THE RUSSIAN AMMUNITION PAGE - 37MM TO 40MM
     
    Soviet Cannon Please note that these pages are no longer updated and contain partially obsolete data.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" at www.russianammo.org.
    Compared to this webpage with its 69 pages, the book and the enclosed CD-Rom offer a total of almost 900 pages.
    Soviet Cannon
     
    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 by Armstrong 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 joined service. 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 spaced 12,5mm 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 ~ 400 APHE 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 base screw)
    Armour Piercing AP
    ~ 500
    ~ 400
    Solid AP shot with two driving bands, l=82mm
    Explosive Shell HE ~ 500 ~ 400 HE 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 1916
    Imprinted 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 introduced in 1946 to replace the older NS-37 because the task of destroying mainly tanks and ground targets was obsolete and propper air to air combat probabilities 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 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 in use 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 belt links 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:

     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    OZT HEI-T 735 670 Conventional 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 735 670 Pointed AP shell with ballistic windshield cap (no incendiary!), tracer element 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 destructs between 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 . < 13
    Brass cartridge case, headstamp: hsu | 8 | 56 | 56,
    In black on the case (wrong case, this case is from a HET shell):

    Nk
    37 LK
    OZSv
    Nc tp 2,6x1,0/32 - F4/1
    nma 2/55
    14 56 - evr
    cartridge
    Czech designation of caliber
    type of shell (HET)
    type and measurements of powder
    manufacturer, 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 this caliber.
    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. The AP shells were belt fed and could penetrate 40mm up to an angle of 45°;
    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 to ground combat successfully, about 8000 cannons were built. Rate of fire was quite low for air combat and recoil was so violent that pilots were trained 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:

     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    OFZ HE or HEI 735 900 Similar in shape to early M1939 HE-T shells (ogive body) but without tracer.
    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 to service.
     
     
     
    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 gun like 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 was 9500m horizontally and effective vertical range 3000m, the AA gun was operated by 8 men and had a fire unit of ammunition of 200 rounds. The M1939 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 in service. 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 with modernized 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 as phlegmatiser. 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 various descriptive letters painted on. 20 round boxes are known as well, they measure 925x355x185mm and weigh 42kg. The projectiles are identical with the 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:

     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    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
    866
    Airburst practice shell with UTSCH-37 self destruction fuze. Blue fuze tip
    UP-167 TP-T
    735
    866
    Inert Bitumen filled shell, dummy fuze
    Inert drill rounds are used as well.
     
     
    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 te GP-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 under the 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-30 Obuvka 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 which ensures 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 like a 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 nozzle holes 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 lethal radius 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.

     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    VOG-25 HE FRAG 250 76,5 Grooved steel body filled with 48g of HE, VMG-M or VMG-K nose fuze partly covered by sheet metal cap
    VOG-25P HE Airburst
    278
    75
    Rebounding fragmentation shell filled with 37g of HE and fitted with VMG-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.

     
     
    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 muzzle of all standard 7.62mm rifles. The shell, type "VGD" consists of a steel envelope that may have fragmentation grooves or not. The envelope is closed 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 the grenade projector. Below the driving band is a ring with imprinted numbers for adjustment of the delay
    time 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 be adjusted between 3 and 12 sec., the fuze is ignited by the hot powder gases. The shell produces about 340 fragments on detonation, that form a deadly 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 box was 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= muzzle velocity, cartridge case headstamps are given in the clockwise system, the clock-sections divided by "|" for better reading. The "|" does not mean an imprinted line in the headstamp. Example: symbol at 12 o´clock | 3 o´clock | 6 o´clock | 9 o´clock
     
    Soviet Cannon 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" at www.russianammo.org.
    Compared to this webpage with its 69 pages, the book and the enclosed CD-Rom offer a total of almost 900 pages.
    Soviet Cannon
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