Ron L
Member
Someone on another forum is asking for help identifying this gun:
I looked around a bit, but the double drum looking magazine is throwing me.
I looked around a bit, but the double drum looking magazine is throwing me.
Help ID a gun?
- Thread starter Ron L
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From George Chinn's "The Machine Gun, Vol. 1" pages 454-455
"MG-15
In 1932 Rheinmetall presented the German Air Force two weapons that were the outgrowth of the MG-30. Both were rifle-caliber aircraft machine guns and were given the designations, T6-200 and T6-220. They were promptly adopted by the German aviation section the following year and officially named the MG-15 Fixed and the MG-15 Flexible.
"Only minor modifications were made from the MG-30 to adapt them to aircraft use. If examined closely for comparative purposes, there was no difference in the bsic action of these weapons and of Stange's earlier models. the rate of fire on the aircraft version, however, was increased from 750 to 1,000 or more shots a minute by the employment of a muzzle booster with a restricted orifice. Ammunition was carried to the fixed gun by means of a metal disintegrating belt. An odd but efficient recoil-actuated ratchet-type feed system indexed each round and could feed from right or left, as desired, by the mere repositioning of parts.
"On the MG-15 Flexible gun, ammunition was fed from a twin-drum magazine, holding 75 rounds. The cartridges were lodged in two containers fitted to the right-hand and left-hand sides of the gun. In this system of cartridge feed by twin drums, the two halves of the drum were alternately emptied, so that the center of gravity was not affected by the gradual emptying of the container. The magazine could be changed with one hand in a very short time.
"The MG-15 Fixed gun would fire on the average of 200 rounds a minute faster than the one with flexible mount. This was due to the rigidity in mounting the stationary gun that could utilize more of the recoil force of the exploded powder charge. The fixed gun was also easily adapted to fire between the propeller blades by use of a synchronizer. One particularly bad feature about the wing installation, however, was that, in the event of a condition known as a runaway gun, no provision was made for stopping it and unctontrolled fire would continue until all ammunition was expended."
"MG-15
In 1932 Rheinmetall presented the German Air Force two weapons that were the outgrowth of the MG-30. Both were rifle-caliber aircraft machine guns and were given the designations, T6-200 and T6-220. They were promptly adopted by the German aviation section the following year and officially named the MG-15 Fixed and the MG-15 Flexible.
"Only minor modifications were made from the MG-30 to adapt them to aircraft use. If examined closely for comparative purposes, there was no difference in the bsic action of these weapons and of Stange's earlier models. the rate of fire on the aircraft version, however, was increased from 750 to 1,000 or more shots a minute by the employment of a muzzle booster with a restricted orifice. Ammunition was carried to the fixed gun by means of a metal disintegrating belt. An odd but efficient recoil-actuated ratchet-type feed system indexed each round and could feed from right or left, as desired, by the mere repositioning of parts.
"On the MG-15 Flexible gun, ammunition was fed from a twin-drum magazine, holding 75 rounds. The cartridges were lodged in two containers fitted to the right-hand and left-hand sides of the gun. In this system of cartridge feed by twin drums, the two halves of the drum were alternately emptied, so that the center of gravity was not affected by the gradual emptying of the container. The magazine could be changed with one hand in a very short time.
"The MG-15 Fixed gun would fire on the average of 200 rounds a minute faster than the one with flexible mount. This was due to the rigidity in mounting the stationary gun that could utilize more of the recoil force of the exploded powder charge. The fixed gun was also easily adapted to fire between the propeller blades by use of a synchronizer. One particularly bad feature about the wing installation, however, was that, in the event of a condition known as a runaway gun, no provision was made for stopping it and unctontrolled fire would continue until all ammunition was expended."
Mike Irwin
Member
Is it me, or does it look like the barrel is bent?
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