Small-caliber automatic gun. About the classification of automatic weapons Descriptions and characteristics of weapons

Automatic weapons

Automatic weapons- in a broad sense, a firearm in which all reloading operations are performed automatically due to one way or another organized use of the energy of powder gases generated during a shot. Automatic weapons are single (self-loading) and continuous fire (self-firing), and serial fire and an automatic pistol" - thus, this term can be considered ambiguous.

Mechanized automatic weapons- a weapon in which all these operations are also carried out automatically, but not due to part of the energy of the powder gases, but due to an external source of energy, for example "gatling".

Principles of operation of automation

Shutter recoil

The action of automation is based on the use of recoil when the barrel is stationary. There are two options:

• free gate- there is no rigid locking of the bore with a bolt. The bolt is pressed against the breech section of the barrel by a return spring. The shutter rolls back due to the pressure of the powder gases on the bottom of the sleeve, transmitted to the shutter. It is usually used in weapons chambered for small power cartridges - pistols (Browning M1900, Walther PPK, PM, APS), submachine guns (MP-18, Suomi, PPSh, Uzi). With an increase in the power of the cartridge, the mass of the shutter increases, which is often unacceptable. Rare examples are the MK 108 aircraft gun, as well as the AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher.
• Semi-free shutter- the shutter rollback in the initial section is artificially slowed down in one way or another. For example, increased friction of the shutter in the receiver is created (Thompson submachine gun); the shutter is made in the form of two parts, of which the rear, more massive, moves faster than the front (G-3 rifle); the movement of the shutter is inhibited by the pressure of the powder gases removed from the barrel (the so-called Barnitzke principle, Heckler und Koch P-7 pistol), etc.

barrel recoil

The action of automation is based on the use of recoil of a moving barrel. During the shot, the bolt is firmly engaged with the barrel. There are two options:

• Long stroke- the stroke of the barrel is equal to the stroke of the shutter. Before the shot, the bolt and barrel are rigidly coupled and roll back together to the rearmost position. At the extreme point of rollback, the shutter is delayed, and the barrel returns to its original position, while removing the sleeve. Only after the return of the barrel, the bolt returns to the forward position. The scheme is distinguished by a large mass of moving parts and structural complexity, does not allow developing a high rate of fire, therefore it is rarely used (the Shosh light machine gun, Frommer pistols are known). GOST 28653-90 defines a long stroke as the rollback of a small arms barrel to a distance greater than the length of the cartridge.
• Short stroke- the stroke of the barrel is less than the stroke of the shutter. Before the shot, the bolt and barrel are rigidly coupled, and at the moment of the shot, under the action of recoil, they begin to roll back as one. After a relatively short distance, the bolt and barrel are separated, the bolt continues to roll back, and the barrel either remains in place or returns to its original position using its own return spring. During the time from the beginning of the rollback to the disengagement, the bullet manages to go beyond the barrel. Weapons based on this principle can have a fairly simple device and be compact and light, so the short-stroke scheme has become widespread in pistols. GOST 28653-90 defines a short barrel stroke as the rollback of a small arms barrel to a distance less than the length of the cartridge.

Removal of powder gases

The action of automation is based on the use of gases from the bore into the gas chamber through the gas outlet in the wall of the fixed barrel. After the bullet passes through the gas outlet, part of the gases enters the gas chamber and sets in motion a piston connected by means of a rod to the bolt frame. Moving back, the bolt carrier unlocks the bolt and throws it into the rear position.

There are two main options:

• Long stroke- the stroke of the piston is equal to the stroke of the bolt carrier. For example, the Kalashnikov assault rifle.
• Short stroke- the stroke of the piston is less than the stroke of the bolt carrier. For example, the SVD sniper rifle.

The widely used M16 assault rifle uses an original scheme, when powder gases through a long gas outlet tube act directly on the bolt frame. The gas piston as a separate part is missing.

Notes

see also

Literature

• Automatic weapons // Soviet military encyclopedia / ed. A. A. Grechko. - M .: Military Publishing House, 1976. - T. 1. - 637 p. - (in 8 tons). - 105,000 copies.
• Alferov VV Design and calculation of automatic weapons. - M., Engineering, 1973
• The material part of small arms. Ed. A. A. Blagonravova. - M.: Oborongiz NKAP, 1945
• A. B. Zhuk. Encyclopedia of small arms. - M.: Military Publishing, 1998
• Shooting instructions. M.: Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1973
• George M. Chinn. The Machine Gun. - U.S. Government Printing Office, 1951-1987
• Lugs Jaroslav. Handfeuerwaffen. - Militaerverlag der DDR, Berlin, 1977

Links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) represent a relatively new class of troop weapons. Equipping motorized rifle formations with them gave them mobility, firepower, sufficient protection from enemy fire and the ability to successfully conduct combat operations in modern combat, both in cooperation with tanks and independently.

Acting as part of a tank “loop”, BMPs with automatic cannon (AP) fire protect tanks from tank-dangerous manpower, primarily ATGM and RPG crews, against which, strictly speaking, the tank itself does not have effective weapons, as well as from tank-dangerous lightly armored targets, in first of all, self-propelled ATGMs, and, in critical situations, from aircraft and helicopters. In typical situations, the last task should be performed by self-propelled anti-aircraft systems of the type "Tunguska", also acting as part of the "loop".

During independent actions, an infantry fighting vehicle should hit the same targets, but already as a danger to itself, as well as lightly armored targets such as armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and, if ATGMs are included in its armament, also tanks.

Characteristic types of infantry fighting vehicles are presentedin table 1 .

30-mm guns are also in service with domestic airborne combat vehicles ( BMD-2, BMD-3), armored personnel carriers ( BTR-80A), and combat reconnaissance and patrol vehicles (BRDM).

According to the most significant classification feature, infantry fighting vehicles are divided into floating and non-floating. All domestic infantry fighting vehicles, starting fromBMP-1, are floating. To a large extent, it is conditionally possible to distinguish classes of light (less than 20 tons), medium (20-40 tons) and heavy (more than 40 tons) infantry fighting vehicles. The latter, as a rule, are carried out on a tank base.

The characteristic composition of the ammunition on the example of an automatic gun "Bushmaster" presented intable 2 .

Semi-armor-piercing projectile PGU-32/U developed in recent years. There is no impact fuse in the projectile, and the excitation of the explosion of the explosive charge (HE) is carried out using a pyrotechnic fire circuit, in which the transition from combustion to explosion occurs over a relatively long time (0.3 ms), which ensures that the projectile penetrates behind sufficiently thick armor (up to 20 mm) and blast it inside the target. The reliable functioning of the projectile is observed only when firing at solid obstacles and is not ensured when firing at the ground, especially loose.

