Smooth barrel weapon
Smooth tube weapons are weapons inside smooth tubes .
History and Development
Most firearms up until the mid-19th century were smooth- barreled weapons . They shot round balls with a relatively short range. The flight of these projectiles was not stabilized, so such weapons were imprecise compared to modern guns. These early handguns from about 1300 counts wand .
From around 1850, the development and introduction of weapons began, the barrels or tubes of which had trains and fields through which the projectile was guided and twisted around the longitudinal axis while it was still running . This rotation stabilizes the flight path and leads to better accuracy and, in connection with appropriately shaped projectiles, to a higher range. From the 1860s onwards, rifled guns became popular .
Smoothbore weapons
In addition, smooth-barreled weapons were and are used in both the military and civilian sectors.
Handguns
Early handguns such as pistols , revolvers and rifles were made as smooth- barreled weapons . Most signal weapons will have smooth barrels well into the 21st century .
Shotguns
With a few exceptions, shotguns have smooth barrels. They are used to fire shotgun pellets, which form a "projectile cloud" after leaving the barrel. A very high accuracy is not necessary with these weapons, a possible twist would worsen the formation of the projectile cloud, since the projectile cluster would scatter too much . The distribution of the shot can be varied with barrel constrictions, the so-called chokes . Shotgun bullets can also be fired with shotguns .
Smooth barrel cannon
In the 1960s, rifled rifles when used as anti-tank and anti-tank guns increasingly reached their structural and physical limits, as the increasing armor of combat vehicles required an increase in penetration performance. The penetration performance of balancing projectiles depends largely on the kinetic energy and thus in particular on the speed of the projectile. Due to the friction between the guide band and the barrel wall or the slight “over-caliber” of the projectile, the bullet is strongly braked by the pulls and fields and the loss of gas was relatively large due to the poor seal between the barrel and the bullet. These conceptual disadvantages could no longer be compensated for by increasing the caliber and the propellant charge.
So development work began back in the direction of the smooth tubes. The first modern weapon with a smooth barrel and sabot bullets was the Soviet anti-tank gun MT-12 . With the introduction of the 115 mm smoothbore cannon U-5TS at the end of the 1950s in the T-62 , a new approach to arming main battle tanks was embarked on, which continues to this day.
Grenade launcher
Grenade launchers , also known as mine throwers in German-speaking countries and mortars in the Bundeswehr , fire wing-stabilized projectiles, so-called throwing grenades. Grenade launchers are high-angle firearms for use in indirect aiming .
In terms of design, the “grenade launcher” type of gun can be distinguished from the grenade launcher as a hand weapon, such as the grenade pistol and rifle grenade .
Gun grenade launcher
Gun grenade launchers are relatively simple constructions consisting of a smooth barrel, the bottom piece with firing pin and the aiming device. The grenade is usually inserted into the tube from the front and slides down through the force of gravity. The diameter of the grenade is smaller than the inner diameter of the tube, so that the air cushion under the grenade can escape upwards. In constructions with a fixed firing pin, this ignites the propellant charge when the shell hits the base. For larger calibers, the firing pin is triggered by a pull cord. The recoil of the thrower is introduced into the ground via the base piece, which means that grenade launchers can only be used as high-angle weapons.
The basic features of modern grenade launchers go back to Wilfried Stokes, who developed the Stokes mortar , English trench mortar , in 1915. Stokes introduced the essential design features, but initially dispensed with stabilized grenades. The launcher was so small and light that it could be used by infantrymen in the trenches.
The modern grenade launcher was developed during the First World War and was first used in large numbers. With the trench warfare that began at the end of 1914, the enemy in and behind cover was difficult to fight. The enemy, who had little or no protection at the top, could be fought better by high-angle weapons. Grenade launchers were first used on the French side in 1915 near Arras as "Artillerie de tranchée". Weapons with a smooth barrel were used, but the projectiles were not stabilized. The range and accuracy were accordingly low, so that the French soon switched to the use of wing-stabilized ammunition.
The German light , medium and heavy mine throwers had rifled tubes, tube return, a horizontal field of 360 ° and vertical field of 50 to 80 °. Basically it was - despite the designation mine thrower - constructively to conventional artillery. The light and medium-sized mine throwers had the option of so-called flat -track shots , that is, of direct aiming in action against the emerging tanks .
