Type 59 (Gun)

History

The Type 59 is a Chinese-licensed replica of the successful Soviet M-46 (also known in the West as the M1954). It is manufactured by China North Industries Corporation.

The design of the M-46 is typical of this type of weapon. Her long, slender barrel sits above her base and carriage and supports two large wheels for transportation (sometimes a pair of extra wheels are added). The weapon system is supported by legs that extend back, semi-sunk to the ground to absorb violent recoil. A square shield was placed on either side of the barrel base for limited protection of the operator from small arms fire.

Her muzzle brake is vented and the barrel end is noticeably large. Compared to her larger cousins, her size allows her to maneuver with relative ease and can be placed almost anywhere her size allows.

Operation of the M-46 field gun revolves around a crew of eight. The weapon system is towed by any means necessary to its designated target area and ready to fire. It weighs approximately 16,975 pounds and has a 130mm barrel. The breech has a horizontal sliding wedge design, and the projectile is manually loaded by the operator.

Barrels can be increased from -2. 5 degrees to 45 degrees, 50 degrees horizontally. Under normal conditions, a well-trained crew can fire at a rate of six rounds per minute, five of which are used for continuous fire. Eight rounds per minute can be achieved in the burst reel. The muzzle velocity is 3,051 feet per second.

The maximum range is up to 17 miles, although this can be extended to over 23.5 miles by refilling with special ammo. The M-46 is equipped with direct-fire night vision goggles.

Since most artillery pieces make their mark on the battlefield due to their adaptability and firepower, the M-46 proved no different in the type of projectiles it was designed to fire. These include Frag-HE (fragmentation, high explosive), OF-43 and Frag-HE, OF-44 cartridges with ranges of 27,500 and 22,500 meters respectively. Frag-HE, ERFB-BB (Extended Range Full Bore - Base Bleed) bullets provide a range of up to 38,000 meters.

The APCBC-HE-T, BR-482 (along with its cousin the BR-482B) has a range of only 1,140 meters, but is still effective for a given role. Other projectile types cover all basic uses, including flares, smoke bombs, and chemical bombs. Projectiles have variable charges.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

Depends on the ammunition carrier.

Changes