Military History | How To Make War | Wars Around the World Rules of Use How to Behave on an Internet Forum
Artillery Discussion Board
   Return to Topic Page
Subject: Rate of fire question
EW3    10/2/2006 2:20:30 PM
While reading up on the new LCS the USN is building I came across this about the gun it has... "The Mk 110 accurately fires automatic salvos of the highly lethal 57mm 3P ammunition at a firing rate of 220 rounds per minute and a range of up to nine miles." 220 rounds/min? that's almost 4 rounds/sec! I can't imagine a 57mm gun firing that fast. Have they gotten the mechanicals down so good that this is reliable for more than 2 seconds. My only experience with a naval gun was a 3"/50 which we were happy to get out 1 or 2 rounds a minute.
 
Quote    Reply

Show Only Poster Name and Title     Newest to Oldest
S-2    EW3   10/2/2006 2:53:52 PM
Don't know much here, but even the old S-60/Type 59 Soviet model single barrel 57mm AAA could achieve a sustained rate of fire in excess of 70 rds./minute.
 
Quote    Reply

Carl S       10/3/2006 10:58:28 AM
That would be in bursts.  Somewhere there is a calcualtion for the sustained ROF.  How many bursts per minute this thing can sustain without mehanical failure from the ammo overheating or the firing mechanism failing from heat stress. 

Theres also accuracy degradation issues from tha barrel overheating.  maybe Arty Eng can tell us about that.  
 
Quote    Reply

Sabre       10/3/2006 3:56:47 PM
I have a coupla reference books for automatic cannon sitting around - I'll see if I can dredge up some accurate numbers for 57mm cannon - both Bofors and Russian designs. 220 is, in all probability, quite accurate - there are certainly 40mm cannon that can manage that rate.
 
It seems that rates of fire *can* go up to 1000, or more, for anything below 40mm, although that's for weapons with rotating barrels (up to 6000+ rpm), or rotating chambers (like the... mauser cannons, if memory serves). At Aberdeen Proving Grounds they have a "Vindicator" system, with a 37mm six-barrelled gatling (so impossibly cool, IMHO).
 
Interestingly, 75mm seems to be the next breakpoint for rates-of-fire. The vast majority of weapons 75mm and up have ROF's in the low double digits.
 
Quote    Reply



 Latest
 News 		  Most
 Read 		  Most
 Commented		  Hot
 Topics