Ammunition Russia 37-40mm

THE RUSSIAN AMMUNITION PAGE - 37MM TO 40MM

Please note that these pages are no longer updated and contain partially obsolete data.For comprehensive and up to date information, please refer to my new book "Soviet Cannon" atwww.russianammo.org.Compared to this webpage with its 69 pages, the book and the enclosed CD-Rom offer a total of almost900 pages.

37x94R 37mm Hotchkiss Revolver- and Rapid-Loading Gun

With the appearance of the first torpedoboats in the late 1870s the Navies of the world realized the need for a quick fireing gun against those

torpedo boats. The Hotchkiss cannons were developed and produced in France by Benjamin B. Hotchkiss and were later also licence built byArmstrong in England. The 37mm Hotchkiss cannons spread all over the world, their use was documented at least in 28 different countries.

In 1880 the French 37mm Hotchkiss revolver cannon was introduced to service in Russia. Later, the 37mm Hotchkiss rapid-loading cannon joinedservice. In 1918 about 4000 37mm cannons were listed in the Russian army.

Sadly, no precise technical data is known about the Russian ammunition in this caliber, the projectiles all have a weight arround 500g and a muzzle

velocity of about 400m/s (estimated).Russian rounds all have a destinctive brass driving band 12mm - 12,5mm wide. Some rounds have a second driving band 6,5mm wide and spaced12,5mm in front of the lower band.

Ammunition used in the Hotchkiss revolver gun and Hotchkiss rapid-loading gun:

USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description

Common Shell APHE ~ 500 ~ 400APHE shell with brass base fuze (right hand thread) and black

powder charge. l= 94mm (without fuze)

Steel Shell APHE ~ 500 ~ 400

APHE shell with two driving bands and steel base screw (right hand

thread). Internal fuze inserted in base screw. l=92mm (without basescrew)

Armour Piercing AP ~ 500 ~ 400 Solid AP shot with two driving bands, l=82mm

Explosive Shell HE ~ 500 ~ 400HE shell with time fuze. The time fuze has a knurled ring for time

adjustment. l=95mm (including fuze)

Partial cutaway drawings of the rounds listed above. Drawings from ECRA special bulletin 1990, cortesy of the German "Wehrtechnikmuseum" in

Roethenbach/Pegnitz.

Picture of the first round with brass base fuze. l=93,6mm, m=417g (without charge and without base fuze) ol=166,8mm, headstamp: 0,311 1 | I.Z.

anchor | G T | 2 1916Imprinted in the projectile base: G S 17 14 (5)

37x155 37mm N-37 aircraft cannon

The short recoil operated N-37 aircraft cannon was based on the wartime NS-37 but considerably reduced in powder and weight. It was introducedin 1946 to replace the older NS-37 because the task of destroying mainly tanks and ground targets was obsolete and propper air to air combatprobabilities with higher rate of fire were needed.

The rate of fire of the N-37 is 400-450rpm, ammunition is fed in linked steel belts. The gun weights 103kg without ammunition load and was

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2460mm long, barrel length was 1310mm. The MiG-15 and -17 carried one gun each with 40 rounds of ammunition load, the N-37 may still be inuse today in underwing gun-pods.

Cartridge cases are brass and filled with 127g of 4/1 FL propellant, they use the same percussion primer as the 45mm antitank rounds use.Maximum armor penetration of the AP shell was 50mm.20 cartridges of older manufacture were packed in a wooden box and separated by wooden spacers, these boxes weighted 40kg. Later, 10

cartridges were packed in a sealed metal container and 3 of those containers were overpacked in a wooden box weighting 56kg. Cartridge beltlinks are packed in 400 pieces separately in a wooden box that weighted 60kg.

Ammunition was manufactured by the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia.

