Maxim machine guns. The first automatic weapon in history - the Maxim machine gun. Experience in combat use
GAU index - 56-P-421
Heavy machine gun, a modification of the British Maxim machine gun, widely used by Russian and Soviet armies during the First World War and the Second World War. The Maxim machine gun was used to destroy open group targets and enemy fire weapons at a distance of up to 1000 m.
Story
After a successful demonstration of the machine gun in Switzerland, Italy and Austria-Hungary, Hiram Maxim arrived in Russia with a demonstrative example of a .45 caliber (11.43 mm) machine gun.
In 1887, the Maxim machine gun was tested under the 10.67 mm Berdan rifle cartridge with black powder.
On March 8, 1888, the Emperor himself fired from it Alexander III. After the tests, representatives of the Russian military department ordered Maxim 12 machine guns mod. 1895 chambered for the 10.67 mm Berdan rifle cartridge.
Vickers, Sons & Maxim began supplying Maxim machine guns to Russia. The machine guns were delivered to St. Petersburg in May 1899. The Russian navy also became interested in the new weapon and ordered two more machine guns for testing.
Subsequently, the Berdan rifle was removed from service, and the Maxim machine guns were converted to accept the 7.62 mm cartridge of the Russian Mosin rifle. In 1891-1892 Five machine guns chambered for 7.62x54 mm cartridges were purchased for testing.
To increase the reliability of the automatic operation of the 7.62 mm machine gun, a “muzzle accelerator” was introduced into the design - a device designed to use the energy of powder gases to increase recoil force. The front of the barrel was thickened to increase the muzzle area and then a muzzle cap was attached to the water casing. The pressure of the powder gases between the muzzle and the cap acted on the muzzle of the barrel, pushing it back and helping it roll back faster.
In 1901, the 7.62-mm Maxim machine gun on an English-style wheeled carriage was put into service ground forces, during this year the first 40 Maxim machine guns entered the Russian army. During 1897-1904, 291 machine guns were purchased.
The machine gun (the mass of which on a heavy carriage with large wheels and a large armored shield was 244 kg) was assigned to the artillery. The machine guns were planned to be used for the defense of fortresses, to repel massive enemy infantry attacks with fire from pre-equipped and protected positions.
This approach may cause confusion: even during the Franco-Prussian War, French mitrailleuses, used in an artillery manner, that is, with batteries, were suppressed by Prussian counter-artillery fire due to the obvious superiority of artillery over small-caliber weapons in terms of range.
In March 1904, a contract was signed for the production of Maxim machine guns at the Tula Arms Plant. The cost of production of the Tula machine gun (942 rubles + 80 pounds sterling commission to the Vickers company, about 1,700 rubles in total) was cheaper than the cost of acquisition from the British (2,288 rubles 20 kopecks per machine gun). In May 1904, serial production of machine guns began at the Tula Arms Plant.
At the very beginning of 1909, the main thing artillery department announced a competition for the modernization of the machine gun, as a result of which in August 1910 a modified version of the machine gun was adopted for service: the 7.62-mm Maxim machine gun of the 1910 model, which was modernized at the Tula Arms Plant under the guidance of masters I. A. Pastukhov, I. A. . Sudakova and P. P. Tretyakov. The weight of the machine gun body was reduced and some details were changed: a number of bronze parts were replaced with steel, sights changed to match the ballistics of the cartridge with a pointed bullet mod. 1908, they changed the receiver to fit the new cartridge, plus they also widened the hole in the muzzle sleeve. The English wheeled carriage was replaced with a lightweight wheeled carriage by A. A. Sokolov, and the English-style armor shield was replaced with an armored shield of reduced dimensions. In addition, A. A. Sokolov created cartridge boxes, a gig for transporting cartridges, and sealed cylinders for boxes with cartridges.
Maxim machine gun mod. 1910 with the machine weighed 62.66 kg (and together with the liquid poured into the casing to cool the barrel - approximately 70 kg).
Design
The automatic machine gun operates on the principle of using the recoil of the barrel.
The design of the Maxim machine gun: the barrel is coated on the outside with a thin layer of copper to protect it from rust. A casing is placed on the barrel, filled with water to cool the barrel. Water is poured through a tube connected to the casing by a pipe with a tap. To drain the water there is a hole closed with a screw cap. The casing has a steam outlet pipe through which steam escapes from it when firing through a hole in the muzzle (closed with a plug). A short, movable tube is placed on the tube. At elevation angles, it lowers and closes the lower hole of the tube, as a result of which water cannot enter this latter, and the steam accumulated in the upper part of the casing will enter through the upper hole into the tube and then exit through the tube to the outside. The opposite will happen at declination angles.
