610:. Primary targets were the landing barges being used to move supplies down the island chain at night. At first, they were cannibalized from crashed P-39s at Henderson Field, and due to their success as an anti-barge weapon were used for the rest of the war. The M4s were initially mounted on a simple pedestal mount (often built at the front lines) with the standard horseshoe endless-belt feed being used. Later, an improved pedestal mount was designed for original equipment mountings on the boats. Handgrips of several configurations were used with various sights being tried. Most PT boat gunners used tracers to sight the fall of their shot. Beginning in 1944, the M9 model 37 mm (1.46 in) cannon was installed at the builders' boatyard as standard equipment.
580:
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flak gun and used the longer, more powerful 37×223mmSR cartridge. Compared to the M4, the M9 had 50% more muzzle velocity (3,000 fps) from a 78-inch barrel (vs. 65-inch in M4), and was twice as heavy (120 vs. 55 pounds for the barrel alone); the whole M9 weighed 405 pounds vs. 213 of the M4. The
451:
by means of a piston and spring combination connected to the recoiling mechanism and operating in an oil-filled recuperator cylinder mounted to the stationary trunnion block assembly. The recoiling mechanism of the gun included the tube and tube extension, recuperator piston and piston rod, lock
491:
The lock frame was retracted by recoil action during automatic firing and is forced forward by the driving springs. The major function of the lock frame assembly was to force the cartridge into the chamber, actuate the breech block, fire the round by means of the hammer striking the firing pin,
487:
The breech was locked and unlocked by recoil action which brings the operating level guide pins against cams to raise and lower the breechblock. The function of the breechblock was to assist in the final chambering of the round, close the breech, and actuate the trigger trip. It also provided a
498:
The driving spring assemblies held the lock frame against the carrier dog until the carrier was released by carrier catch which was pivoted by the incoming round. The springs then drove the lock frame assembly forward to operate the ejector, chamber the round and raise the breech block.
630:
but was primarily used in air-to-air combat, in which role it was highly effective. The
Soviets did not use the P-39 for tank-busting. Soviet pilots appreciated the M4's reliability but complained of its low rate of fire (three rounds per second) and small magazine size (30 rounds).
502:
Initial extraction occurred during recoil. Extraction, ejection, feeding and loading were accomplished during counter-recoil. If the trigger was held in the firing position, the gun would continue to fire automatically until the magazine was empty.
967:
1951, The
Machine Gun: Development During World War II and Korean Conflict by the United States and their Allies of Full Automatic Machine Gun Systems and High Rate of Fire Power Driven Cannon, Volume III, Parts VIII and IX., p.
556:) was to destroy formations of bombers, but it was later re-envisioned as a ground-attack plane. The more pronounced ballistic trajectory was unfamiliar for American pilots, and the four M4s were replaced with a single
468:
could be fed by a 5-round clip, a 15-round link belt, or a non-disintegrating 30-round endless belt magazine. The 30-round endless belt version was used exclusively in production. The M4 gun fed only from the left.
656:
was a minor improvement of the M4. It was fed by metallic disintegrating link belt and had a slightly higher rate of fire at around 165 rpm. The M10 replaced the M4 in aircraft starting with the A-9 model of the
571:, a slightly updated and refined version of the M4. Production-model P-59s mounted a single M10 cannon in the nose bearing 45 shells, along with three M2 .50 caliber machine guns bearing 200 rounds each.
456:
assembly. The nonrecoiling parts included the trunnion block group, the feed box and feeding mechanism, the recuperator cylinder and bushing, the back plate group, and the manual charger assembly.
472:
The 30-round endless belt magazine was given the designation M6; it had an oval-shaped framework (nicknamed a "horsecollar magazine" from its shape) providing a track for the endless belt.
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was a larger, more heavily armed version of the P-38 Lightning equipped with quadruple M4 cannons instead of M2 heavy machine guns in its nose. Its original purpose (like the German
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of 150 rounds per minute. It was normally loaded with high-explosive shells, but could also be loaded with the M80 armor-piercing shell, which could penetrate 1 inch (25 mm) of
816:
The
American Arsenal: The World War II Official Standard Ordnance Catalog of Small Arms, Tanks, Armored Cars, Artillery, Antiaircraft Guns, Ammunition, Grenades, Mines, Etc
891:
495:
The back plate assembly, by absorbing the energy of the lock frame, reduced the shock against the carrier pin as the lock frame was hatched to the rear.
