20 mm caliber
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The 20 mm caliber is a common firearm bore diameter, typically used to distinguish smaller-caliber weapons, commonly called "guns", from larger-caliber "cannons" (e.g. machine gun vs. autocannon). All 20 mm cartridges have an outside projectile (bullet) diameter and barrel bore diameter of 0.787 inches (20.0 mm). These projectiles are typically 75 to 127 mm (3–5 in) long, cartridge cases are typically 75 to 152 mm (3–6 in) long, and most are shells, with an explosive payload and detonating fuze.
Weapons using this caliber range from anti-materiel rifles and anti-tank rifles to aircraft autocannons and anti-aircraft guns.
Usage[]
Twenty-millimeter-caliber weapons are generally not used to target individual soldiers, but against targets such as vehicles, buildings, or aircraft.
Types of ammunition[]
- High explosive (HE)
- High explosive incendiary (HEI)
- Armour-piercing (AP)
- Semi-armor-piercing high explosive incendiary (SAPHEI)
- Armor-piercing discarding sabot (APDS)
- High-explosive fragmentary tracer (HEF-t)
- Penetrator with enhanced lateral effect (PELE)
- Target practice - inert projectile (i.e., PGU-27A/B).[1] Used for training. (TP)
- Target practice tracer - inert projectile with tracer material in base for visual trajectory tracking (i.e., PGU-30A/B). (TP-T)
20 mm weapons[]
Each weapon is listed with its cartridge type appended.
Current weapons[]
Weapon | Country of origin | Cartridge | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Neopup PAW-20 | South Africa | 20×42 mm | |
Denel NTW-20 | South Africa | 20×82 mm Mauser | |
Denel Vektor GA-1 | South Africa | ||
Vidhwansak | India | ||
Anzio 20 mm rifle | United States | 20×102 mm | |
M61 Vulcan | United States | ||
M197 electric cannon | United States | ||
M39 cannon | United States | ||
GIAT M621 | France | ||
ZVI PL-20 Plamen | Czech Republic | ||
Metallic RT-20 | Croatia | 20×110 mm Hispano | |
Yugoimport-SDPR M71/08 | Serbia | Single barrel development of Zastava M55 | |
Oerlikon KAA/KAB | Switzerland | 20×128 mm | Formerly known as Oerlikon 204GK/5TG |
Meroka CIWS | Spain | ||
Oerlikon KAD | Switzerland | 20×139 mm | Formerly known as Hispano-Suiza HS.820 |
GIAT M693/20 mm modèle F2 | France | ||
Rheinmetall Rh 202 | Germany | ||
Denel Land Systems GI-2 | South Africa |
Historical weapons[]
Weapon | Country of origin | Cartridge | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon | German Empire | 20×70 mm RB | |
Oerlikon FF | Switzerland | 20×72 mm RB | |
Type 99 cannon, model 1 | Japan | ||
Ikaria-Werke Berlin MG FF/M cannon | Nazi Germany | 20×80 mm RB | |
Mauser MG 151/20 | Nazi Germany | 20×82 mm | |
Ho-5 cannon | Japanese Empire | 20×94 mm | |
Berezin B-20 | Soviet Union | 20×99 mm | |
ShVAK | Soviet Union | 20×99 mm R | |
Ghan-Krnka fortress rifle | Russian Empire | 20.3×95 mm R | Bullet diameter 21 mm |
Type 99 cannon, model 2 | Japanese Empire | 20×101 mm RB | |
Solothurn S-18/100 | Switzerland | 20×105 mm B | |
Bofors m/45 | Sweden | 20×110 mm | |
Bofors m/49 | Sweden | ||
Hispano-Suiza HS.404 and derivatives | Switzerland | ||
Oerlikon F, FFL | Switzerland | 20×110 mm RB | |
Polsten | Poland | 20×110 mm RB | |
Colt Mk 12 cannon | United States | 20×110mm USN | Advanced derivative of the HS.404 |
Madsen 20 mm anti-aircraft cannon | Denmark | 20×120 mm | |
Type 97 automatic cannon | Japanese Empire | 20×124 mm | |
Mauser MG 213 | Nazi Germany | 20×135 mm | |
Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifle | Switzerland | 20×138mmB | |
Solothurn S-18/1100 anti-tank rifle | Switzerland | ||
ST-5 20mm AA Gun | Switzerland | ||
FlaK 30 and FlaK 38 single-barrel AA | Nazi Germany | Forerunner of Hispano-Suiza HS.820's post-war 20×139 mm round | |
Flakvierling quadruple-barrel AA | Nazi Germany | ||
MG C/30L aircraft gun | Nazi Germany | ||
Rheinmetall KwK 30 and KwK 38 | Nazi Germany | ||
Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 modello 35 (Breda) | Kingdom of Italy | ||
Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 (Scotti) | Kingdom of Italy | ||
Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifle | Finland | Solothurn Long | |
Lahti L-40 anti-aircraft gun | Finland | ||
Nkm wz.38 FK anti-tank vehicle-mounted gun | Poland | Designated "heaviest machine gun", or "Najcięższy karabin maszynowy, Nkm," AA/AT (actually an autocannon) | |
Bofors m/40 | Sweden | 20×145 mm R | |
Pansarvärnsgevär m/42 | Sweden | 20×180 mm R | Recoilless rifle |
Cartridge type indicates the diameter of projectile and the length of the cartridge that holds it; for example 20×102 mm is a 20 mm projectile in a 102 mm long case. Only rarely do two designers use the same case length, so this designation is usually definitive. Some cartridge types have additional letters or information about them listed.
See also[]
References[]
External links[]
- FAS: 20 mm Cannon Ammunition
- ATK produced 20, 25 & 30 mm caliber ammunition
- Rapid Fire: 20 mm Cartridge Data Table
- Rapid Fire: 20 mm Antitank Rifle Cartridges image
- Rapid Fire: 20 mm Autocannon Cartridges WWII image 1
- Rapid Fire: 20 mm Autocannon Cartridges WWII image 2
- Rapid Fire: 20 mm Autocannon Cartridges Post-WWII image
- 20mm sniper rifles
- Large-caliber cartridges