Combat use
World War I
The Maxim machine gun was the only type of machine gun produced in Russian Empire during the First World War. By the time mobilization was announced, in July 1914, the Russian army had 4,157 machine guns in service (833 machine guns were not enough to meet the planned needs of the troops). After the start of the war, War Department gave the order to increase the production of machine guns, but it was very difficult to cope with the task of supplying the army with machine guns, since in Russia machine guns were produced in insufficient quantities, and all foreign machine gun factories were loaded to the limit. In general, during the war Russian industry produced 27,571 machine guns for the army (828 units in the second half of 1914, 4,251 units in 1915, 11,072 units in 1916, 11,420 units in 1917), but production volumes were insufficient and not could meet the needs of the army.
In 1915, they adopted and began production of a simplified machine gun of the Kolesnikov system model 1915
Civil War
During the Civil War, the Maxim machine gun mod. 1910 was the main type of machine gun of the Red Army. In addition to machine guns from the warehouses of the Russian army and trophies captured during hostilities, in 1918-1920 at arms factories Soviet Russia 21 thousand new machine guns mod. were produced for the Red Army. 1910, several thousand more were repaired.
In the Civil War, the cart became widespread - a spring cart with a machine gun pointed backwards, which was used both for movement and for firing directly on the battlefield. Carts were especially popular among the Makhnovists (armed rebel groups during Civil War in Russia, operating in the southeast of Ukraine from July 21, 1918 to August 28, 1921 under the slogans of anarchism).
In the 1920-1930s in the USSR
In the 1920s, based on the machine gun design, new types of weapons were created in the USSR: the Maxim-Tokarev light machine gun and the PV-1 aircraft machine gun.
In 1928, an anti-aircraft tripod mod. 1928 system of M. N. Kondakov. In addition, in 1928, the development of quad Maxim anti-aircraft machine gun mounts began. In 1929, an anti-aircraft ring sight mod. 1929.
In 1935, new staff levels of the Red Army rifle division were established, according to which the number of Maxim heavy machine guns in the division was slightly reduced (from 189 to 180 units), and the number of light machine guns was increased (from 81 units to 350 units).
The cost of one Maxim machine gun on a Sokolov machine (with a set of spare parts) in 1939 was 2,635 rubles; the cost of a Maxim machine gun on a universal machine (with a set of spare parts) is 5960 rubles; the cost of a 250-cartridge belt is 19 rubles
In the spring of 1941, in accordance with the staff of the RKKA rifle division No. 04/400-416 dated April 5, 1941, the standard number of Maxim heavy machine guns was reduced to 166 pieces, and the number of anti-aircraft machine guns was increased (to 24 pieces 7 ,62-mm complex anti-aircraft machine guns and 9 pcs. 12.7-mm DShK machine guns).
Maxim machine gun mod. 1910/1930
During the combat use of the Maxim machine gun, it became clear that in the vast majority of cases, fire was fired at a distance of 800 to 1000 meters, and at such a range there was no noticeable difference in the trajectory of light and heavy bullets.
In 1930, the machine gun was again modernized. The modernization was carried out by P. P. Tretyakov, I. A. Pastukhov, K. N. Rudnev and A. A. Tronenkov. The following changes were made to the design:
A folding buttplate was installed, as a result of which the right and left valves and the connection of the release lever and rod were changed
-the safety was moved to the trigger, which eliminated the need to use both hands when opening fire
-installed return spring tension indicator
-the sight has been changed, a stand and a clamp with a latch have been introduced, the scale on the rear sight for lateral adjustments has been increased
-a buffer appeared - a shield holder attached to the machine gun casing
-a separate firing pin was introduced to the firing pin
-for shooting at long distances and from closed positions, a heavy bullet mod. 1930 optical sight and protractor - quadrant
-For greater strength the barrel casing is made with longitudinal corrugation
The modernized machine gun was called the “7.62 heavy machine gun of the Maxim system, model 1910/30.” In 1931, a more advanced universal machine gun model 1931 of the S.V. Vladimirov system and a PS-31 machine gun for long-term firing points were created and put into service.
By the end of the 1930s, the design of the machine gun was obsolete, primarily due to its large weight and size.