Ammunition used in the N-37:


OZT HEI-T 735 670Conventional HEI-T shell filled with 37g of HEI, self-destruction nose

fuzes A-37, A-37U or B-37 fitted

OFZ HEI 729 670 As above but without tracer and filled with 49g of HEI

BR APHE 734 670 Base fuzed APHE shell filled with 36,1g of HE, AD-37 base fuze

BZT AP-T 735 670Pointed AP shell with ballistic windshield cap (no incendiary!), tracerelement is sometimes not fitted

This type is also used as TP-T training round

UB-37 TP Airburst 726 670

As HEI shell but with self destruction fuze without impact action, light

blue colored fuze tip. For aerial target practice, self destructsbetween 9 and 12 sek.

Left picture:

37x155 Czech OZSV (HE-T) shell, m=735g, l=175mm, ol=288mm, Vo=670m/s, 127g of 7/1 FL smokeless powder, high explosive: 25g TNT,Markings on fuze: A-37 18-56 fut 23-56 evr, Markings on shell: 27-fut-12-57-O

In black on the case: SVED OZSV, headstamp: hsu | 3 | 57 | 57

37x155 Czech AP-T shell, m=735g, l=165mm, ol=285mm, Vo=670m/s, 127g of F4/1 smokeless powder, tracer is not fitted. Markings on shell:

22-fut-53 . < 13Brass cartridge case, headstamp: hsu | 8 | 56 | 56,In black on the case (wrong case, this case is from a HET shell):

Nk37 LKOZSv

Nc tp 2,6x1,0/32 - F4/1nma 2/55

14 56 - evr

cartridgeCzech designation of calibertype of shell (HET)

type and measurements of powdermanufacturer, Lot-No./year of powder

Lot-No., year - assembler of round

Right picture: 3 different Russian, one Czech and one East-German inert drill round.

37x198 37mm NS-37 aircraft cannon

This cartridge was developed for the Shpitalny Sh-37 cannon, but this cannon was very unreliable and only a small test batch was fitted to LaGG-3

and Il-2 fighters for trials.The experimental Sh-37 was replaced by the more reliable NS-37 in 1942, the gun was mainly developed by A. Nudelman and A. Suranov at the"Precision Engineer Design Bureau" called "OKB-16" later on.

As ammunition for the Sh-37 with cartridge case dimension 37x198 was readily developed and in production that time, the NS-37 adopted thiscaliber.The NS-37 was called 11-P-37 in prototype state, it had a rate of fire of 250-260rpm and weighted 150kg.

The recoil operated cannon was intended to engage German tanks and armored vehicles, as well as to destroy hostile aircraft with a single hit. TheAP shells were belt fed and could penetrate 40mm up to an angle of 45;

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the NS-37 cannon was 3410mm long and had a barrel length of 2300mm.It was fixed to the LaGG-3 in the engine vee and on the Il-2 in underwing pods, and on the Su-8 in underbelly mounts. But most NS-37 cannons

were mounted between the cylinder banks of the engine of the Yak-9T fighter, ammunition load was 32 rounds. It was used in air to air and air toground combat successfully, about 8000 cannons were built. Rate of fire was quite low for air combat and recoil was so violent that pilots weretrained to fire only three-round bursts. So no wonder that this gun was soon replaced by the N-37 with less powerful ammunition as described

above.

Ammunition used in the NS-37:


OFZ HE or HEI 735 900Similar in shape to early M1939 HE-T shells (ogive body) but withouttracer.

BT AP-T 760 880 Penetrated 50mm of armor at 200m

Probably, target practice and drill rounds were used.

A special tungsten carbide core AP projectile has been developed, however none has been discovered so far, so it may not have been itroduced toservice.

37x252SR 37mm Russian M1939 AAA

This caliber was developed from the Swedish 25mm Bofors AA gun sold to Russia in the 1930s. The design was a joint task by L. A. Loktev and M.

