Difference between revisions of "Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 (20 mm)"

Revision as of 12:27, 14 June 2019

Description

The Colt-Browning Mk 12 Mod 3 is an advanced derivative of the AN/M3 (20 mm) cannon, and became the standard cannon found on US Navy aircraft from the mid 1950s. Compared to the AN/M3 it replaced, the Mk 12 boasted a faster rate of fire and a higher muzzle velocity, courtesy of the new, electrically-primed cartridges designed specifically for the Mk 12.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

General info

Rate of Fire: 1000 rounds/min

Individual Gun Burst Mass: 1.83 kg/sec

Muzzle Velocity: 1012 metres/sec

Projectile Mass: 110 grams

HE-I Filler Mass: 14 grams

Tracer Colour: Red

Available shells

The Mk 12 cannon fires 20x110mm USN ammunition, which was developed from the 20x110mm Hispano-Suiza ammunition used on the AN/M2 and AN/M3 cannons.

The following belts can be found on the Mk 12 Mod 3 cannon:

Default belts - These are comprised of Mk 106 HE-I and Mk 108 AP-T rounds ordered HE-I/HE-I/AP-T, and are the stock belts that come with the cannon.
Universal belts - These general-purpose belts are made up of the same HE-I and AP-T rounds as the default belts, only in a repeating HE-I/AP-T order.
Ground Target belts - Intended to be used against armoured ground targets, these boast a belt made up almost entirely of armour piercing ammunition. It features Mk 106 HE-I, Mk 107 AP-I, and Mk 108 AP-T rounds arranged in AP-T/AP-T/HE-I/AP-I order.
Air Target belts - These belts are arranged in much the same way as the Universal belts. However, every fourth round is now a Mk 107 AP-I round, leaving the belts ordered as HE-I/AP-T/HE-I/AP-I.
Stealth belts - These belts contain the most HE-I rounds of any available for the Mk 12, with Mk 106 HE-I and Mk 107 AP-I rounds in HE-I/HE-I/HE-I/AP-I order.

Comparison with analogues

AN/M3 - The predecessor to the Mk 12, and inferior in almost every way. It has a lower rate of fire, lower burst mass, and lower muzzle velocity than the Mk 12 Mod 3.

M24A1 - Derived from the AN/M3, this cannon uses electrically primed cartridges instead of the percussivelly primed cartridges on all other Hispano variants. Much like the AN/M3, its inferior in every way to the Mk 12 Mod 3.

Hispano Mk.V - The forerunner to the AN/M3, and by extension the Mk 12. As with the two above, it has a lower muzzle velocity, lower rate of fire, and lower burst mass than the Mk 12.

All three of the above weapons fire 20x110mm Hispano ammunition, which has a higher projectile mass than the 20x110mm USN used by the Mk 12, so each individual shell impact will do more damage.

M39A1 & FMC T-160 - These are the US Air Force equivalent to the Mk 12. They have a higher muzzle velocity, much higher rate of fire, and a higher burst mass. However, they have an individual projectile mass nearly 10% lower than that of the Mk 12, and rely more on the sheer number of rounds hitting the target than the size of the shell itself.

Usage in battles

The Mk 12 is an excellent general-purpose cannon - the high quantity of AP rounds in the Ground Targets belts are ideally suited to taking out lightly armoured vehicles, and the large amount of HE-I rounds in most other belts are easily capable of destroying any opponent. However, the higher rate-of-fire and higher muzzle velocity than the AN/M3 cannons found on the aircraft before it will require some getting used to, particularly when using these cannons against moving targets. Additionally, short bursts are required with a stock cannon, but are not a requirement once the New 20mm Cannons modification has been unlocked.

Pros and cons

Summarize and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.

Pros:

Higher velocity ammunition means less lead is required against manoeuvering targets
High rate-of-fire
Can fire nearly 400 rounds before jamming when upgraded

Cons:

As with other high rate-of-fire cannons, it will quickly deplete it's ammunition stores.
Limited to fairly short bursts while stock to prevent jamming
Inaccurate while stock

History

Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of this weapon. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(weapon-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.

