developed primarily for use by
History
The M197 went into service on later marks of the
In the Cobra, the weapon is supplied with a magazine of 700 linked rounds, with a total capacity including feeder system of 750 rounds. It has a cyclic rate of fire of 730+-50 rounds per minute. Standard practice is to fire the cannon in 30- to 50-round bursts. With extended automatic firing from a hover, the recoil is sufficient that the application of forward cyclic to maintain one's position over the ground is inadequate.
The M197 remains in use in the latest AH-1W Cobra and AH-1Z Viper gunships. Although the weapon's rotary drive is theoretically quite reliable, its ammunition feed has been anything but: Marine pilots initially reported an alarmingly high jam rate (sometimes greater than 30%).[citation needed] The USMC and the manufacturer are aware of the problem and in 2011 a linkless feed system developed by Meggit Defense Systems was incorporated into the AH-1W and the Zulus.[citation needed] The system is capable of holding 650 +/-3 rounds in the storage unit with approximately 40 rounds in the feed chute.
The M197 is also mounted as a chin turret in Italy's Agusta A129 Mangusta CBT helicopter, with a capacity of 500 rounds.[2]
The M197 is also mounted as a chin turret in South Korea's KAI LAH helicopter.
The M197 was also mounted into the AU-23A as a handheld Door gun.
The
The weapon's current contractor is
Ammunition
Designation | Type | Projectile Weight [g] | Bursting charge [g] | Muzzle Velocity [m/s] | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
M53 | API | ? | 4.2 g incendiary | 1030 | Penetration 20mm at 25-degree impact and 100 meter range,[3] 6.3mm RHA at 0-degree impact and 1000-m range.[4] |
M56 | HEI | 102 | 9 g HE (RDX/wax/Al) and 1.5 g incendiary | 1030 | Nose fuzed round, no tracer. Effective radius for causing casualties to exposed personnel is 2 meters with fragmentation hazard out to 20 meters. Penetration 12.5mm RHA at 0 degree obliquity at 100m range |
M242 | HEI-T | ? | ? | ? | Similar to M56 series of HEI rounds, but with a tracer element |
M246 | HEI-T | 102 | 8.0 g HE< | ? | Nose fuzed tracer round fired by M168 AA gun, self-destruct after 3 to 7 seconds of flight due to tracer burn-through. |
M940 | MPT-SD | 105 | 9 g A-4/RDX/wax | 1050 | Multi-purpose fuzeless round, HE charge is initiated by the incendiary charge on the nose on impact. Self-destruct due to tracer burn-through. Penetration 12.5mm RHA at 0 degree impact at 518 m range, or 6.3mm at 60 degrees and 940 m. |
See also
- M61 Vulcan
- XM301
- M621 cannon—20×102mm gun mounted in helicopters as a chin turret
References
- Notes
- ^ "General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Template". Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ "20MM Programs and Gun Systems - Nobles Manufacturing, Inc". Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ https://www.gd-ots.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20mm-M50-Series.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ http://ugcsurvival.com/FieldManuals/FM%201-140%2019960329-Helicopter%20Gunnery.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- Online