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| MG 131 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Maschinengewehr 131 | |
| Type | Heavy machine gun |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1940–1945 |
| Used by | Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1938 |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall-Borsig |
| Produced | 1940–1945 |
| Variants | MG 131E (prototype for ground use; never adopted) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 16.6 kg (37 lb) |
| Length | 1,185 mm (46.7 in)[1] |
| Barrel length | 550 mm (22 in)[1] |
| Cartridge | 13×64mmB |
| Caliber | 13 mm (0.51 in) |
| Action | Recoil-operated;short recoil, open bolt |
| Rate of fire | 900 round/min[1] |
| Muzzle velocity | 750 m/s (2,500 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 1,800 m (2,000 yd) |
| Feed system | Belt-fed[1] |
TheMG 131 (shortened from German:Maschinengewehr 131, or "machine gun 131," and occasionally written asMG 131/13, particularly in German sources) was a German13 mm calibermachine gun developed in 1938 byRheinmetall-Borsig and produced from 1940 to 1945. The MG 131 was designed for use at fixed, flexible orturreted, single or twin mountings inLuftwaffe aircraft duringWorld War II. It was also license-built in Japan for theImperial Japanese Navy asType 2 machine gun.[2]
The MG 131 was one of the smallest and lightest of the heavy machine guns ofits era, with a weight of 16.6 kilograms (37 lb). This was less than 60% of theM2 Browning or theBreda-SAFAT machine gun while still providing rapid fire and heavy firepower for its mass. It could firearmor-piercing,incendiary,high-explosive, andtracer ammunition. The other main Axis automatic weapon of similar caliber, the Italian Breda 12.7 mm was around 13 kg heavier and bigger, while slower by at least 150 rpm. The MG 131's relatively small size allowed them to be mounted in the restricted space available in the nose of Luftwaffe fighters, originally designed to house the lighter-caliber 7.92 mm machine guns. This became the common configuration from 1943 onwards, as the increasing armour protection of most Allied aircraft and the increasing challenge of daylight raids by heavy American bombers as the war progressed rendered the smaller-caliber guns obsolescent in this role.
Lower ballistic properties that were still adequate for the task were obviously seen as an advantage: the gun was very accurate (35 × 45 cm spread at 100 m), and the barrel wore out much less quickly (barrel life of the MG 131 was 17,000 rounds), which meant that ballistic properties deteriorated more slowly.
It was installed in theMesserschmitt Bf 109,Me 410 Hornisse,Fw 190,Ju 88,Junkers Ju 388,He 177 Greif bomber variants, and many other aircraft. TheFernbedienbare Drehlafette FDL 131Z remotely controlled gun turret system used either a single or, more commonly, a pair of MG 131s for dorsal defense. The quadmountHecklafette HL 131V weapons "system" for tail defense, had two MG 131 guns apiece in a pair of rotating, side-mount exterior elevation carriages (the manned turret "core" provided the traverse function), was meant for standardization on many late-war prototype developments of German heavy bomber airframes, but never came to fruition beyond a small number of dimensional prototype mockups and kinetic test units.[3]
The MG 131 firedelectrically primed ammunition in order to sustain a high rate of fire whenshooting through the propeller disc of a single-engined fighter. A pair of MG 131 machine guns was used as cowl armament on later models of the Bf 109G and the Fw 190.
A variant for use on the ground, sometimes referred to as the "MG 131E" or "MG 131E-1," was trialed, with little information known. It was not utilized operationally nor placed into production. The weapon could be utilized with ashoulder stock andbipod and its electric firing system was maintained via abattery.[4]
The MG 131 is the sole user of the electrically primed13×64 mm B cartridge. A mechanically primed variant was produced in small quantities in Spain for unknown uses.
| German designation | US abbreviation | Projectile weight [g] | Bursting charge [g] | Muzzle velocity [m/s] | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 mm Sprenggranatpatrone L'spur El. mit/ohne Zerleger | HEF-T | 34±1 | 1.2–1.4 g HE (PETN) + (blasting cap) : 0.2 g HE (PETN) + 0.4 g HE (lead azide)-(tetrazene explosive) | 750 | Nosefuze, tracer, with or without self-destruct |
| 13 mm Brandsprenggranatpatrone L'spur/Gl'spur El. ohne Zerleger | HEFI-T | 34±1 | 0.9 g HE (PETN) + (blasting cap) : 0.2 g HE (PETN) + 0.4 g HE (lead azide)-(tetrazene explosive) + 0.3 g incendiary (elektron) (thermite) | 750 | Nose fuze, tracer, no self-destruct |
| 13 mm Brandgranatpatrone El. ohne Zerleger | I | 32±1 | ? g incendiary (BaNO3+Al+Mg) | 770 | Nose fuze, no tracer, no self-destruct On impact, the priming charge shears away the grenade's cardboard head and sheet metal cap and ignites the incendiary charge in the projectile, which is sprayed forward up to 5 m of projectile travel. |
| 13 mm Brandgranatpatrone L'spur/Gl'spur El. ohne Zerleger | I-T | 34±1 | ? g incendiary (BaNO3+Al+Mg) | 770 | Nose fuze, tracer, no self-destruct On impact, the priming charge shears away the grenade's cardboard head and sheet metal cap and ignites the incendiary charge in the projectile, which is sprayed forward up to 5 m of projectile travel. |
| 13 mm Panzergranatpatrone L'spur/Gl'spur El. ohne Zerleger | AP-T | 38.5±1 | none (bakelite filling in cavity) | 710 | No fuze, tracer, no self-destruct. Penetration 10-14-17 mm of armour at 60-75-90-degree impact, 100 m range |
| 13 mm Panzerbrandgranatpatrone (Phosphor) El. ohne Zerleger | API | 38±1 | 0.36 g incendiary (WP) | 710 | No fuze, no tracer, no self-destruct. Penetration 10-14-17 mm of armour at 60-75-90-degree impact, 100 m range Incendiary effect also against protected fuel tanks when the specially hardened tail section of the grenade and the incendiary capsule break. The range of the incendiary effect extends over a distance of 2 m after the incendiary charge is released. |
13-mm MG 131 mit Zweibein und Schulterstütze Erdeinsatz [Translation: "13 mm MG 131 with bipod and shoulder support for ground use"]