Media

An excellent addition to the article would be a video guide, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

External links

Colt Mk 12 cannon (Wikipedia)

NAVWEPS OP 1866 - 20-mm Aircraft Gun Mark 12 Mods 0, 2, and 3; Description, Operation and Maintenance (PDF)

The following documents also contain information about the Mk 12 cannon, as well as other types -

MIL-STD-637A - Machine and Automatic Guns and Machinegun Trainers Through 30-mm (PDF)

NAVORD OP 2215 - Navy Gun Type Ammunition (PDF)

Small-Caliber Ammunition Identification Guide, Volume 2 - 20-mm to 40-mm Cartridges (PDF)

USA aircraft cannons
20 mm	AN/M2 · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 0 · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 · FMC T-160
	M3 · M24A1 · M39 · M39A1 · M39A2 · M39A3 · M61A1 · M195 · M197 · Mk 11 · Mk 11 mod 5 · T31
30 mm	M230E-1 · XM140 · GAU-8/A · GAU-13/A · LR30
37 mm	M4 · M9 · M10
40 mm	M75 · M129
75 mm	M10 · T13E1
	Foreign:
20 mm	Hispano 404 ^(France) · Hispano Mk.II ^(Britain) · MG 151 ^(Germany) · Type 99 Model 1 ^(Japan)
30 mm	ADEN Mk.4 ^(Britain)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 == Description ==
-<!-- ''Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.'' -->
+The Colt-Browning Mk 12 Mod 3 is an advanced derivative of the [[AN/M3 (20 mm)]] cannon, and became the standard cannon found on US Navy aircraft from the mid 1950s. Compared to the AN/M3 it replaced, the Mk 12 boasted a faster rate of fire and a higher muzzle velocity, courtesy of the new, electrically-primed cartridges designed specifically for the Mk 12.
-The Colt-Browning Mk 12 Mod 3 is an advanced derivative of the [[AN/M3 (20 mm)|20 mm AN/M3]] cannon and became the standard cannon found on US Navy aircraft from the mid-1950s. Compared to the AN/M3 it replaced, the Mk 12 boasted a faster rate of fire and higher muzzle velocity, courtesy of the new electrically-primed cartridges designed specifically for the Mk 12. While these new cartridges, designated the Mk 100 series by the US Navy, had the same caliber and casing length as the 20x110 mm Hispano-Suiza rounds fired by the earlier AN/M3 cannon, the two types were in no way compatible, owing to the Mk 100 series having different casing dimensions.
-The Mk 12 Mod 3 and its sibling, the [[Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 0 (20 mm)|Colt-Browning Mk 12 Mod 0]], operate in the same manner - both are pneumatically-charged combination gas blowback weapons firing electrically-primed ammunition at a rate of 1000 rounds per minute - and only differ in a couple of areas, specifically relating to the recoil system and receiver body design. These differences stemmed from the different feeder systems used; the Mk 12 Mod 0 used a Mk 7 pneumatic feeder driven by a 3000 psi nitrogen bottle<ref>Simms, D., & Lee-Frampton, N. (2011). ''Skyhawks: The History of the RNZAF Skyhawk''. Christchurch, New Zealand: WilsonScott.
-"''The explosion was caused by the inadvertent filling of the gun pneumatic bottle with 3000psi of oxygen instead of nitrogen.''" (p. 82)</ref>, while the Mk 12 Mod 3 used a simpler, albeit heavier, Mk 9 rotary recoil-operated feeder.
 === Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===
 <!-- ''List out vehicles that are equipped with the weapon.'' -->
-* {{Specs-Link|f3h-2}}
-* {{Specs-Link|f8u-2}}
-* {{Specs-Link|f-8e}}
-* {{Specs-Link|f-8e_fn}}
 * {{Specs-Link|fj_4b}}
 * {{Specs-Link|fj_4b_agm_12b}}
 == General info ==
-<!-- ''Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.'' -->
+Rate of Fire: 1000 rounds/min
-=== Tactical and technical characteristics ===
-* Rate of Fire: 996 rounds/min
+Individual Gun Burst Mass: 1.83 kg/sec
-* Individual Gun Burst Mass: 1.83 kg/sec
-* Muzzle Velocity: 1,012 metres/sec
-* Projectile Mass: 110 grams
-* HE-I Filler Mass: 14 grams
-* Tracer Colour: Red
-=== Available ammunition ===