In the military press, the question of the validity of the choice of the range of calibers for automatic guns of the BMP was repeatedly raised. The low armor-piercing effect of shells of these calibers was pointed out, the weak effect on manpower when firing at fragmentation action on the ground. There is a lack of a scientifically based methodology for optimizing the parameters of the AP and the absence of clearly formulated tasks for firing the AP of the BMP.

From these positions, of great interest is the question of the prospective caliber of guns of domestic infantry fighting vehicles and, in a broader sense, their concept of armament.

Currently, the main caliber of domestic automatic guns of the Ground Forces, Air Force and Navy is 30 mm caliber, and their exclusive developer is the Tula Design Bureau (designers V.P. Gryazev, A.G. Shipunov), which created ten types of 30-mm guns, in including single-barrel, double-barrel and six-barrel. The use of one caliber in all branches of the Armed Forces and the unification of ammunition is an undoubted advantage, but at the same time it significantly limits the combat capabilities of automatic guns. The latter applies to a lesser extent to aircraft guns and to a greater extent to infantry fighting vehicles, anti-aircraft guns of the Ground Forces and anti-aircraft naval guns.

With regard to BMP guns, the main and decisive factor in the negative assessment of the 30 mm caliber is the unsatisfactory armor-piercing effect. Penetrating thickness of armor 30-mm armor-piercing projectile "Trident" at an angle of 60 ° from the normal at a distance of 1500 m is 25 mm, which is not enough to destroy the frontal armor of foreign infantry fighting vehicles in service, for example, infantry fighting vehicles "Marder", and even more so newly developed infantry fighting vehicles with increased projectile resistance. These include a multi-purpose armored vehicle currently being developed by the Franco-German-British association. The machine has high-strength aluminum alloy armor with a steel equivalent of a frontal sheet up to 40 mm, a 45-120 mm gun and a mass of up to 34 tons. Full-scale production will begin in 2002, it is planned to produce a total of 11 thousand vehicles.

A domestic 30-mm cumulative projectile was never created, although such shells are available abroad (for example, a 30-mm cumulative fragmentation projectile M789 PRIMEX, USA). As a result, 30-mm guns run the risk of being in the position of a weak weapon that can only "scratch" the enemy's armor.

The effect of 30-mm high-explosive fragmentation shells in terms of manpower does not shine with efficiency either. This is explained both by the low mass of the A-1X-2 explosive charge (48.5 g), the low filling factor (0.125, the total mass of the projectile is 389 g) and, as a result, the small number of lethal fragments, and the specific design of the impact fuse, which does not provide instantaneous burst of a projectile on the surface of the earth.

The fuse has a ball drive of the striker, carried out by crimping the cap. Such a design, on the one hand, provides protection for the fuse from spontaneous operation upon impact of raindrops (anti-rain design), on the other hand, together with the action of a gas-dynamic moderator, it creates a slight delay in operation when firing at thin-walled vehicles in order to implement a gap in the internal volume of the target. When firing on a dirt surface, especially a loose structure (plowing, peat, sand), as well as on snow, the slow action of the fuse has a negative effect of a significant penetration of the projectile into the ground by the time of rupture (for a caliber of 30 mm - up to half the length of the hull or more) and the interception of a significant part of the fragments by the ground with the formation of a "dead corner" of the flight.

The effect of 30-mm high-explosive fragmentation shells on structures is relatively weak. At ranges of more than 1000 m, the 30-mm OFS does not penetrate a brick wall “in one brick” (0.25 m). Meanwhile, when using infantry fighting vehicles in regional conflicts, the ability to deal with manpower in buildings and structures acquires a decisive role. For example, in the 1976 Lebanese campaign of the year, in the battles of the Syrian army with PLO detachments in Beirut and Said, the 57-mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns attached to the Syrian tank units proved to be excellent ZSU-57-2, which effectively cleared the upper floors of houses from snipers and RPG crews.

In general, we have to admit that doubts about the prospects for further successful use of 25-30 mm caliber guns in infantry fighting vehicles are quite reasonable.

The discrepancy between the range of 20-30 mm and the real tasks of the BMP led to several directions for the further development of the cannon armament of the BMP:

1. armament of the infantry fighting vehicle with a large-caliber non-automatic gun. An example is the South Korean infantry fighting vehicle KIFV, which has armament options with 75-mm and 90-mm guns.

2. armament of the BMP with two guns - a large-caliber non-automatic and a small-caliber automatic. An example of such an unconventional solution, which has no analogues abroad, is the domesticBMP-3. Both guns (100 mm gun-launcher 2A70 and 30 mm automatic cannon 2A72) together with a 7.62-mm machine gun are placed in a single unit, stabilized in two planes by an electromechanical stabilizer. The ammunition load of the 100-mm gun is 40 rounds, of which 22 are placed in the automatic loader and 18 - in the additional stowage. There are also 8 ATGMs. 30 mm gun ammunition 2A72 is 500 rounds.

Until now, the 100-mm round was in service. ZUOF17 developed by NIMI. A projectile was used in this shot ZOF32, previously developed for a towed gun BS-3 and self-propelled gun SU-100, having a thick-walled steel body S-60, low filling factor (0.108) and, as a result, low fragmentation action. At present, the Tula Design Bureau was developed under the leadership of A.G. Shipunov and S.M. Berezina new 100mm shot ZUOF19 with increased firing range and fragmentation action. As a replacement for a regular anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) 9M117 launched from a cannon barrel, a new ATGM has been developed 9M117M1 "Arkan" with increased flight range (up to 5500 m) and armor penetration (up to 750 mm).

On the one hand, the two-gun armament scheme for infantry fighting vehicles is a bold technical solution, possibly foreseeing the general direction of development of armament for infantry fighting vehicles of the future, on the other hand, it continues to be the subject of heated discussions. As mentioned above, the 30 mm caliber from many positions is insufficient. On the other hand, they point to the weak effect of 100-mm shells. In the course of regional conflicts of recent decades, the need for the so-called assault self-propelled large-caliber guns (up to 152 mm) of the battalion and regimental level, capable of accompanying infantry with “fire and wheels”, having short firing ranges, but powerful fragmentation and compression action of shells, has become acute. In the case of the appearance of assault guns, a difficult question arises about the separation of the functions of these guns and infantry fighting vehicles.