N. Loginov in the Design Bureau of Artillery Plant No. 8 at Kaliningrad. The M1939 had certain similarities with the later 40mm Bofors L/60 AA gunlike clip feeding and a similar carriage. The M1939 was introduced in Autumn 1939 and is a AA cannon of 2,1 tons weight (without optional shield)

and fitted with a barrel 2740mm long. Rate of fire was 160 to 180rpm, its ammunition was fed in 5-round charger clips. Maximum range was9500m horizontally and effective vertical range 3000m, the AA gun was operated by 8 men and had a fire unit of ammunition of 200 rounds. TheM1939 was recoil operated and air cooled, it was also modified after the war to water cooled cannons designated 70-K as single barrel and V-11M

as double barrel cannon. Two Naval versions were also used in WWII, a single and a twin barrel mounting designated 3,7cm/67 M1939. The towed M1939 AA gun was still widely used after the war, as well in the Soviet Union, its associated states, Yugoslavia and China and it is still inservice. The twin barrel gun was also made for export and is still in service in Algeria and Egypt.

China built its own versions as single barrel Type 55, as twin barrel Type 65 and 74 and as advanced twin barrel P793 anti aircraft gun withmodernized fire control system.

Cartridge cases are brass with a KV-2U percussion primer screw, the powder charge is held in place by a cardboard assembly. The propellant

consists of 7/14 nitrocellulose powder with a by-charge of black powder, the inner walls of the case are coated with waxed paper, that acts asphlegmatiser. A piece of lead-tin wire is located inside the case to act as decoppering agent, because driving bands are copper.

In Naval service 30 rounds are packed in a gray lacquered wooden box measuring 640x440x230mm and weighting 50kg, that has variousdescriptive letters painted on. 20 round boxes are known as well, they measure 925x355x185mm and weigh 42kg. The projectiles are identical withthe shells for the N-37 gun. AP shells are able to penetrate 37mm/60/500m or 28mm/90/1500m of RHA. The AP shell has two pronounced

grooves that help to control the compression of the shell on impact on hard armor.Ammunition is manufactured by China, Egypt, Pakistan, Poland, Yugoslavia and Russia.China and Poland also manufacture steel cartridge cases.

The ammunition used post WWII:


UOR-167 HE-T 735 866 Old type, filled TNT with MG-37 fuze

UOR-167N HE-T 735 866 Filled 34g A-IX-2, with B-37 fuze

UBR-167 AP-T 760 866 Old type with small tracer

UBR-167 AP-T 760 866 New type with larger tracer

UBU-167 TP SD 726 866Airburst practice shell with UTSCH-37 self destruction fuze. Blue fuzetip

UP-167 TP-T 735 866 Inert Bitumen filled shell, dummy fuze

Inert drill rounds are used as well.

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The above picture was kindly provided by Harry Galloway, it shows different live and inert drill rounds.

40mm GP-25 Kostyor grenade launcher

This caliber is no fixed cartridge, but it has a propelling section with percussion primer to the rear. Actually, two types of ammunition are used in teGP-25 launcher, that may be attached underbarrel to the AKM and AK-74 assault rifles. The launcher is similar to the US M203 launcher, but the

GP-25 is a rifeled muzzle loader, it is 280mm long, weights 1,2kg and maximum range is 400m. The grenade launcher is locked in position underthe assault rifle barrel behind the trigger guard and attached to the muzzle adaptor at the front. The GP-25 is now replaced by the improved GP-30Obuvka launcher.

The GP-30 weights 1,5kg, fires with a double action trigger and has a sighting range of 400m.Also developed is a six barrel grenade rifle 6GP-30 that has a extendable stock and a revolving breech that is preliminary wound by a spring to

achieve a firing rate of 15-18 rds/min. The grenade rifle is 510mm long, 680mm with extended stock and weights 6kg.

