76 mm air defense gun M1938

76 mm air defense gun M1938
76-mm M1938
Type	Air defense gun
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Production history
Produced	1938-1940
Specifications
Weight	4,300 kg (9,480 lbs)
Shell	76.2 × 558 mm. R
Caliber	76.2 mm (3 in)
Elevation	-3° to 82°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	10-20 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	815 m/s
Maximum firing range	14.6 km (9 mi)

76 mm air defense gun M1938 (Russian: 76-мм зенитная пушка обр. 1938 г.) was 76.2 mm (3 inch) Soviet air defense gun, created by Soviet artillery designer M.N.Loginov. This gun was a modernized version of the 76.2 mm air defense gun model 1931, with a slightly modernized barrel and a completely new two-axle carriage ZU-8. This carriage was also used for the more powerful 85 mm 52-K air defense gun, developed in 1939.

The 85 mm gun was chosen for mass production by the Soviet authorities and tooling was switched from the 76.2 mm AD guns, to the 85 mm gun. As a result of this decision, the total number of M1938 AD guns, delivered to the Red Army, was relatively small. These guns were used in the first stages of the German-Soviet War and were gradually replaced by the more powerful 52-Ks. The muzzle velocity of the 6.5 kg (14.33 lb) projectile was 816 m/s (2,677 ft/s) and this allowed the shell to reach a 9,250 m (30,347 ft) maximum altitude.

The external appearance of the 76 mm and 85 mm AD guns is very close; the two types can be differentiated by their muzzle brake, the larger gun possessing the larger muzzle brake.

References and external links

• Shunkov V. N. - The Weapons of the Red Army, Mn. Harvest, 1999 (Шунков В. Н. - Оружие Красной Армии. — Мн.: Харвест, 1999.) ISBN 985-433-469-4