3. arming the BMP with an automatic cannon of a larger caliber. Unlike the first two revolutionary directions, this path is evolutionary. When switching to a larger caliber, the rate of fire and the number of ammunition are reduced. For example, the mass of a 40 mm round is approximately twice the mass of a 30 mm round (approximately 2 and 1 kg, respectively), so switching from a 30 mm caliber to a 40 mm caliber with a fixed mass of ammunition will lead to a halving of its number (with a fixed the mass of the weapon system (installation + ammunition) - to a decrease by 2.5-3 times) and to the same decrease in the number of shots in the queue (with a fixed number of bursts), but at the same time to a significant increase in the effectiveness of each shot. In this case, additional favorable factors should be taken into account - a decrease in the loss of speed on the trajectory of a larger projectile and a decrease in the relative penetration into the ground. Reducing the rate of fire provides a reduction in barrel wear and a significant increase in the survivability of the automatic gun.

The optimal range of calibers AP 35-45 mm defined above includes a number of regular calibers, including foreign (35, 40 mm) and domestic (37, 45 mm). Apparently, the 40 mm caliber is the most promising, since on the one hand, in terms of the recoil momentum, it is still acceptable for installation on aircraft, which in the future will retain the three-species (SV, Air Force, Navy) unification of automatic guns, on the other hand, this caliber widely distributed abroad, which will ensure the possibility of world standardization of weapons and increase export opportunities.

The most famous 40 mm automatic guns are guns L60, L70 Swedish company Bofors. A gun L70 is in service with 11 NATO countries (in 6 it was produced under license). By 1985, more than 6,000 such installations and more than 10 million ammunition for them had been produced. At present, an improved version of the gun has been created, which received the designation "75".

In the ground forces, the gun was used for a long time only as an anti-aircraft towed gun, or as part of self-propelled anti-aircraft systems (in the past ZSU "Sergeant York"[USA], currently ZSU TRIDON, ZAK TriAD[Sweden]) and only recently was adopted by the infantry fighting vehicle CV-90(Sweden). Gun weight - 560 kg, rate of fire - 320 rds / min. The mass of the shot, the mass of the projectile and the initial velocity are respectively for the OFZ projectile 2500 g, 964 g, and 950 m/s, for the armor-piercing incendiary projectile - 2400 g, 880 g and 1020 m/s.

The gun has an armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile with a detachable pallet, capable of penetrating armor 100 mm thick (!) at an angle of 60 ° from the normal (range not specified). It is indicated that this ensures the destruction of the frontal armor of tanksT-54, T-55, T-62and side armor of tanks "Leopard-2A1", M1 "Abrams"And "Challenger".

The disadvantage of the gun is the lack of a stabilizer, which excludes the possibility of successful firing on the move. At present, an experimental design of the BMP has been developed CV-9040B with a stabilized turret. This tower can be installed on various platforms. In particular, the company carried out a pilot installation of this tower on RussianBMP-1, BMP-2.

BMP CV-9040 developed jointly by the Swedish firms Hagglunds (platform) and Bofors (turret with weapons and ammunition). Serial production started in 1993. BMP weight - 22.8 tons, diesel engine power - 446 kW, maximum speed on the highway - 70 km / h. BMP is part of a family of armored vehicles CV-90, differing in the purpose and caliber of the gun (tab. 3 ).

Into the family CV-90 also includes a reconnaissance vehicle, a command vehicle and a recovery vehicle.

Another 40 mm automatic cannon designed specifically for arming light armored vehicles is the cannon CTWS(Cased Telescoped Weapon System - a weapon system with a telescopic shot) from Alliant Texistemz (USA). The gun was developed as part of a remote-controlled low-profile turret with a total mass of 892 kg. Telescopic ammunition differs from the usual one in that its powder charge is made in the form of a tube, along the axis of which a projectile is placed. The expelling charge pushes the projectile out of the case even before the main charge is ignited. This frees up space in the sleeve, filled with products of combustion of the expelling charge. As a result, a high-density powder charge can burn with the same efficiency as lower-density charges in a larger volume case. In this case, a higher initial speed is achieved in comparison with the corresponding value for the sleeve of the classical scheme. Another advantage is created by the cylindrical shape of the sleeve. Sleeves of this form are more convenient for storage and take up half the volume in laying compared to conventional sleeves.

Another characteristic feature of the gun CTWS is a transverse loading scheme. The shutter of the gun is made in the form of a rotary cylinder equipped with a channel for a telescopic sleeve. The total mass of the turret with the gun is 892 kg, the rate of fire is 200 rds / min, the mass of the cartridge is 1.8 kg, the initial speed of the BOPS is 1600 m / s.

Along with 40-mm guns, automatic guns of larger calibers are also considered as a promising weapon for new infantry fighting vehicles. A typical example is the 50mm automatic cannon. RH503 Mauser, part of the Rheinmetall Corporation. The gun is intended to arm the heavy infantry fighting vehicle developed since 1984 "Marder-2" with a combat weight of 43 tons and an engine power of 1100 kW (1500 hp). Gun ammunition includes a sub-caliber armor-piercing projectile with a detachable pallet APFSDS-T firm "Rheinmetall Emunishen" and a fragmentation-beam projectile HETF-T M-DN191 Dil firm. It should be noted that the projectile HETF-T is the world's first mass-produced fragmentation-beam projectile, although the development of these projectiles has been going on for 30 years, including in our country. The gun is equipped with an automatic remote detonator (ADV) for a fragmentation-beam projectile, has a linkless supply of ammunition and an interchangeable barrel of 35 mm caliber for training firing. Gun weight - 540 kg, barrel weight - 170 kg, barrel length - 4250 mm (85 calibers), recoil force - 48 kN, maximum pressure in the bore - 560 MPa, rate of fire - 150-400 rds / min. Sub-caliber projectile weight APFSDS-T is 640 g, the initial speed is 1600 m / s, the muzzle energy is 820 kJ, the mass of the cartridge is 200 g, the mass of gunpowder is 540 g.

When developing new 40-mm anti-aircraft guns for infantry fighting vehicles and ammunition for them abroad, the experience gained during many years of production and operation of 40-mm anti-aircraft artillery systems (ZAK) is widely used. 40-mm ship ZAK appeared in service with the Navy of Western countries during the Second World War (guns M1, M1A1, M2, M2A1, Mk1 Swedish company "Bofors"). They, in particular, were armed with the air defense systems of US battleships of the Iowa type (20 paired 40-mm mounts per ship). In the 50s 40 mm ZAK Mk5, Mk7 were adopted by the British Navy.