The grenade launchers fire VOG-25 and VOG-25P standard fragmentation rounds. The latter model is provided with an expelling charge whichensures the rebound of the grenade on impact and its airburst to effectively defeat a screened target. In addition, a special purpose Gvozd gas

grenade can also be used to enhance the weapon versatility. The first type of shell is the VOG-25, a steel shell with outer obturations that look likea driving band, but these are actually the fragmentation grooves. This body is filled with 48g of high explosive and closed with an impact nose fuze,a light alloy cap covers the fuze except from the tip. The impact fuze remains sensitive even on snow, bog and water surface. A short cylinder

protrudes out of the base, this is the propelling section, filled with P-200 propellant. A central percussion cap is surrounded by ten small nozzleholes that provide a high/low pressure boost. This grenade uses the VMG-M or VMG-K nose fuze.The second shell is the VOG-25P, it has a larger obturated steel body filled with 37g of explosive and has a rebated truncated cone as front

assembly. On impact, this assembly makes the shell jump up into the air again, detonating in a height between 1 and 2 meters, producing a lethalradius of 5m. This grenade uses the VMG-P nose fuze. All fuze types self destruct after a time period of 14 - 19 sec.

Ammunition is manufactured by Russia.


VOG-25 HE FRAG 250 76,5Grooved steel body filled with 48g of HE, VMG-M or VMG-K nose fuzepartly covered by sheet metal cap

VOG-25P HE Airburst 278 75Rebounding fragmentation shell filled with 37g of HE and fitted withVMG-P nose fuze

GRD-40 Smoke 250 75 Smoke shell (Probaly the same as a reported "Gvozd" gas grenade?)

? TP 250 76,5 Inert practice shell

Drill rounds exist as well, of course.

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Four drill grenades and one VOG-25P, the cap has been removed on the third grenade from the right.

40.6mm Djakonoff rifle grenade

This WWII caliber consists of only one type of shell that is projected by the Djakonoff 30 rifle grenade assembly that could be fixed to the muzzleof all standard 7.62mm rifles. The shell, type "VGD" consists of a steel envelope that may have fragmentation grooves or not. The envelope isclosed on the top with an ogive cap and to the rear with the driving band and fuze assembly. A central tube leads through the entire shell, to allow

the use of standard ball ammunition for projecting. Three studs on the driving band located on the lower third of the shell transmit the spin of thegrenade projector. Below the driving band is a ring with imprinted numbers for adjustment of the delaytime of the powder burning fuze. The base of the shell is recessed to act as seal against the powder gases, this recess also takes an optional

additional powder charge for greater range. The detonator cap reaches deep inside the shell, between the outer wall and the central tube.

Technical data:

The shell is 115mm long and weights 350g, it has a HE filling of 50g of TNT. If other types of HE are used, the gray cap is painted in other colors.The muzzle velocity is 54m/s with a standard 7,62 Mosin Nagant ball rifle cartridge, with an additional powder charge of 2,5g of smokeless powder

in a silk bag, the muzzle velocity was 110m/s. The according maximum ranges were 300m and 900m. The powder delay time fuze could beadjusted between 3 and 12 sec., the fuze is ignited by the hot powder gases. The shell produces about 340 fragments on detonation, that form adeadly radius of about 50m.

Each shell is single packed in a sealed metal container, 32 or 50 of these containers are overpacked in a wooden box, the weight of the larger boxwas 30kg.

Legend: m= mass of projectile, om= mass of complete round, pm=mass of propellant, l= length of projectile, ol= overall length of complete round, Vo= muzzlevelocity, cartridge case headstamps are given in the clockwise system, the clock-sections divided by "|" for better reading. The "|" does not mean an imprinted linein the headstamp. Example: symbol at 12 oclock | 3 oclock | 6 oclock | 9 oclock

Please note that these pages are no longer updated and contain partially obsolete data.For comprehensive and up to date information, please refer to my new book "Soviet Cannon" atwww.russianammo.org.Compared to this webpage with its 69 pages, the book and the enclosed CD-Rom offer a total of almost900 pages.

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Ammunition Russia 37-40mm