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aircraft—instead, the
Soviets received 1,232,991 M54 high-explosive rounds. The M4 was sometimes employed against soft ground targets on the
519:
The 37 mm cannon was disliked by pilots for its low muzzle velocity, resulting in more pronounced drop than other contemporary weapons.
649:
cyclic rate was the same. Little is known about this gun's deployment; the only confirmed use is in the US Navy PT boats mentioned above.
389:(under-contract by Colt) and is therefore sometimes referred to as the "Colt M4" or "Oldsmobile M4." It was primarily mounted in the
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also mounted M10s; Two of three YP-59s and the XP-59 mounted twin nose-mounted M10s, with production models retaining only one.
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983:
Rapid Fire: The
Development of Automatic Cannon, Heavy Machine-Guns and Their Ammunition for Armies, Navies and Air Forces
541:, mounted a single M4 before the armament scheme was finalized. Production Lightning models would replace the M4 with the
74:
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Initial loading and cocking of the gun were accomplished manually. A safety feature incorporated in the design of the
942:
The Red Air Force at War: Barbarossa and the
Retreat to Moscow – Recollections of Fighter Pilots on the Eastern Front
81:
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with the M4-equipped P-39 Airacobra and P-63 King Cobra. The U.S did not supply M80 armor-piercing rounds for these
48:
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on the
Columbia River, October 2014. Note: M4 37 mm (1.46 in) automatic cannon mounted on the bow.
538:
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at 500 yd (460 m). It was magazine-fed and could be fired manually or by remote control through a
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774:"Oldsmobile, Lansing, Shells, Cannons, and World War Two – Military History of the Upper Great Lakes"
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prevented firing the round until the breech-block assembly was in the battery position.
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and entered service in 1942. The M4 and its variants would primarily be manufactured by
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434:
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918:
Attack of the
Airacobras: Soviet Aces, American P-39's and the Air War against Germany
661:. The disintegrating link belt made it possible to increase ammunition storage in the
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Flying Guns: The
Development of Aircraft Guns, Ammunition and Installations, 1933-45
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P-39Q Airacobra weapons bay showing the M4 cannon's "horse-collar" drum magazine
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The M4 37 mm (1.46 in) automatic cannon was mounted on numerous
944:. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Military, 2007, p. 133.
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17:
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extract the cartridge case from the chamber, and operate the ejector.
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The only standard aircraft armed with the M4 to see service were the
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during development, was a 37 mm (1.46 in) recoil-operated
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Designed primarily as an anti-aircraft weapon, the gun had a
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and the
Pacific theater by the USAAF and Allied air forces.
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1043:
Standard Nomenclature List Catalog, Group A, Subgroup A46
595:
M4 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force
1046:
ORD SNL A-46 (37mm Gun, Automatic, models M4 & M10)
680:
List of U.S. Army weapons by supply catalog designation
752:. New York: Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. p. 161.
618:During World War II the United States supplied the
452:frame assembly, driving spring assemblies, and the
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62:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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1051:P-63 KingCobra - Browning M4 37mm Auto Cannon Gun
530:. It was used as a limited standard aircraft in
976:
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692:Weapons of comparable role, performance and era
560:and a pair of .50 caliber heavy machine guns.
787:Emmanuel Gustin; Anthony G. Williams (2003).
8:
1018:Standard Artillery and Fire Control Materiel
1056:United States of America 7 mm/56 (1.46") M4
920:. University Press of Kansas. p. 359.
750:The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II
1030:War Department, Training Manual TM 9-1240
960:
958:
133:
1023:War Department, Training Manual TM 9-240
122:Learn how and when to remove this message
537:Some YP-38s, the prototype model of the
429:of 2,000 ft/s (610 m/s) and a
740:
1032:37-mm Automatic Gun M4 (Anti-aircraft)
635:US-built contemporaries and successors
894:from the original on 30 November 2021
847:US Patrol Torpedo Boats: World War II
7:
464:As the gun was originally designed,
60:adding citations to reliable sources
447:and counter-recoil were controlled
25:
916:Loza, Dmitriĭ Fedorovich (2002).
849:. Osprey Publishing. p. 22.
665:from 30 rounds to 58 rounds. The
606:as deck guns, beginning with the
1067:
880:. USA: J. Boylston, Publishers.
441:mounted on the rear of the gun.
144:
36:
47:needs additional citations for
1025:37-mm Aircraft Gun Materiel M4
351:2,000 ft/s (610 m/s)
1:
985:. Airlife. pp. 155–156.
488:mounting for the firing pin.
1016:, Training Manual TM-9-2300
981:Anthony G. Williams (2002).