Modern 40 mm ZAK (see table 4 ) are designed primarily to combat anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCs).

The directions for the further development of small-caliber shipborne ZAKs are largely determined by the choice of the method of destruction - a direct hit of a projectile on an anti-ship missile or destruction of it by a fragmentation field from a trajectory. The first method requires high shooting accuracy, but provides the highest probability of hitting when hit. In this case, an armor-piercing projectile with a detachable or non-detachable sub-caliber core made of a heavy alloy based on tungsten or uranium, capable of penetrating the body of a semi-armor-piercing anti-ship missile warhead and causing detonation of an explosive charge, is considered as the most effective. At the same time, the explosion of the warhead completely destroys the anti-ship missiles. Its parts and fragments that have flown to the ship represent an immeasurably less danger.

The second method - the defeat of anti-ship missiles during a trajectory gap - includes two cases: a gap on the span (on a miss) for shells with a circular field of fragments and a gap at a preemptive point for shells with an axial field. In both cases, the projectile must be equipped with a proximity or remote electronic fuse. The volume of the electronic fuse, made using integrated circuits and small-sized power sources, is at least 15-20 cc and does not fit into the volume of shells of 20-30 mm caliber.

40-mm projectiles of shipborne systems with a proximity fuse and ready-made submunitions are currently produced by a number of companies. One of the latest developments of the Bofors company is represented by a 40-mm projectile 3P-HV(Prefragmented Programmable Proximity High Velocity). The mass of the projectile is 1 kg, the mass of the shot is 2.8 kg, the mass of the explosive charge is 0.14 kg. The shell of the projectile contains 1000 pcs. finished striking elements in the form of tungsten alloy balls with a diameter of 3 mm. When a projectile breaks, about three thousand fragments of natural fragmentation are also formed, capable of penetrating a 2 mm thick duralumin shield, installed at a distance of 1.5 m from the point of explosion. The greatest damaging effect when firing at an aircraft is noted in the event of a projectile detonation at a distance of 2.5 m from the target, and when firing at anti-ship missiles - up to 2 m. The projectile fuse is programmable, i.e. can be set to either non-contact or percussion action. In the latter case, the projectile can penetrate unhardened steel sheets up to 25 mm thick, which allows it to be used to destroy lightly armored targets.

Bofors has developed an experimental 40-mm corrected projectile 4P GJS(Gas Jet Controlled) for its possible inclusion in the ammunition of the ship's ZAK "Trinity". Correction of the trajectory is carried out using six gas-jet rudders, located in a circle around the center of gravity of the projectile. For 5-6 corrections, the projectile trajectory can shift relative to the initial one by up to 50 m, while the transverse component of the trajectory correction speed is 15 m/s. The radio command correction system can correct the trajectory of not only a single projectile, but also the projectiles of the entire salvo, consisting of 5-10 shots.

Other promising designs of 40-mm ZAK projectiles are being studied, including fragmentation-beam projectiles, projectiles of the scheme "SVAROG", shells with reduced flight time, shells with an annular submunition, armor-piercing fragmentation shells of a direct hit, etc. The inclusion of these projectiles in the BMP ammunition load would dramatically expand the tactical capabilities of the BMP in the fight against ground and air targets.

One of the key problems that arise when re-equipping infantry fighting vehicles with 40-mm guns is the implementation of selective feeding of guns with ammunition. It becomes necessary in view of the decrease in the number of ammunition and the increase in the role of each individual shot. Under these conditions, a single-belt feed with a complete set of high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing shells in a fixed proportion is completely unacceptable. A two-ribbon feed is more effective, however, it does not solve the problem in the case of an extensive ammunition load (3-4 types of projectiles). The way out is to use linkless power with remote control of the loading system. Another problem is related to the use of projectiles with remote fuses, including fragmentation-beam ones, using the AUDV, which significantly complicates the fire control system of the BMP.

AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, firearms in which reloading and firing the next shot are performed automatically due to the energy of powder gases generated during the shot or the energy of other (foreign) sources. Automatic weapons can be single (self-loading) and continuous fire (self-loading). In the first, only reloading is automated, and a trigger pull is required to fire the next shot. In a continuous fire weapon, after the start of firing, the shots follow one after another until the cartridges in the magazine (tape) run out or the trigger stops. From such weapons you can conduct continuous fire, firing a series of shots, bursts or single shots. The main feature of automatic weapons is a high rate of fire, which is characterized by a rate of fire that is practical. rate of fire and mode of fire. Automatic weapons are fed with cartridges from special boxes - magazines (store) or flexible link belts (tape). Magazine feed is used mainly in automatic weapons with a low rate of fire (machine gun, rifle, light machine gun), belt feed - in automatic weapons with a high rate of fire (machine gun, small-caliber automatic cannon). Automatic weapons appeared in the 2nd floor. 19th century The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 confirmed the great importance of automatic weapons in combat, and heavy machine guns became firmly established in the armament system of most states. Long before the 1st World War, work began in Russia on the creation of light automatic weapons. According to the results of joint tests of the fatherlands and foreign samples, the rifles of V.G. Fedorova and F.V. Tokarev, however, work on them was not completed. During World War I, V. G. Fedorov designed an assault rifle for a special 6.5 mm rifle cartridge. In small quantities, he entered service and was used in battles. After the Great October Socialist Revolution, designers - gunsmiths V. A. Degtyarev, F. V. Tokarev, G. S. Shpagin, S. G. Simonov, B. G. Shpitalny, P. M. Goryunov, A. I. Sudayev and others created first-class systems of automatic weapons for various purposes, which were in service with the Soviet Army during the Great Patriotic War. The creators of modern automatic weapons are M. T. Kalashnikov, E. F. Dragunov, N. F. Makarov, I. Ya. scientists A. A. Blagonravov, E. L. Bravin, E. A. Gorov, M. A. Mamontov, V. S. Pugachev and others created the foundation, works on the theory of design and research of automatic weapons. Automatic weapons were widely used in the 2nd World War. Modern armies are armed only with automatic weapons.
Its combat properties are characterized by high firing efficiency, maneuverability and reliability, the ability to create a high density of fire and hit fast moving targets.

