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346:(VKT, State Rifle Factory) in January 1940 and a further 120 guns in June 1941. Production was delayed, however, and the first guns were finished only in 1943. Of the total number of 174 guns, 155 were produced in 1943 and 19 in 1944. The guns were distributed to units in small batches soon after they were completed.
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Unlike the L-39 anti-tank rifle, weapons in the 20 ItK 40 VKT are designed for full-automatic fire and so do not suffer from the similar structural weaknesses as the full-automatic conversion L-39/44 anti-aircraft rifles. The rate of fire for the gun is adjustable, with a maximum cyclic rate of 2 ×
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was more numerous, but used primarily by navy and coastal artillery or at the home front). The guns made through the war mostly intact. After the war the 20 ItK 40 VKT was considered to be the only still satisfactory 20 mm anti-aircraft gun, although it was recommended to re-design the gun
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700 rounds per minute, and a more commonly used rate of 2 × 360 rounds per minute. The gun is loaded from 20 round magazines, with an empty weight of 5.6 kg and 11–12 kg full, depending on the type of ammunition. The
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sight. The re-design was realized in 1955 when a new m/55 pendulum ring sight was accepted into service. The same sight was also later used on
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along with other 20 mm guns. At the end of the war the 20 ItK 40 VKT was the most numerous field army 20 mm anti-aircraft gun (the
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cartridge used in 20 ItK 40 VKT was also used in the L-39 anti-tank rifle as well as the other 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, the
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400:. The 20 ItK 40 VKT was used in training until the 1970s and they were kept in storage as reserve weapons until 1988.
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The 20 ItK 40 VKT is a dual anti-aircraft gun designed by Aimo Lahti. The gun barrels and mechanisms are based on the
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319:(gadget) from Finnish soldiers. The nickname was reached by adding to the abbreviation of manufacturer, VKT.
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converted from semi-automatic to full automatic fire and with the stock and
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removed. A prototype L-39 anti-aircraft gun was completed just before the
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The 20 ItK 40 VKT was used by
Finnish light anti-aircraft batteries in
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was a
Finnish light anti-aircraft gun designed by the Finnish gunsmith
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20 mm dual anti-aircraft cannon model 1940 manufactured by VKT
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Vehviläinen, Raimo; Lappi, Ahti; Palokangas, Markku (2005),
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Vehviläinen, Raimo; Lappi, Ahti; Palokangas, Markku (2005),
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anti-aircraft machine gun, also designed by Aimo Lahti
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472:FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS PART 1
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494:Itsenäisen Suomen ilmatorjuntatykit 1917-2000
441:Itsenäisen Suomen ilmatorjuntatykit 1917-2000
159:652 kg (1,437 lb) (firing position)
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557:World War II military equipment of Finland
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562:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1943
496:, Helsinki: Sotamuseo, pp. 110–112,
443:, Helsinki: Sotamuseo, pp. 164–166,
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161:778 kg (1,715 lb) (transport)
289:m/55 pendulum ring sight (after 1955)
243:2×700/minute (cyclic max, adjustable)
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169:425 cm (13 ft 11 in)
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188:1.35 m (4 ft 5 in)
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260:Effective firing range
180:1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)
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552:World War II anti-aircraft guns
268:Maximum firing range
255:830–850 m/s (2,273–2,788 ft/s)
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271:2,200 m (7,200 ft)
263:1,200 m (3,900 ft)
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51:Place of origin
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245:2×250/minute (practical)
46:Light anti-aircraft gun
18:Light anti-aircraft gun
357:20×138B Long Solothurn
287:M/Strömberg (original)
239:Rate of fire
344:Valtion Kivääritehdas
114:Valtion Kivääritehdas
547:Artillery of Finland
528:at Wikimedia Commons
251:Muzzle velocity
279:20 round magazines
86:Production history
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369:Strömberg company
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393:20 mm Madsen
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313:World War II
309:Finnish Army
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223:−10° to +90°
177: length
109:Manufacturer
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478:6 September
389:Lapland War
379:Service use
143: built
80:Lapland War
536:Categories
417:References
340:Winter War
323:Background
305:Aimo Lahti
95:Aimo Lahti
398:20 ITK 30
373:20 ITK 30
365:20 ITK 35
361:20 ITK 30
219:Elevation
135:1943–1944
67:1943–1988
404:See also
229:Traverse
132:Produced
101:Designed
91:Designer
317:Vekotin
311:during
210:Barrels
204:20×138B
127:244,420
54:Finland
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350:Design
284:Sights
175:Barrel
166:Length
199:Shell
185:Width
112:VKT (
498:ISBN
480:2009
445:ISBN
387:and
363:and
329:L-39
295:The
233:360°
156:Mass
104:1940
72:Wars
43:Type
299:or
146:174
141:No.
125:FIM
538::
458:^
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213:2
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