A large number of grenade launchers were developed and introduced in the interwar period as well as during and after the Second World War. This also included super-heavy grenade launchers such as the Soviet 430 mm self-propelled grenade launcher 2B1 Oka , which was intended for the firing of nuclear ammunition. While the task of such weapons was taken over by tactical missiles from the 1950s onwards, smaller grenade launchers are still used in large numbers as support weapons by the infantry.
430 mm self-propelled grenade launcher 2B1 Oka
5 cm light grenade launcher 36
82 mm grenade launcher BM-37
120 mm Thomson-Brandt mortar
120 mm M120 mortar, also used as an anti-tank mortar by the Bundeswehr
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Grenade launchers as hand weapons
Grenade launchers as hand weapons have a completely different design from the guns of the same name, the only thing they have in common is the use of a smooth barrel. In these weapons, the propellant charge is in a thick-walled cartridge . After ignition, the propellant charge burns in the cartridge and flows out of the chamber through gas inlet openings. The gas pressure is greatly reduced and the grenade is ejected at a comparatively low muzzle velocity. There are two versions: single weapons and base grenade launchers, which can be attached under orderly assault rifles.
Reactive anti-tank rifle
The reactive anti-tank rifles , known colloquially as Panzerfaust , are smooth-barreled weapons that fire wing-stabilized ammunition. First used on a large scale during the Second World War, they are now used in many armed forces for close combat against tanks.
In modern anti-tank rifles, a propellant charge ignites in the barrel, which ejects the projectile from the barrel. The propellant gases emerge to the rear through an opening usually shaped as a Laval nozzle . This results in very little recoil from the weapon. After leaving the barrel, the actual drive is ignited after several meters in order not to endanger the shooter with hot propellant gases. The projectiles are wing stabilized. Since hollow charges are generally used to combat tanks , a twist is undesirable here, as the hollow charge spike fanned out due to the Munroe effect and thus the effect of the hollow charge is reduced.
In the American bazooka , too , the propellant charge burns out completely before it leaves the tube. The tube is open at both ends. In contrast to the bazooka, the propellant charge cartridge is firmly connected to the projectile and is ejected with it. The maximum range is 450 m. The bazooka served as a model for the development of the German anti-tank rifle 54. Smaller anti-tank rifles such as the American M-72 also work according to the principle of the bazooka . The similar Soviet RPG-18 has a starting propellant and a cruise engine. The specialty of these weapons is that the two-part barrel is pushed together in the transport position and must be pulled apart before the shot. These weapons are intended for single use.
Like its predecessor, the Soviet RPG-7 fires wing-stabilized grenades. It has a starter charge screwed to the projectile, which ejects the projectile from the barrel. After ten meters of flight, the cruise engine is ignited and accelerates the projectile to around 300 m / s. The sight range of the weapon is 500, the effective range is 350 m. The principle used in the RPG-7 is also used in its numerous successors.
In modern reactive anti-tank rifles like the Panzerfaust 3 , plastic bullets are ejected backwards. These have a greater density than gas, so a lower exit velocity is sufficient to compensate for the recoil, the return jet is lower, so that these weapons can also be used from outside buildings. A smaller propellant charge is also required.
Panzerfaust and rocket armored rifle 54 (below)
bazooka
M72A2
RPG-18
Panzerfaust 3
Rocket launcher
Rocket launchers , in the NVA as a projectile launcher called, originally fired unguided rockets . They were used to combat area targets, so high precision was not required. The rockets are stabilized in flight by fixed or opening tail units after they leave the tube. The main difference to grenade launchers is that the propellant charge burns down even after it has left the barrel. This means that much larger propellant charges can be used than with grenade launchers without giving up the simple design of the mount. This leads to a longer range and, thanks to the larger caliber, a better effect on the target. In contrast to grenade launchers, conventional rocket launchers do not have a base. The tube therefore does not have to absorb any propellant pressure and is only used to guide the rocket during launch. Correspondingly, it is also possible to use different constructions, such as lattice tubes or lattice frames ( called throwing frames in the Wehrmacht ) or even simple launch rails.