The design of automatic weapons is very diverse. The automation device largely depends on the method of using the energy of powder gases or an external source for the operation of the mechanisms and moving parts of the weapon that perform the operations of reloading and firing a shot (or only cocking the impact mechanism). According to the principle of operation of automation, automatic weapons can be divided into 4 types:
a) weapon systems in which the action of automation is based on the use of the recoil of a moving barrel (the shutter is firmly connected to it during the shot); automation of such systems can be with a long barrel stroke equal to the bolt stroke (for example, the French Chauchat light machine gun), or with a short barrel stroke less than the bolt stroke (for example, the 7.62-mm Maxim heavy machine gun);
b) weapon systems that use the recoil of the shutter with a fixed barrel; in such systems, automation is distinguished with a free shutter, when it is not engaged with the barrel during a shot (for example, 7.62-mm Shpagin PPSh-41 and Sudaev PPS-43 submachine guns), or with a semi-free (self-opening) shutter, when at the first moment of the shot, it is coupled to the barrel, and the disengagement occurs under the action of the pressure of powder gases on the bottom of the cartridge case (for example, the English Thompson submachine gun, the 7.62-mm G-3 automatic rifle of the FRG, etc.);
c) weapon systems in which the operation of automation is based on the use of exhaust gases from the bore into the gas chamber through a gas outlet in the wall of a fixed barrel (usually in its front part); part of the powder gases after the bullet passes through the gas outlet enters the gas chamber and sets in motion a piston connected by means of a rod to the bolt frame (or bolt stem). Moving back, the piston and rod, together with the bolt frame (or bolt stem), unlock the bolt and throw it back to the rear position (for example, 7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle, 7.62 mm Degtyarev light machine gun, 7.62 mm heavy machine gun SGM, 7.62 mm machine gun Kalashnikov PK USSR, 7.62 mm single machine gun M60 USA, etc.);
d) weapon systems in which the operation of automation is based on the use of energy from other sources.
Modern automatic weapons for combat purposes are divided into the following types: automatic pistols, submachine guns And automata , automatic rifles And carbines , machine guns , automatic guns .

Automatic pistol - personal self-loading weapons of self-defense and attacks on the enemy in close proximity (up to 50 m).
submachine gun And machine - an individual weapon designed to defeat single and group live targets at ranges up to 800-1000 m. Submachine guns and machine guns differ mainly in the type of cartridge used: the former are fired with pistol cartridges, the latter are designed for a more powerful cartridge.
Automatic rifle And carbine - an individual, a weapon designed to defeat the enemy with fire, a bayonet and a butt. The carbine has a shorter barrel, which improves the maneuverability of the weapon, but somewhat reduces the ballista and quality.
machine guns - powerful group small arms designed to destroy manpower, fire weapons and lightly armored targets at ranges up to 1000 m, air targets - up to 1500 - 1800 m. Machine guns of norms, caliber (6.5-8.0 mm) allow firing from bipod or from a tripod machine (“single machine guns”). Machine guns are also mounted on tanks, armored personnel carriers, aircraft, helicopters, ships, and other objects. Automatic guns are a powerful artillery tool for destroying ground, air and surface targets. For firing, shells for various purposes are used (armor-piercing incendiary, high-explosive fragmentation, etc.), which have a high initial velocity (up to 1000 m / s or more). According to the features of combat use and operation, artillery machines and aircraft guns are distinguished . Artillery submachine guns (caliber 20-76 mm) are used by Ch. arr. to destroy air targets. Feeding cartridges from clips and tape. Automation advantage. with a short stroke. To increase the density of fire, automatic systems (multi-barrel installations) are being created. A sharp increase in the rate of fire of automatic guns is achieved by combining a number of reloading operations. For example, an American 20-mm Vulcan-type aircraft gun has a rate of fire of 6,000 rounds per minute. A block of 6 barrels rotates from an external drive, cartridges are fed in some barrels, and spent cartridges are extracted (extracted) in others. British 30 mm drum aircraft. The Aden-type cannon has a rate of fire of 1250 rounds per minute, has 1 barrel without a chamber and a drum with several chambers sequentially combined with the barrel. Work on improving automatic weapons continues in the following areas: increasing firepower, rate of fire and maneuverability on the battlefield, reducing weight, as well as ensuring reliable operation and ease of maintenance.

Soviet military encyclopedia
Blagonravov A.A.
R. P. Kogan.

The vast majority of modern models of military, police and civilian small arms, as well as a large number of artillery systems, part of hunting and sporting weapons, belong to the automatic. It is clear that the technical classification of such weapons is based primarily on the classification of automation systems. She will be discussed. Since automatic small arms and cannon weapons permeate almost the entire modern weapon system - excellent weapons before arming aircraft and warships - an overview of weapon automation systems can be interesting and useful to everyone who is interested in weapons and military equipment.

The classification of automatic weapons evolved as they developed. Attempts to create a comprehensive classification were already made at an early stage, i.e. at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. Among such early attempts, the most famous are the French classification by G. Wille and the German Kaisertreya. By that time, the main systems of automatic weapons had already been determined. Already the first project of an automatically reloaded gun, developed in 1854. designer and metallurgist G. Bessemer, assumed a system with recoil of an uncoupled (free) bolt, preloaded by a spring. J. Curtis in 1866 proposed an "automatic gun" of a revolving scheme with a gas exhaust system, in 1874. Luce took out a patent for an automatic pistol with a forward-moving barrel. In 1876, Bailey first used a cartridge belt in an automatic weapon. In 1882 X. Maxim developed a carbine, automatically reloaded due to the recoil of the weapon, and K. Krnka in 1884. - Rifle with recoil. In 1884 a machine gun appears, and a little later - the Maxim automatic cannon (from which it is customary to count the history of automatic weapons), acting due to the recoil energy of the coupled bolt and barrel. On the basis of the recoil of the barrel, the automatic rifle of F. Mannlicher 1885 also worked. In 1887 the Madsen-Rasmussen rifle appears with automatic barrel recoil and a swinging bolt, as well as the first Russian automatic rifle D.A. Rudnitsky, in 1893. - Mannlicher rifle with a "self-locking" bolt. The Clare brothers in 1888 patented a pistol with automatics based on the removal of powder gases. After the introduction of smokeless powders, automatic weapons systems began to multiply much more actively.

The project of the "automatic pistol" of the Clare brothers (1888) with automatics based on the removal of powder gases and a high-capacity annular magazine.

Armani's multi-chamber automatic weapon project (1886) is an attempt to automate the scheme of a disk revolver due to the recoil of a free shutter.

The project of the “Perry machine gun” driven by a volute spring (1903) is one of the many attempts to create an “externally driven” automation.