+Muzzle Velocity: 1012 metres/sec
-<!-- ''Describe the shells that are available for the weapon and their features and purpose. If it concerns autocannons or machine guns, write about different ammo belts and what is inside (which types of shells).'' -->
-The Mk 12 cannon fires 20 x 110 mm USN ammunition, which was developed from the 20 x 110 mm Hispano-Suiza ammunition used by the AN/M2 and AN/M3 cannons.
-The Mk 12 Mod 3 cannon can be equipped with the following belts:
+Projectile Mass: 110 grams
-* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI|High-explosive incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI|High-explosive incendiary}}
+HE-I Filler Mass: 14 grams
-: These are comprised of Mk 106 HEI and Mk 108 AP-T rounds and are the stock belts that come with the cannon.
+Tracer Colour: Red
-* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI|High-explosive incendiary}}
+=== Available shells ===
+The Mk 12 cannon fires 20x110mm USN ammunition, which was developed from the 20x110mm Hispano-Suiza ammunition used on the AN/M2 and AN/M3 cannons.
-: These general-purpose belts are made up of the same HEI and AP-T rounds as the default belts.
+The following belts can be found on the Mk 12 Mod 3 cannon:
-* '''Ground targets:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI|High-explosive incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}
+* Default belts - These are comprised of Mk 106 HE-I and Mk 108 AP-T rounds ordered HE-I/HE-I/AP-T, and are the stock belts that come with the cannon.
+* Universal belts - These general-purpose belts are made up of the same HE-I and AP-T rounds as the default belts, only in a repeating HE-I/AP-T order.
-: Intended to be used against armoured ground targets, these boast a belt made up almost entirely of armour piercing ammunition. It features Mk 106 HEI, Mk 107 AP-I, and Mk 108 AP-T rounds.
+* Ground Target belts -  Intended to be used against armoured ground targets, these boast a belt made up almost entirely of armour piercing ammunition. It features Mk 106 HE-I, Mk 107 AP-I, and Mk 108 AP-T rounds arranged in AP-T/AP-T/HE-I/AP-I order.
+* Air Target belts - These belts are arranged in much the same way as the Universal belts. However, every fourth round is now a Mk 107 AP-I round, leaving the belts ordered as HE-I/AP-T/HE-I/AP-I.
-* '''Air targets:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI|High-explosive incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI|High-explosive incendiary}}
+* Stealth belts - These belts contain the most HE-I rounds of any available for the Mk 12, with Mk 106 HE-I and Mk 107 AP-I rounds in HE-I/HE-I/HE-I/AP-I order.
-: These belts are arranged in much the same way as the Universal belts. However, every fourth round is now a Mk 107 AP-I round.
-* '''Stealth:''' {{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI|High-explosive incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI|High-explosive incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI|High-explosive incendiary}}
-: These belts contain the most HEI rounds of any available for the Mk 12, with Mk 106 HEI and Mk 107 AP-I rounds.
-{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
-! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
-|-
-! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
-! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
-|-
-! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
-|-
-| Default || 42 || 39 || 27 || 18 || 11 || 7
-|-
-| Universal || 42 || 39 || 27 || 18 || 11 || 7
-|-
-| Ground targets || 42 || 39 || 27 || 18 || 11 || 7
-|-
-| Air targets || 42 || 39 || 27 || 18 || 11 || 7
-|-
-| Stealth || 42 || 39 || 27 || 18 || 11 || 7
-|-
-|}
 === Comparison with analogues ===
-<!-- ''Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.'' -->
