khai@adi.com (Sao Khai Mong) (04/18/91)
From: khai@adi.com (Sao Khai Mong) On the muzzle of certain guns and howitzers, there is a hammerhead-like attachment present. What is the purpose of it and why do certain guns need it and others not? -- Sao Khai Mong: Applied Dynamics, 3800 Stone School Road, Ann Arbor, Mi48108 (313)973-1300 (uunet|sharkey)!amara!khai khai@adi.com
bxr307@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian) (04/18/91)
From: bxr307@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian) >From: khai@adi.com (Sao Khai Mong) >On the muzzle of certain guns and howitzers, there is a >hammerhead-like attachment present. What is the purpose of it and why >do certain guns need it and others not? This is called the "muzzle brake". It is basically a device which is intended to reduce the recoil that the gun carriage/mounting recieves when a round is fired by redirecting the gases from the barrel rearwards. Muzzle brakes come in assorted shapes, functionality and efficiency. They can range from simple holes drilled in the barrel at the muzzle end, canted backwards, to complex, multi-slotted devices several feet long which project from the end of the barrel. You will though, see them primarily on weapons which require some help to alleviate the force of the recoil which would normally damage their mountings. However surprisingly they have gone out of favour on tank guns because of problems encounted in their becoming fouled by the discarbing sabots of the main anti-armour round now fired which relies on kinetic energy (usually referred to as APFSDS or APDS) to destroy its target. Brian Ross
tarl@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter) (04/18/91)
From: tarl@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter) In article <1991Apr18.032433.21674@amd.com>, khai@adi.com (Sao Khai Mong) writes: > On the muzzle of certain guns and howitzers, there is a > hammerhead-like attachment present. What is the purpose of it and why > do certain guns need it and others not? The hammerhead attachement is a muzzle brake, which vents some of the exhaust gasses along the sides rather than in the same direction the projectile is fired. This somewhat reduces the recoil of the weapon. This reduction in recoil is at the expense of some range and some accuracy. The question on whether a gun needs it or not is based on how much recoil you are willing to tolerate. In small human carried (hunting) rifles, this brake is rarely present. In larger rifles (e.g., non-tripod .50BMG) it is almost a requirement. For tank mounted weapons, the question would be what the effect of recoil is on the tank itself; wear and tear on the turret mechanisms and (for the M1Ax tanks), the effect of rocking the tanks while in motion (I presume severe rocking could cause a tread to fall off). No reference, this is largely a compilation of what I researched when buying my .50 rifle, where the effects of recoil dominate the usability of the weapon. -- Tarl Neustaedter tarl@vos.stratus.com Marlboro, Mass. Stratus Computer Disclaimer: My employer is not responsible for my opinions.
bjohnson@athena.mit.edu (Brett W Johnson) (04/18/91)
From: bjohnson@athena.mit.edu (Brett W Johnson) In article <1991Apr18.032433.21674@amd.com> khai@adi.com (Sao Khai Mong) writes: >On the muzzle of certain guns and howitzers, there is a >hammerhead-like attachment present. What is the purpose of it and why >do certain guns need it and others not? It is called a muzzle brake and is designed to reduce recoil, thus permitting a much lighter recoil absorption mechanism. It has some disadvantages however, notably increasing the noise/overpressure to the rear of the gun (where the crew is). Also I don't think you can fire DS (discarding sabot) rounds from guns fitted with a muzzle break. -- Brett W. Johnson These opinions are mine and mine alone...
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (04/19/91)
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) >From: khai@adi.com (Sao Khai Mong) >On the muzzle of certain guns and howitzers, there is a >hammerhead-like attachment present. What is the purpose of it and why >do certain guns need it and others not? It's called a muzzle brake. The purpose is to deflect some of the gases from a firing rearward, to reduce recoil. It's basically a kludge added if the recoil from the gun is too heavy for the mounting platform (whatever it is) to handle. It is thoroughly unpopular with people like infantry who have some reason to be near the gun while it is firing, because it deflects the gases *towards them*. This is a sufficient headache in tactical use that designers avoid muzzle brakes when possible. -- And the bean-counter replied, | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology "beans are more important". | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
consp04@bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu (Dan Boyd) (04/19/91)
From: consp04@bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu (Dan Boyd) khai@adi.com (Sao Khai Mong) writes: > On the muzzle of certain guns and howitzers, there is a > hammerhead-like attachment present. What is the purpose of it and > why do certain guns need it and others not? This is a muzzle brake, which directs the firing gases backwards to propel the gun forwards to damp the recoil. It makes the gun much LOUDER. You don't see them on guns that don't need muzzle brakes to help absorb the recoil. Naval guns don't have them because the recoil is absorbed by the water. Modern tank guns don't have them because the recoil is absorbed by the recoil pistons. Water guns don't have appreciable recoil, and thus don't need muzzle brakes. Daniel F. Boyd consp04@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu
thos@suite.sw.oz.au (Thomas Cohen) (04/19/91)
From: thos@suite.sw.oz.au (Thomas Cohen) In <1991Apr18.032433.21674@amd.com> khai@adi.com (Sao Khai Mong) writes: >On the muzzle of certain guns and howitzers, there is a >hammerhead-like attachment present. What is the purpose of it and why >do certain guns need it and others not? This is a muzzle brake. Simply, it's there to divert some of the gas that comes out of the muzzle after the shell. It turns it to develop a forward pull on the barrel which counteracts some of the recoil. There are problems associated in turning the gas back too far as you could seriously annoy the gun's detachment. A good muzzle brake can reduce the recoil forces by 25-35%. It is possible to improve on this but usually at the expense of manufacturing difficulty. -- thos cohen UUCP: ...!uunet!softway.oz!thos Internet: thos@softway.oz.au
wbt@cbema.att.com (William B Thacker) (04/23/91)
From: wbt@cbema.att.com (William B Thacker) Many readers have explained the function of muzzle brakes. In WWII, they were considered useful for high-velocity tank guns, in particular, as the reduced recoil saved wear and tear on the gun's recoil system, optics, etc. One drawback was that the muzzle brake tended to kick up more dust, helping enemies locate the firing tank and reducing the tank's visibility. For this reason, they were sometimes omitted, especially on late-war tank destroyers such as the Jagdpanzer IV's and the Hetzer. They were less important for artillery, which tended to be of a lower muzzle velocity; still, some artillery pieces were so equipped, to allow the use of a lighter carriage. -- Bill Thacker AT&T Network Systems - Columbus wbt@cbnews.att.com