Ville in his book "Automatic Weapons" (1896) divided the systems known by that time according to the nature of the movement of the barrel and identified four groups - with a barrel sliding back, with a fixed barrel, with a fixed barrel having a hole for removing powder gases, with a barrel sliding forward . It is clear that such a scheme, based on an external feature, was narrow and did not highlight the essential features of the systems. A more successful classification by Kaisertrey (“Fundamentals of Automatic Weapons”, 1902) divided systems according to the nature of the action of powder gases into two groups: those operating from the direct pressure of gases and from the recoil of weapons. Within these groups, the division proceeded according to other criteria - the length of the rollback of the barrel, the grip of the bolt and other design features. The opposition between the two bases of classification - according to the use of the energy of powder gases and according to design features, remained for a long time.

So, in Russia, S. Fedorov in the book “Machine Gun Business” (1907) divided the known schemes of machine guns into three “types”: with a barrel that remains in place, with a barrel that extends during recoil, with a fixed barrel and removal of powder gases.

The development of automatic weapons and the complication of the system of artillery and small arms required the refinement of classifications and clarification of the features according to which automatic schemes were divided. The Cordier classification (“Automatic weapons”, 1911) is similar to the Kaisertreya scheme, and the systems operating by recoil force were divided into two groups (with a fixed barrel and a free shutter and with a movable barrel and an interlocked shutter), and those working by removing powder gases - three (with a tap from the muzzle of the barrel, through a hole in the wall of the barrel and through the sleeve). Similar to this were the classifications of S.A. Buturlin (1912) and V. Ostrovsky (1930)

K. Krnka (1900-1901), Weiss (1912), Drot (1927) also offered their own classification options. M. Devouge ("Modern Automatic Weapons", 1920) identified five classes: acting by recoil, acting by gas removal, acting by friction in the barrel, mixed systems and semi-automatic weapons. P. Vilnevchits in 1930 based his classification again on the arrangement of the main parts of the weapon. This approach allows you to describe in detail the very scheme of the weapon, but leaves out the question of the source of energy that drives the automation. In this way, you can describe a car without saying a word about its engine.

Pennington's "machine-gun tricycle" project (1898) - two engines through chain drives drive not only the tricycle, but also the automatics of two machine guns.

Section of the machine gun "Maxim" model 1910

Already the first successful system of automatic weapons carried the rudiments of unification - X. Maxim presented his machine gun along with an automatic cannon, this line was continued by the Vickers company. In the figure - the Vickers machine gun, the Vickers automatic cannon, the Vickers aircraft machine gun.

The most complete and scientifically substantiated classification was developed by the outstanding Russian specialist V.G. Fedorov. The beginning of its development dates back to 1907, but only by 1930 was it fully formed. As the main feature, Fedorov took the method of using the energy of powder gases to actuate automation (“Fundamentals of Automatic Weapons”, 1931). According to Fedorov's classification, all automation systems were divided into three main classes. Within the classes, subclasses were divided into groups. The “multi-level” classification made it possible to change the basic features with the transition to the next level.

The first, most numerous, class consisted of systems using recoil energy, i.e. the pressure energy of the powder gases perceived by the shutter through the bottom of the sleeve. There were subclasses with bolt recoil, bolt recoil with barrel (referred to as "barrel recoil" for short), and recoil of all weapons. The first subclass included groups: A - with a free gate; B - with slowing down the movement of the shutter with an insert; B - with slowing down the shutter due to its engagement with the barrel with self-release. The second subclass was divided as follows: group A - with a short stroke of the barrel (with a direct movement of the bolt, with a turn of the bolt, with a side-shifting bolt, with a rocking bolt); B - with a long stroke; B - with the rotation of the trunk; G - with a falling trunk. Third subclass

divided according to the method of unlocking the shutter: group A - with a slider and discarding the shutter by the residual pressure of gases; B - with a slider and the shutter is thrown back by a spring compressed by the slider.

The second class included systems using the energy of powder gases partially removed from the bore. Its first subclass covered schemes with the removal of powder gases through a hole in the barrel wall and was divided into groups: A - with a piston moving in a straight line for the entire length of the bolt stroke, B - with a swinging piston that throws the bolt off the entire stroke, C - with a piston, producing only the unlocking of the shutter, G - with a piston that compresses the spring, which then discards the shutter. The second subclass is the removal of gases through the muzzle hole using a movable muzzle; the third is the removal of gases through the channel of a special sleeve.

The third class consisted of automation systems using the force of a bullet cutting into the rifling of the barrel and moving the barrel forward under the action of this force.

Such a division made it possible to identify the most significant and characteristic features of weapon automation, provided the basis for its calculation, scenes of positive and negative features, as well as ways to improve and modify each scheme. It is easy to see that in this classification, in addition to the method of using the energy of powder gases, a constructive feature was also used - a method of locking the bore. This confusion, on the one hand, made the classification somewhat cumbersome, on the other hand, the emergence of new locking schemes required its addition. Apparently, therefore, this classification was disputed by a number of experts. Thus, the famous researcher V.E. Markevich considered it more logical and comprehensive to divide automation systems on the basis of the movement of the barrel and its engagement with the bolt and cited four main classes: with a fixed barrel and an interlocked bolt, with a fixed barrel and an unlinked bolt, with a movable barrel and an interlocked bolt, with a movable barrel and an unlinked shutter. It is not difficult to find analogies to these classes in the classification of V.G. Fedorov. Be that as it may, it was precisely the principles of Fedorov's classification that became universally recognized and played, perhaps, no less a role in the development of weapons than Mendeleev's periodic law in the development of physics and chemistry. After the Artillery Academy approved the course of A.A. Blagonravov “Foundations for designing automatic weapons” (1932), Fedorov’s classification actually became official in the domestic weapons school, although it varied with the development of weapons and the accumulation of new data. For example, a separate group (1.2.D) with a lower barrel was excluded from its first class, systems with a forward movement of the piston were distinguished in the second class, subclass (2.2) was divided into systems with a movable muzzle and with a muzzle moving the barrel itself.

