Cooling Machine Gun Barrels

[Panzermann]

 

Ooops, I lost my barrel in the snow! (like fondue)

 

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Heavy barrels are still kinda used. Not all multibarrel MGs use external power, both GShG and YakB-12,7 are internally powered.

 

Does any machine gun besides the M2 .50 cal use a heavy barrel?

 

Yeah, the French AA-52 / F-1 medium machine gun.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Mitrailleuse-IMG_1728.jpg/1920px-Mitrailleuse-IMG_1728.jpg

 

Swiss MG87 beats that easily: https://www.mediathek.admin.ch/media/image/156523ec-d56c-49ab-9f0d-df086f1372d7(link, cause it won't link easily)

 

special variant of the MG 51 (itself a heavy swiss made mutant of the MG42) for coaxial mounting in Panzer 87 (Leopard 2 A4CH)

 

 

 

 

Though I do not think the barrel is that thick on a AA-52. It just happens to have a slim receiver making the barrel look fat.

Edited October 24, 2019 by Panzermann

[Panzermann]

and the PKT has a thicker barrel of course:

 

 

 

PKTM from ROSBORON Export: http://roe.ru/eng/catalog/land-forces/strelkovoe-oruzhie/machine-guns/pktm/

 

 

 

(just found the image funny)

[bojan]

PKT used barrel adopted from SGMT, as PKM barrel, being shorter would have required changing range scales on the 1000s of tanks.

[Junior FO]

On 10/24/2019 at 11:45 AM, Panzermann said:

 

Ooops, I lost my barrel in the snow! (like fondue)

 

 

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Swiss MG87 beats that easily: https://www.mediathek.admin.ch/media/image/156523ec-d56c-49ab-9f0d-df086f1372d7(link, cause it won't link easily)

 

special variant of the MG 51 (itself a heavy swiss made mutant of the MG42) for coaxial mounting in Panzer 87 (Leopard 2 A4CH)

 

Though I do not think the barrel is that thick on a AA-52. It just happens to have a slim receiver making the barrel look fat.

Swiss MG 51/71 (Pz55,57,61,68 coax) official barrel life with GP11

 

rounds until barrel change / barrel life

peace time: 200 rounds auto / unlimited

war time: 600 rounds auto/ 30'000-60'000

emergency: 1000 rounds auto / 10'000 rounds

[shep854]

So you're saying this is a bit much? 😛

[On the way]

The best way to cool a barrel is with another barrel. As mentioned, quick change barrels allow one barrel to cool while the other is being used. With FN GPMG, you can affect a barrel change in seconds, with an asbestos glove.

[shep854]

One of the complaints about the early M60 was the lack of a handle for changing the barrel.  It was either the easily lost asbestos mitten, a bipod leg which was part of the barrel assembly, or a rag.

[Markus Becker]

Very strange. The typical inter war LMG had the carry handle fixed to the barrel, so no need to a glove. 

[sunday]

Not the MG34. The MG42's system made the asbestos glove unnecessary. 

[Markus Becker]

It's the same system the MG-3 has and when you open the gate, you just get the the barrel end with the locking surfaces. Nothing cool to grip. 

 

 

[sunday]

I thought you only need to tilt the gun to the right to have the barrel fall off

[Markus Becker]

That works but you don't want it to fall on the ground, especially with the end that has the locking surfaces. You put it into the container of the spare where it's clean. 

[shep854]

2 hours ago, Markus Becker said:

Very strange. The typical inter war LMG had the carry handle fixed to the barrel, so no need to a glove. 

One of the manifold issues with the M60.  If you watch film from the Vietnam war, you will see pintle-mounted M60s with bipods.  As you indicate, the M60 is contemporary with the FN-MAG, which has the cool barrel features (including a soldier-proof gas plug!)

[shep854]

This video shows the difference in the barrel change method:

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by shep854

[Markus Becker]

7 minutes ago, shep854 said:

One of the manifold issues with the M60.  If you watch film from the Vietnam war, you will see pintle-mounted M60s with bipods.  As you indicate, the M60 is contemporary with the FN-MAG, which has the cool barrel features (including a soldier-proof gas plug!)

I wasn't referring only to the M60 but also the MG42/MG3. A contemporary of all the ZB, FN, Hotchkiss...guns with such an integrated grip. 

[shep854]

19 minutes ago, Markus Becker said:

I wasn't referring only to the M60 but also the MG42/MG3. A contemporary of all the ZB, FN, Hotchkiss...guns with such an integrated grip. 

Ah.