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
Mass	Travel: 4,210 kg (9,280 lb) Combat: 3,650 kg (8,050 lb)
Barrel length	4.1 m (13 ft 5 in) L/55
Crew	10
Shell	Fixed QF 76.2 × 558 mm. R
Shell weight	6.6 kg (14 lb 9 oz)
Caliber	76.2 mm (3 in)
Breech	Semi-automatic vertical sliding-wedge
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic
Carriage	Four-wheeled dual-axle trailer with twin outriggers.
Elevation	-3° to +82°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	10-20 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	815 m/s (2,670 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	9.3 km (31,000 ft) AA ceiling

76 mm air defense gun M1938 (Russian: 76-мм зенитная пушка обр. 1938 г.) was a 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 mm air defense gun M1931, 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.

Guns captured by the Germans were given the designation 7.62 cm Flak M.38(r) and were used unmodified until their ammunition supply ran out. When their ammunition supply ran out they were rebored to fire German 8.8 cm ammunition and their designation was changed to 7.62/8.8 cm Flak M.38(r) and remained in use until the end of the war.

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

• Shunkov, V. N. (1999). Оружие Красной Армии [The Weapons of the Red Army] (in Russian). Harvest. ISBN 985-433-469-4.