Fedorov's classification was finalized by A.A. Blagonravov. In particular: in the second subclass of the first class (1.2), two groups remained - with a short and with a long stroke; subclass (2.1) was divided into three groups according to the nature of the piston movement - forward, backward and swinging; the fourth class was introduced - mixed-type automation systems (where, by the way, systems in which the gas piston only unlocks the shutter) "passed". Moreover, Fedorov's subclasses were renamed into "groups", and groups - into "types". In addition, the classification of a number of elements of automatic weapons was detailed. The principles of such a classification, regardless of the options, have become universally recognized in the world over time. For example, the modern official reference book "Jane's Infantry Weapons" lists three main classes, dividing them into groups: based on the recoil of the shutter (free shutter, shutter with mechanical deceleration, shutter with slow unlocking by removal of powder gases), based on the recoil of the barrel ( with a long and short stroke of the barrel), based on the removal of powder gases (with a long piston stroke, with a short piston stroke, with a direct effect of gases on the bolt).

The classification of automation systems was developed and refined by domestic specialists and further, the complication of tasks solved by small arms and cannon weapons and the need to find ways to solve them gave rise to new schemes. But it should be recognized that over the past 50 years, the Fedorov-Blagonravov classification did not need to be radically changed - at least, among the serial samples, nothing appeared that “stands out” from this classification. Prototypes, for all the originality of the solutions of the "cartridge-weapon" complex, use in principle the same somewhat modified schemes. Based on the Fedorov-Blagonravov classification, let's consider the well-known automation systems. The review will include samples of not only small arms, but also small-caliber artillery, taking into account the tendency to create unified families of small arms and cannon weapons and the need for a unified integrated approach to its development. Analyzing the general features of various automation systems, we, at the same time, for clarity, will analyze the operation of the automation of some types of weapons.

A few clarifications at the beginning. In a broad sense, "automatic" refers to a weapon in which the processes of reloading and firing the next shot are carried out without the use of the shooter's muscular energy. Accordingly, the automation of a weapon (gun) is understood as a set of mechanisms and parts that ensure automatic reloading and firing. The execution of the automation cycle provides a set of parts, called the movable automation system. To give energy to these parts and ensure the operation of the weapon mechanisms, a special engine is required (in this regard, the English name of the machine gun “mashinegun” or the German “maschinengewehr” can be considered very successful). In most cases, the energy of the powder gases generated during the combustion of the powder charge of the cartridge (shot) is used - the so-called "internal gas-powder engine" - but an external drive can also be used. Each engine must develop a certain power, and for reliable operation of automation with a gas-powder engine, a certain range of gas pressures in the bore is required. In any case, the engine drives the leading link of automation, which supplies energy and coordinates the work of all mechanisms involved in the cycle of reloading and firing. The reloading cycle includes the following operations: unlocking the bore, removing the spent cartridge case from the chamber with the bolt, removing the cartridge case from the weapon, capturing the bolt and sending the next cartridge into the chamber, locking the bore with the bolt. In most systems, the movement of automation parts during reloading is also used to cock the firing mechanism. For a full cycle of automation, it is necessary to add the operation of making the next shot.

Cyclogram of the operation of automation with a free shutter. The dotted line shows the option with an increased shutter stroke length.

Cyclogram of the operation of automatics with a free shutter when fired from a roll-out.

The duration or cycle time is the sum of the time for performing the main operations (minus their overlapped part), the time of the shot and the intervals when the weapon mechanisms are almost idle - the presence of such intervals improves the reliability of work. During the shot, the interval from the moment the primer is triggered to the moment when the pressure in the barrel bore drops to a value acceptable for unlocking is taken. Premature unlocking of the bore leads to transverse or pro-

longitudinal ruptures of the sleeve, weapon breakdowns, delays in firing. The automation cycle time determines such an important indicator of a weapon as the rate of fire or, in other words, the “technical rate of fire”, expressed in the number of rounds per minute. This assumes that the trigger is pressed all the time, and the supply of cartridges is infinite. The combat rate of fire is much lower than the rate of fire - the shooter has to spend time aiming, changing the magazine (tape). For weapons with a high rate of fire, the "performance" characteristic is often used, expressed in the number of rounds per second.

A weapon in which only reloading is carried out due to the energy of powder gases is commonly called "self-loading"; weapons in which a full cycle of automation is carried out are called fully automatic or simply "automatic" (previously they used the rather successful term "self-firing").

Some confusion is introduced by the term "semi-automatic weapons". On the one hand, self-loading weapons are often referred to as such to distinguish them from "fully automatic". It has become especially common to use “semi-automatic” instead of “self-loading” in the last ten years - primarily as a direct translation of the English language “semi-auto”. ). On the other hand, “semi-automatic” was a weapon in which the reloading cycle was not completed completely (for example, the bolt, after ejecting the spent cartridge case, remains in the rear position - M.N. Blum’s sports pistol 1930, Degtyarev’s PTR 1941) or when reloading, the percussion mechanism was not cocked (as in the Mannlicher pistol of 1894). However, later systems in which only the bore was automatically unlocked and the spent cartridge case was ejected, and the next cartridge was sent and locked manually, following the example of artillery, began to be called “quarter-automatic”, and weapons without cocking the percussion mechanism were referred to as self-loading. An uncritical approach to the translation of English-language literature and periodicals also gave rise to the use of the term “automatic” to samples of self-loading weapons (for example, “automatic pistols” instead of “self-loading” again went for a walk).

The work of automation is visually represented by cyclograms of the movement of its main parts. The following designations are used on the given cyclograms: t c - the time of the automation cycle, t otp - the time of unlocking the bore, t extra - the time of extraction and removal of the spent cartridge case, t otx - the time of moving parts moving to the rearmost position, t air - the time of returning moving parts parts in the forward position, t dos - the time of sending the cartridge into the chamber, - the time of locking the bore, t beats - the operating time of the impact mechanism.

Many samples of fully automatic weapons can also be used as self-loading. Some self-loading samples, in turn, have a manual reloading mode, i.e. can be used as stores. Such systems are found among self-loading shotguns (SPAS-12 and 15, B4), since the weight of gunpowder of the cartridges used for them varies widely and the energy of the powder gases may not be enough to produce a reload cycle. Some hunting carbines (MTs 18-2, for example), as well as samples of “silent” weapons (“Type 64”) have the ability to “turn from self-loading to magazine” - to eliminate, if necessary, the knocking of parts when fired.

The traditional statement is that the introduction of automation "softens" the impact of recoil on the shooter and weapon, since part of its energy is spent on setting the automation parts in motion. But in reality, the load on the weapon and the shooter during shooting only increases, since new impulse loads appear, differently directed and replacing each other in a short period of time.

First of all, there are automatic systems using recoil, systems with the removal of powder gases, with the barrel moving forward, systems of a mixed type. In addition, there are systems (“automatic machines”) using an external drive, intermediate ones, as well as systems without moving elements.

