M3 Browning (12.7 mm)

Description

The 12.7 mm M3 Browning is a faster-firing variant of the M2 Browning developed for aircraft use. In-game, it is found mainly on early American jet fighters, notably the F-84 Thunderjet and F-86 Sabre variants.

General info

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Available ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
AP	AP	30	27	20	13	9	6
I	I	7	7	6	5	3	3
API-T	API-T	28	26	18	11	7	4
Omni-purpose	I	7	7	6	5	3	3
AP-I	AP-I	28	26	18	11	7	4

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
AP	AP	865	0.05	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	56°	65°
I	I	944	0.04	N/A	3	N/A	47°	56°	65°
API-T	API-T	899	0.04	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	56°	65°
Omni-purpose	I	1040	0.03	N/A	0.5	N/A	47°	56°	65°
AP-I	AP-I	887	0.04	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	56°	65°

Comparison with analogues

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Usage in battles

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Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fast fire rate
• Is good at setting fires
• Good muzzle velocity
• Doesn't jam easily

Cons:

• Not very good destructive power, will need a solid burst to take down an enemy

History

The M3 Browning was an improvement on the M2 Browning, the main aircraft mounted weapon for the United States during World War II. Due to the unreliability of their cannon designs, the M2, a scaled-up variant of a World War I-era design, was mounted in large groups on the wings and turrets of American aircraft, compensating for the explosive punch of a cannon shell with volume of fire. However, near the end of World War II, jet engine technology started becoming practical with Germany and the Allies developing fighters using these new advanced engines. The M2 did not have the rate of fire to provide proper firepower during engagement with this new generation of aircraft and so the M3 Browning was created. The M3 is only a slight modification of the M2 Browning airborne machine gun that increased the rate of fire from 850 rounds per minute to 1,300 rpm. The M3 was originally mounted on variants of the piston-engined P-51D-30 Mustang and F-82E "Twin Mustang" used during the Korean War along with early American jet designs the F-80C-10 Shooting Star, F-84 Thunderjet and the F-86 Sabre. After the Korean War, the United States began to abandon machine guns or cannons for a time in favour of arming their jets with rockets and missiles.

Modified designs based on the M3 Browning exist just as they did for the M2. The M3W which has a lighter barrel and electronic firing mechanism was mounted on the Brazilian Embraer EMP 314 Super Tucano ground attack craft. During the Vietnam War, the M3 was mounted in the XM14 or SUU-12/A gun pods used on the JOV-1A Mohawks reconnaissance aircraft and the UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopters. The M3M is a flexible mounted variant for use on helicopters while the M3P is fixed, remote firing variant. The M3 is still used on helicopters in both modules in the 21st century.

Media

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See also

• M2 Browning (12.7 mm)

External links

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• other literature.