2cm KwK 30/38 vs FlaK 30/38

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eliw00d
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2cm KwK 30/38 vs FlaK 30/38

#1

Post by eliw00d » 10 May 2015, 07:51

Since the KwK 30 and 38 had a barrel length of L/55, and the FlaK 30 and 38 had a barrel length of L/65, what was the difference in muzzle velocity?

The book WWII Ballistics: Armor and Gunnery gives AP ammunition a muzzle velocity of 760 m/s when fired from the L/55, but I have seen wildly different numbers everywhere else for both barrel lengths.

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eliw00d
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Re: 2cm KwK 30/38 vs FlaK 30/38

#2

Post by eliw00d » 02 Aug 2015, 17:06

Does anyone have any information on this?


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Christian Ankerstjerne
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Re: 2cm KwK 30/38 vs FlaK 30/38

#3

Post by Christian Ankerstjerne » 02 Aug 2015, 17:31

Increasing the barrel length will not in itself have much effect on the muzzle velocity without also increasing the propellant. That is why the 7,5 cm Pzgr Patr 39/42 Kw K 42 contained 4070 grams of propellant, compared to the 7,5 cm Pzgr Patr 39 Pak 40's 2710 grams. The ammunition for the 2 cm Kw K 30, 2 cm Kw K 38, 2 cm Flak 30, 2 cm Flak 38, 2 cm Flakvierling 38, and 2 cm Geb Flak 38 was interchangeable, unlike that of for example the 7,5 cm Pak 40 and the 7,5 cm Kw K 40 where the tank gun ammunition had shorter rounds and for the armor piercing ammunition also smaller propellant charges.

The muzzle velocity changes between different German sources, possibly due to differences in how they are estimated or changes in propellant loads and quality. I would expect the muzzle velocity difference due to the small difference in barrel length would be within the natural margin between the shots due to manufacturing irregularities.

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eliw00d
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Re: 2cm KwK 30/38 vs FlaK 30/38

#4

Post by eliw00d » 02 Aug 2015, 18:23

Thank you!

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