MG 131
| MG 131 | |
|---|---|
|
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| general information | |
| Military designation: | MG 131 |
| Country of operation: | German Empire |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Louis Stange, Rheinmetall-Borsig |
| Production time: | 1940 to 1945 |
| Weapon Category: | Machine gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1170 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 20.5 kg |
| Barrel length : | 550 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 13 × 64 mm |
| Ammunition supply : | Ammunition belt |
| Cadence : | 900 rounds / min |
| Charging principle: | Recoil loader |
| Lists on the subject | |
The MG 131 was a machine gun used by the German Air Force in World War II , which was designed for both rigid and movable installation in military aircraft.
history
The MG 131 was developed and produced by the Rheinmetall-Borsig company on behalf of the Luftwaffe . The MG 131 was designed by Louis Stange , who had already started the preparatory work in 1933. In 1938 the first prototype could be delivered to the Luftwaffe for testing. A Dornier Do J served as a test vehicle, in whose bow stand the machine gun was mounted. The MG 131 could be synchronized with its electric ignition and was therefore also suitable for controlled shooting through the propeller circle.
The weapon was introduced to the Luftwaffe in 1940, initially as a defensive armament in multi-engine aircraft. It was first used in series in fighters in early 1943 in the Bf 109 G-6 and in late 1943 in the Fw 190 A-7 . However, there were also some special versions of single-seated fighters with MG 131 instead of the usual 7.92 mm MG 17. Adolf Galland flew several specially modified Bf 109F that had such a conversion.
technology
The MG 131 worked as a rigidly locked recoil loader with a short return stroke of the barrel . The bolt had a rotating bolt head and the ignition was triggered electrically. This ignition method made it easier to trigger a shot for synchronized firing through the propeller circle and, with the help of stenciled firing barriers, prevented the risk of self-hits when the machine gun was installed. The ammunition could be fed either from the left or the right through a hinged or disintegrating belt . The case was ejected downwards. The MG was delivered with either a pneumatic or electric loading and unloading device. With manual operation there was also a normal manual trigger.
For the weapon, there were explosive, incendiary and tank shell cartridges, each with and without a tracer. The cartridge mass was about 74 g, the bullet mass 34-38.5 g.
- 13 mm AP-T (Pzgr. L'Strack) - 710 m / s, bullet weight 38.5 g
- 13 mm HE-T (Sprgr. L'Strack) - 750 m / s, bullet weight 34 g
- 13 mm HEI-T (Br. Sprgr. L / Spur) - 750 m / s, bullet weight 34 g with 1.4 g PETN + 0.3 g thermite, 975 m / kg
literature
- Terry Gander, Peter Chamberlain: Encyclopedia of German Weapons 1939-1945 . 2nd Edition. Special edition. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-613-02481-0 , p. 91.