20 MM CALIBER

The '20 mm caliber' is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon (or more commonly today, autocannon) and not a heavy machine gun.
There are relatively few weapons which have been built which fire projectiles between .50 caliber (0.50 inch/12.7 mm, roughly 12 mm caliber) and 20 mm caliber, though the 14.5 mm caliber was used by some Soviet machineguns such as the KPV and antitank rifles such as PTRS and PTRD.
A very small number of anti-tank rifles have been produced in 20 mm and up calibers.
20 mm caliber cartridges have an outside shell diameter and inside barrel diameter of 0.8 inch (20 millimeters). Projectiles or shells are typically 3 to 4 inches long (76 to 104 mm). Cartridges are typically 3 to 5 inches long (76 to 127 mm). Many but not all 20 mm shells have an explosive filling and detonating fuze.
As an example, the 20×102 has a 100 gram bullet fired at a muzzle velocity of 1,035 m/s. For a simple slug round this is a muzzle energy of 55,125 Joules or 40,658 ft·lbf.

Contents
Usage
Types of Ammunition
20 mm Weapons
Current Weapons
Historical Weapons
See also
External links

Usage


20 mm with .50 BMG rounds, golf ball, stick of RAM.

Like most cannon ammunition, 20 mm caliber weapons are typically used against large targets such as vehicles, buildings, or aircraft. Though effective against individual soldiers, 20 mm ammunition is so large and heavy that its effects are nearly all wasted on relatively small targets.

Types of Ammunition



High Explosive

Armour Piercing

Armour Piercing Incendiary

Discarding Sabot Armour Piercing

20 mm Weapons


Each weapon is listed with its cartridge type appended.
Current Weapons


M61 Vulcan: 20×102

M197 Gatling gun 20×102

Oerlikon KAA: 20×128

Rheinmetall MK20 Rh202: 20×139

Denel NTW-20: 20x83.5 (NTW 20)
Historical Weapons


AN-M2: 20×110

Hispano: 20×110

Hispano-Suiza HS.404: 20×110

Hispano-Suiza HS.804: 20×110

Lahti L-39: 20×138 Solothurn Long

Mauser MG 213: 20×135

M39: 20×102

Oerlikon FF: 20×72RB

Mauser MG 151/20: 20×82

Oerlikon F, FFL: 20×100RB

ShVAK: 20×99R
Cartridge type indicates the diameter of projectile and the length of the cartridge that holds it, for example 20×102 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



caliber

.50 BMG

14.5 x 114 mm

25 mm caliber

30 mm caliber

autocannon

cannon

External links



FAS: 20 mm Cannon Ammunition

ATK produced 20 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

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