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- #81
CharlesBronson
Senior Master Sergeant
Is worth to mention that this cannon was also used in a double turret in the He-177. Few were converted, one used as a transport to retrieve stalingrad, this aircraft also have the mission to shoot the russian flak emplacement "in the pass"
And was "re-introduced " in some Bf-110Es and employed against tanks in the African desert.
http://i12.tinypic.com/2pru4va.jpg
Rheinmetall Maschinen Kanone MK-103
The good results obtained with the MK-101 and his cartrigde caused that the development of a improved weapon.
The new cannon would be more dedicated to the air-to-air combat, because the heavy weight and slow firing of the MK-101 made very inadecuate for that task.
Once again Rheinmetall Borsig put their hand on work and in the late 1942 they had his new design complete.[/FONT]
The MK 103 used a new system of short recoil with a bolt assisted by a gas to unlock the chamber, a hole in the barrel deviated a small quantity of the combustion gases and move a piston back.
That incremented the speed of the bolt s movement and therefore the rate of fire.
The MK-103 weights 145 kg, had an overall lenght of 2320 mm and his rate of fire was betwenn 380-420 rpm.
There was also a MK 103M variant, that was to be installed in the big V-12 engines like the Jumo 213 and Daimler DB-603. Is worth to note that despite some wrong sources the MK 103 was NEVER put in service with the Me-109K...simply because there was no enough room inside this fighter to put in, for that it would be needed to move the cockpit backwards about 20 cm, and still the gun barrel shall potrude through the Messers nose.
And was "re-introduced " in some Bf-110Es and employed against tanks in the African desert.
Rheinmetall Maschinen Kanone MK-103
![mk103ay4.jpg](/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg290.imageshack.us%2Fimg290%2F396%2Fmk103ay4.jpg&hash=ee083fc3b4025f61c5b1cc252d10ad77)
The good results obtained with the MK-101 and his cartrigde caused that the development of a improved weapon.
The new cannon would be more dedicated to the air-to-air combat, because the heavy weight and slow firing of the MK-101 made very inadecuate for that task.
Once again Rheinmetall Borsig put their hand on work and in the late 1942 they had his new design complete.[/FONT]
The MK 103 used a new system of short recoil with a bolt assisted by a gas to unlock the chamber, a hole in the barrel deviated a small quantity of the combustion gases and move a piston back.
That incremented the speed of the bolt s movement and therefore the rate of fire.
The MK-103 weights 145 kg, had an overall lenght of 2320 mm and his rate of fire was betwenn 380-420 rpm.
There was also a MK 103M variant, that was to be installed in the big V-12 engines like the Jumo 213 and Daimler DB-603. Is worth to note that despite some wrong sources the MK 103 was NEVER put in service with the Me-109K...simply because there was no enough room inside this fighter to put in, for that it would be needed to move the cockpit backwards about 20 cm, and still the gun barrel shall potrude through the Messers nose.
![mk103plano2fg.jpg](/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg114.exs.cx%2Fimg114%2F6453%2Fmk103plano2fg.jpg&hash=d8a6305572dbc8e58d475d068ca53ed1)