The project of the Revelli machine gun with automatic recoil-free shutter, subsequently implemented in a modified form in the Vilar-Piroza submachine gun.

The section of the PPS submachine gun is an example of a classic scheme with a blowback: 1 - muzzle brake-compensator, 2 - front sight, 3 - barrel, 4 - barrel cover, 5 - bolt with a rigidly fixed firing pin, 6 - sight, 7 - bolt box, 8 - reciprocating mainspring, 9 - fiber shock absorber, 10 - butt lock, 11 - trigger spring, 12 - pistol grip, 13 - trigger, 14 - trigger guard, 15-sear, 16 - fuse, 17 - magazine latch, 18 - shop.

Section of the RM-84 submachine gun with a free-running bolt and a mechanical rate of fire retarder.

Automation systems using recoil energy - according to the "machine-building" terminology, "retractable engine". Note that for weapons chambered for a caseless cartridge, the above definition of recoil is no longer suitable - here we must talk about the direct effect of powder gases on the shutter or the part that plays its role. The recoil momentum corresponds to the sum of the momentum of the bullet at the muzzle of the barrel and the momentum of the powder gases flowing out of the barrel.

Of the systems using the recoil of the shutter, depending on the connection of the shutter with the barrel, two types are distinguished: with a free (1.1.1) and with a semi-free shutter (1.1.2).

1.1.1. A free bolt is called a bolt that does not have any connection with the barrel and is only pressed against its breech with its spring. The locking of the channel of the fixed barrel, therefore, is carried out only by the inertia of the shutter itself and the force of the return spring. The withdrawal of the shutter under the action of recoil begins from the moment the pressure of the powder gases begins to develop in the chamber. By inertia, the bolt moves back a distance equal to or slightly greater than the length of the cartridge. In this case, the shutter compresses the return spring, removes the cartridge case from the chamber, which is removed from the weapon using a reflector. During the reverse movement, the bolt captures a new cartridge, sends it into the chamber and locks the bore with its mass. Since at the beginning of the rollback (reverse movement) of the shutter, the sleeve is still pressed by gas pressure to the walls of the chamber, there is a danger of its rupture. To reduce the rollback speed, the shutter is made as massive as possible. This system is used in weapons for relatively low-power cartridges with a short sleeve and a fast-burning powder charge - these are many pistols (including PM and APS), almost all submachine guns (including MP18 Bergman-Schmeisser, PPSh, PPS, Uzi, " Carl Gustav"), self-loading carbines for low-power cartridges, short-barreled automatic grenade launchers. The blowback system is the simplest, a short cycle of automation allows you to get a high rate of fire (for the M10 "Ingram" - 1090-1120 rds / min).

Section of a submachine gun SM Model 02 LAPA with a massive blowback and increased recoil length.

AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher with free bolt recoil-based automatics, two return springs, a hydraulic recoil brake, a hydraulic rate-of-fire retarder in the firing mechanism.

The MP-9 "Ruger" submachine gun is one of the successful models with a massive bolt and a short recoil length.

In a number of systems with a free shutter - mainly in submachine guns - a roll-out shot is used, when the cartridge primer is broken with a striker before the shutter arrives in its extreme forward position. In this case, part of the recoil energy is spent on braking the shutter (MP18, PPSh, PPS submachine guns, AGS-30 and Mk19 automatic grenade launchers). Since the recoil speed of the moving parts cannot be less than the speed of their return to the forward position, the roll-out in the limiting case makes it possible to reduce the rollback speed by half, compared with a shot without roll-out, and the recoil energy by four times. Roll-out systems require, for their reliable and uniform operation, guaranteed ignition of the powder charge of the cartridge when the primer is broken and a small spread of recoil energy from shot to shot. In the case of a prolonged shot, a sharp blow of moving parts at the rearmost point becomes dangerous for the weapon and the shooter.

To slow down the withdrawal of the shutter in the walls of the chamber, risks can be made (submachine gun "Klin", PMM pistol) or recesses ("Automag II"), which increase the adhesion of the sleeve to the walls of the chamber. Since the forces along the walls of the sleeve in this case are distributed unevenly, to prevent the rupture of the sleeve during extraction, the risks are often made not annular, but screw.

In the 6P35 "Rook" pistol developed by TsNII Tochmash under a relatively powerful cartridge, in addition to increasing the mass of the free shutter-casing, they went to complicate its design, dividing it into a skeleton and a combat larva that directly locks the bore. After the shot, the combat larva first retreats, which then drags the heavier skeleton along with it. The extraction of the cartridge case from the chamber is somewhat slowed down, and the action of the recoil impulse on the weapon and the arrow is stretched in time. A similar scheme was used by the Israeli designer N. Sirkis in the SD-9 and CAT-9 pistols.

It is possible to reduce the impulse loads on the weapon and the shooter by increasing the length of the shutter stroke so that the return spring completely dampens its speed, but if this is not possible due to restrictions on the size of the weapon, use shock absorbers in the form of springs, a set of conical rings, soft pillows (PPSh). Increasing the mass and stroke length of moving parts and "stretching" the automation cycle in time makes it possible to smooth out the sharpness of the peaks of the cyclogram of the movement of parts, i.e. reduce the speed of their strikes at extreme points. The combination of an increase in the mass and length of the shutter stroke and a roll-out shot makes it possible to obtain almost shockless operation of automation (PP-90M, AGS-30 - in the latter, a shot reducer and a sear were placed on it to increase the mass of the shutter). In the automatic pistols OTs-23 "Drotik" and OTs-33 "Pernach" (I.Ya. Stechkin, A.V. Baltser, A.V. Zinchenko), a scheme of "impact mass addition" was implemented, which made it possible to soften the blows without increasing too much movement of moving parts. After the shot, the shutter begins to move away from the barrel, and 5 mm before reaching the rearmost position, it hits the protrusions of the massive barrel block and drags it along. A sharp increase in the mass of moving parts near the extreme points reduces the speed of movement and softens the blows.

When the cartridge is weakened, the gas pressure in the bore is not enough for the automatic weapon to work. In this case, the so-called. "recoil enhancers" in the form of muzzle devices or special parts in the bolt or chamber. So, in the 5.6-mm self-loading Colt Service Hey, the recoil amplifier is a “floating” insert in the chamber. Under the pressure of powder gases on the front end of the liner, it moves back along with the cartridge and increases the momentum transmitted to the heavy bolt.

(To be continued)