+[[AN/M3 (20 mm)|AN/M3]] - The predecessor to the Mk 12, and inferior in almost every way. It has a lower rate of fire, lower burst mass, and lower muzzle velocity than the Mk 12 Mod 3.
-;Comparable ammunition:
+[[M24A1 (20 mm)|M24A1]] - Derived from the AN/M3, this cannon uses electrically primed cartridges instead of the percussivelly primed cartridges on all other Hispano variants. Much like the AN/M3, its inferior in every way to the Mk 12 Mod 3.
-* [[AN/M3 (20 mm)|AN/M3]] - The predecessor to the Mk 12, and inferior in almost every way. It has a lower rate of fire, lower burst mass, and lower muzzle velocity than the Mk 12 Mod 3.
+[[Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)|Hispano Mk.V]] - The forerunner to the AN/M3, and by extension the Mk 12. As with the two above, it has a lower muzzle velocity, lower rate of fire, and lower burst mass than the Mk 12.
-* [[M24A1 (20 mm)|M24A1]] - Derived from the AN/M3, this cannon uses electrically primed cartridges instead of the percussively primed cartridges on all other Hispano variants. Much like the AN/M3, it's inferior in every way to the Mk 12 Mod 3.
+All three of the above weapons fire 20x110mm Hispano ammunition, which has a higher projectile mass than the 20x110mm USN used by the Mk 12, so each individual shell impact will do more damage.
-* [[Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)|Hispano Mk.V]] - The forerunner to the AN/M3, and by extension the Mk 12. As with the two above, it has a lower muzzle velocity, lower rate of fire, and lower burst mass than the Mk 12.
+[[M39A1 (20 mm)|M39A1]] & [[FMC T-160 (20 mm)|FMC T-160]] - These are the US Air Force equivalent to the Mk 12. They have a higher muzzle velocity, much higher rate of fire, and a higher burst mass. However, they have an individual projectile mass nearly 10% lower than that of the Mk 12, and rely more on the sheer number of rounds hitting the target than the size of the shell itself.
-All three of the above weapons fire 20 x 110 mm Hispano ammunition, which has a higher projectile mass than the 20 x 110 mm USN used by the Mk 12, so each individual shell impact will do more damage.
-* [[M39A1 (20 mm)|M39A1]] & [[FMC T-160 (20 mm)|FMC T-160]] - These are the US Air Force equivalent to the Mk 12. They have a higher muzzle velocity, a much higher rate of fire, and a higher burst mass. However, they have an individual projectile mass nearly 10% lower than that of the Mk 12 and rely more on the sheer number of rounds hitting the target than the size of the shell itself.
 == Usage in battles ==
-<!-- ''Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.'' -->
+The Mk 12 is an excellent general-purpose cannon - the high quantity of AP rounds in the ''Ground Targets'' belts are ideally suited to taking out lightly armoured vehicles, and the large amount of HE-I rounds in most other belts are easily capable of destroying any opponent. However, the higher rate-of-fire and higher muzzle velocity than the AN/M3 cannons found on the aircraft before it will require some getting used to, particularly when using these cannons against moving targets. Additionally, short bursts are required with a stock cannon, but are not a requirement once the ''New 20mm Cannons'' modification has been unlocked.
-The Mk 12 is an excellent general-purpose cannon - the high quantity of AP rounds in the ''Ground targets'' belts are ideally suited to taking out lightly armoured vehicles, and a large amount of HE-I rounds in most other belts are easily capable of destroying any opponent. However, the higher rate-of-fire and higher muzzle velocity than the AN/M3 cannons found on the aircraft before it will require some getting used to, particularly when using these cannons against moving targets. Additionally, short bursts are required with a stock cannon but are not a requirement once the ''New 20 mm cannons'' modification has been unlocked.
 === Pros and cons ===