687:: earlier British equivalent
383:Colt's Manufacturing Company
367:37 mm Automatic Gun, M4
877:Fork-Tailed Devil: The P-38
820:. Greenhill Books. p.
417:An M4 gun displayed at the
1118:
401:also utilizing it on many
710:: 40mm British equivalent
708:Vickers 40 mm Class S gun
654:37 mm M10 autocannon
273:
163:Place of origin
143:
791:. Airlife. p. 153.
714:Rolls-Royce 40 mm cannon
644:was a derivative of the
642:37 mm M9 autocannon
608:Solomon Islands campaign
419:Finnish Air Force Museum
138:37 mm Automatic Gun, M4
27:U.S. WWII-era autocannon
870:Caidin, Martin (2001).
845:Gordon Rottman (2011).
550:XP-58 "Chain Lightning"
539:Lockheed P-38 Lightning
1039:US Army Ordnance Corps
748:Bishop, Chris (2002).
698:Nudelman-Suranov NS-37
596:
588:
563:The first US jet, the
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422:
337:Rate of fire
1014:Coast Artillery Corps
730:: Japanese equivalent
594:
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532:North Africa campaign
514:
416:
379:Browning Arms Company
1076:at Wikimedia Commons
812:Ian V. Hogg (2001).
704:: Soviet equivalents
554:Messerschmitt Bf 110
347:Muzzle velocity
56:improve this article
724:: German equivalent
667:Bell P-59 Airacomet
663:Bell P-63 Kingcobra
659:Bell P-63 Kingcobra
565:Bell P-59 Airacomet
526:and the derivative
524:Bell P-39 Airacobra
391:Bell P-39 Airacobra
597:
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517:
507:US Army Air Forces
423:
206:Production history
1072:Media related to
1020:(7 February 1944)
992:978-1-84037-435-3
904:…one 37mm cannon…
856:978-1-78096-208-5
831:978-1-85367-470-9
798:978-1-84037-227-4
620:Soviet Air Forces
614:Soviet Air Forces
548:The experimental
482:trigger mechanism
460:Feeding mechanism
363:
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359:30-round magazine
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16:(Redirected from
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1037:War Department,
1034:(3 January 1942)
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356:Feed system
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269:89.5 in (2.27 m)
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427:muzzle velocity
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369:, known as the
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296:37 mm (1.46 in)
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176:In service
171:Service history
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71:"M4 autocannon"
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528:P-63 Kingcobra
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253:Specifications
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759:1-58663-762-2
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729:
728:Ho-203 cannon
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702:Nudelman N-37
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67:Find sources:
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45:This article
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965:George Chinn
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896:. Retrieved
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872:"YP-38 37mm"
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476:Firing cycle
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377:designed by
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229:Manufacturer
200:World War II
190:Soviet Union
184:Used by
118:
109:
99:
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66:
54:Please help
49:verification
46:
29:
898:30 November
543:AN/M2 20 mm
454:breechblock
435:armor plate
431:cyclic rate
397:, with the
331:in (245 mm)
1100:Autocannon
1084:Categories
1004:References
720:Bordkanone
646:37 mm M1A2
624:Lend-Lease
466:ammunition
387:Oldsmobile
375:autocannon
157:Autocannon
82:newspapers
1074:M4 cannon
1011:U.S. Army
601:U.S. Navy
583:Restored
399:U.S. Navy
285:37×145mmR
224:1921–1938
179:1942–1945
112:June 2016
18:M4 cannon
892:Archived
674:See also
604:PT boats
545:cannon.
439:solenoid
403:PT boats
245:Variants
237:Produced
221:Designed
211:Designer
575:US Navy
341:150 rpm
326:⁄
292:Caliber
248:M9, M10
96:scholar
989:
948:
924:
884:
853:
828:
795:
756:
722:BK 3,7
445:Recoil
421:, 2012
409:Design
314:Recoil
302:Action
266:Length
98:
91:
84:
77:
69:
735:Notes
585:PT658
280:Shell
103:JSTOR
89:books
987:ISBN
946:ISBN
922:ISBN
900:2021
882:ISBN
851:ISBN
826:ISBN
793:ISBN
754:ISBN
652:The
640:The
393:and
385:and
365:The
258:Mass
240:1939
232:Colt
196:Wars
153:Type
75:news
968:352
822:217
58:by
1086::
1041:,
973:^
957:^
902:.
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874:.
824:.
700:,
405:.
371:T9
995:.
952:.
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762:.
328:8
324:5
321:+
319:9
125:)
119:(
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110:(
100:·
93:·
86:·
79:·
52:.
20:)
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