The first operational systems were developed in the Soviet Union and Germany at the beginning of the Second World War. While the first Soviet systems such as the BM-13 used rails to guide the rockets during launch, the smoke cannons developed in Germany from grenade launchers used smooth tubes. This design principle has largely prevailed after the Second World War.
In the case of the Multiple Launch Rocket System , known as the MARS medium artillery missile system in the Bundeswehr , the missile is guided in the launch container in a smooth tube. Modern rocket launcher systems are now suitable for firing precision ammunition, with the projectiles being steered in the final phase of the approach using aerodynamic control surfaces.
Smooth tubes used as launchers for guided missiles
In a broader sense, smooth tubes are used for launching a wide variety of missiles. The range extends from portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank missile systems such as the 9K115-2 Metis-M and the 9K32 Strela-2 to launchers for long- range anti-aircraft missiles. As a rule, the launch tube is designed as a so-called launch container, which enables maintenance-free storage over a longer period of time. Launch containers for firing unguided air-to-surface missiles such as the UB-32 and the S-5 are also constructed with smooth tubes.
9K51 degrees (BM-21) with guide groove in the pipe
Start container MLRS
9К115-2 Metis-M
9K32 Strela-2
S-300P Angara
UB-32 launch container for S-5 missiles
Recoil-free guns
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Recoil-free guns combine the advantages of grenade launchers and bazookas. They are constructed similar to bazookas. While grenade launchers are fundamentally unsuitable for use in direct aiming and thus for fighting tanks, bazookas have only a short range. Recoil-free guns are much lighter than conventional guns of the same caliber, but can fire a comparable mass of explosives. This makes them particularly suitable for use by mobile forces such as airborne troops . In the meantime, they have been largely replaced by portable anti-tank guided missile systems, but like the Soviet SPG-9 are still in use with various armies. In contrast to rocket launchers, the propellant charge in the tube burns down completely. With recoilless guns, a large part of the powder gases flows out of the gun against the direction of flight of the bullet. This means that the tube has to absorb a lower propellant charge pressure and can be built more easily.
The introduced in Germany since 1940 7.5 cm recoilless guns 40 , 10.5-cm-recoilless guns 40 and 10.5-cm-recoilless guns 42 used a cartridge having a plastic base ( Bakelite ). This was destroyed by the explosion of the propellant charge. The propellant gases escaped through an opening shaped as a Laval nozzle at the end of the gun.
In Great Britain, Dennistoun Burney developed a system with holes in the chamber, which is surrounded by a second chamber in a ring. The second chamber ended with gas outlet openings for discharging the propellant gases. The sleeves of the cartridges have holes closed with brass covers. When the propellant charge is ignited, the strips tear open and release the gas outlet openings of the cartridge - the propellant gases flow through the holes in the first chamber into the second chamber and from there through the gas outlet openings into the open. At the rear, the barrel is closed by a lock that enables the weapon to be reloaded. The Soviet recoilless guns B10 and B-11 used this design principle.
The system developed by Kroger and Musser in the USA is similar to that of Burney, but here the side gas outlet openings are missing. Instead, the propellant gases from the second chamber are diverted backwards against the direction of fire. An example of this design principle is the American M40 recoilless gun . The Soviet recoilless gun SPG-9 also uses this system. The 73-millimeter smoothbore cannon 2A28 of the BMP-1 armored personnel carrier is structurally based on the SPG-9 and fires the same ammunition.
The Davy Crocket, which was developed for firing nuclear ammunition, was also a recoilless gun.
B-10, note the gas outlet openings in the second chamber
B-11
gSPG-9
M-40
2A28 of the BMP-1
M28 Davy Crocket
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Web links
literature
- Otto Lueger: Lexicon of the entire technology and its auxiliary sciences , Volume 1, Stuttgart / Leipzig 1920, pp. 459–462
- Tillmann Reibert: The development of the grenade launcher in the First World War , dissertation to obtain the doctoral degree of the Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences of the University of Hamburg, Hamburg 2013
- Friedrich Engels: The history of the drawn rifle . In: The Volunteer Journal, for Lancashire and Cheshire . Series of articles from November 1860 to January 1861 (= Karl Marx / Friedrich Engels - Werke . Volume 15 ). 4th, unchanged edition. Dietz, Berlin 1972 ( mlwerke.de ).