-<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.'' -->
+''Summarize and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.''
 '''Pros:'''
-* Higher velocity ammunition means less lead is required against manoeuvring targets
+* Higher velocity ammunition means less lead is required against manoeuvering targets
 * High rate-of-fire
 * Can fire nearly 400 rounds before jamming when upgraded
+*
 '''Cons:'''
-* As with other high rate-of-fire cannons, it will quickly deplete its ammunition stores.
+* As with other high rate-of-fire cannons, it will quickly deplete it's ammunition stores.
 * Limited to fairly short bursts while stock to prevent jamming
 * Inaccurate while stock
+*
 == History ==
-''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>.''
+''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of this weapon. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(weapon-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.''
 == Media ==
-''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
+''An excellent addition to the article would be a video guide, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
 == See also ==
-<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
+[[AN/M3 (20 mm)]]
-* ''reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
-* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.'' -->
+[[Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)]]
+[[M24A1 (20 mm)]]
+[[FMC T-160 (20 mm)]]
-* [[Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 0 (20 mm)]]
+[[M39A1 (20 mm)]]
-* [[AN/M3 (20 mm)]]
-* [[Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)]]
-* [[M24A1 (20 mm)]]
-* [[FMC T-160 (20 mm)]]
-* [[M39A1 (20 mm)]]
 == External links ==
-<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+[[wikipedia:Colt_Mk_12_cannon|Colt Mk 12 cannon (Wikipedia)]]
-* ''topic on the official game forum;''
-* ''other literature.'' -->
+[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qadku999lrNkKvifuJ4MzeMlKQ8EBf4G/view?usp=sharing NAVWEPS OP 1866 - 20-mm Aircraft Gun Mark 12 Mods 0, 2, and 3; Description, Operation and Maintenance (PDF)]
+The following documents also contain information about the Mk 12 cannon, as well as other types -
-* [[wikipedia:Colt_Mk_12_cannon|[Wikipedia] Colt Mk 12 cannon]]
+[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sc_aDGyOn3RnR8EsqQkzg6AGAQZAW0Xp/view?usp=sharing MIL-STD-637A - Machine and Automatic Guns and Machinegun Trainers Through 30-mm (PDF)]
-* [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qadku999lrNkKvifuJ4MzeMlKQ8EBf4G/view?usp=sharing NAVWEPS OP 1866 - 20-mm Aircraft Gun Mark 12 Mods 0, 2, and 3; Description, Operation and Maintenance (PDF - Download required for view!)]
-* The following documents also contain information about the Mk 12 cannon, as well as other types -
-** [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sc_aDGyOn3RnR8EsqQkzg6AGAQZAW0Xp/view?usp=sharing MIL-STD-637A - Machine and Automatic Guns and Machinegun Trainers Through 30-mm (PDF)]
-** [http://bulletpicker.com/pdf/OP%202215,%20Navy%20Gun%20Type%20Ammunition%20(1972).pdf NAVORD OP 2215 - Navy Gun Type Ammunition (PDF)]
-** [http://bulletpicker.com/pdf/DST-1160G-514-81-VOL2,%20Small%20Caliber%20ID%20Guide%20(20mm%20to%2040mm).pdf Small-Caliber Ammunition Identification Guide, Volume 2 - 20-mm to 40-mm Cartridges (PDF)]
-=== References ===
+[http://bulletpicker.com/pdf/OP%202215,%20Navy%20Gun%20Type%20Ammunition%20(1972).pdf NAVORD OP 2215 - Navy Gun Type Ammunition (PDF)]
-<references/>
-{{USA aircraft cannons}}
+[http://bulletpicker.com/pdf/DST-1160G-514-81-VOL2,%20Small%20Caliber%20ID%20Guide%20(20mm%20to%2040mm).pdf Small-Caliber Ammunition Identification Guide, Volume 2 - 20-mm to 40-mm Cartridges (PDF)]{{USA aircraft cannons}}
-{{France aircraft cannons}}
 [[Category:Aircraft cannons]]

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