On September 22, 1939, the “7.62-mm heavy machine gun mod. 1939 DS-39", which was intended to replace Maxim machine guns. However, the operation of the DS-39 in the army revealed design flaws, as well as unreliable operation of the automation when using cartridges with a brass sleeve (for reliable operation of the automation, the DS-39 required cartridges with a steel sleeve).
During the Finnish war of 1939-1940. combat capabilities Not only designers and manufacturers tried to improve the performance of the Maxim machine gun, but also directly in the troops. IN winter time the machine gun was mounted on skis, sleds or drag boats, on which the machine gun was moved through the snow and from which they fired, if necessary. In addition, in the winter of 1939-1940, there were cases when machine gunners mounted on the armor of tanks installed Maxim machine guns on the roofs of tank turrets and fired at the enemy, supporting the advancing infantry.
In 1940, in the barrel water cooling casing for quick water changes, the small diameter water filling hole was replaced with a wide neck. This innovation was borrowed from the Finnish Maxim (Maxim M32-33) and made it possible to solve the problem of the crew’s lack of access to coolant in winter; now the casing could be filled with ice and snow.
After the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, in June 1941, the DS-39 was discontinued and enterprises were ordered to resume the curtailed production of Maxim machine guns.
In June 1941, at the Tula Arms Plant, under the leadership of chief engineer A. A. Tronenkov, engineers I. E. Lubenets and Yu. A. Kazarin began the final modernization (in order to improve the manufacturability of production), during which the Maxim was equipped with a simplified sighting With a device (with one sighting bar instead of two, which were previously replaced depending on the shooting with a light or heavy bullet), the mount for the optical sight was removed from the machine gun machine.
Maxim machine gun as a means of military air defense
Based on the machine gun design, single, twin and quad anti-aircraft machine gun mounts were created, which were the most common weapon in army air defense. For example, the quad M4 anti-aircraft machine gun mount of the 1931 model differed from the conventional Maxim machine gun in the presence of a forced water circulation device, a larger capacity of machine gun belts (for 1000 rounds instead of the usual 250) and an anti-aircraft ring sight. The installation was intended for firing at enemy aircraft (at altitudes up to 1400 m at speeds up to 500 km/h). The M4 unit was widely used as a stationary, self-propelled, ship-mounted unit, mounted in car bodies, armored trains, railway platforms, and on the roofs of buildings.
Twin and quad mounts of Maxim machine guns were also successfully used to fire at ground targets (in particular, to repel enemy infantry attacks). So, during the Finnish war of 1939-1940, units of the 34th tank brigade The Red Army, surrounded in the Lemitte-Uomas area, successfully repulsed several attacks by Finnish infantry, using two twin Maxim anti-aircraft machine gun mounts mounted on a lorry as mobile firing points.
Application in the Great Patriotic War
The Maxim machine gun was actively used in the Great Patriotic War. It was in service with infantry and mountain troops, border guards, and the navy, and was installed on armored trains, Willys and GAZ-64 jeeps.
In May 1942, in accordance with the order of the People's Commissar of Armaments of the USSR D.F. Ustinov, a competition was announced to create a new design of an easel machine gun for the Red Army (to replace the Maxim machine gun model 1910/30.
On May 15, 1943, the Goryunov SG-43 heavy machine gun with an air-cooled barrel system was adopted by the Red Army, which began entering service in June 1943. But the Maxim machine gun continued to be produced until the end of the war at the Tula and Izhevsk factories, and until its end it was the main heavy machine gun of the Soviet Army.
Operating countries
Russian Empire: the main machine gun in service with the army.
-Germany: captured machine guns were used during the First World War.
-THE USSR
-Poland: in 1918-1920, a number of Russian Maxim machine guns mod. 1910 (under the name Maxim wz. 1910) was in service with the Polish army; after the 7.92x57 mm cartridge was adopted as standard rifle-machine-gun ammunition in 1922, a number of machine guns were converted to this cartridge, they received the name Maxim wz. 1910/28.
-Finland: after the declaration of independence of Finland in 1918, up to 600 7.62 mm Maxim machine guns mod. 1910 entered service with the emerging units of the Finnish army, another 163 were sold by Germany; they were used under the name Maxim m/1910; in the 1920s, machine guns were purchased abroad (for example, in 1924, 405 were purchased in Poland); in 1932, a modernized Maxim M/32-33 machine gun powered by a metal belt was adopted; some of the machine guns installed in pillboxes were equipped with forced water cooling of the barrel. By the winter of 1939, Maxim machine guns of various modifications still made up the bulk of the heavy machine guns of the Finnish army. They were used in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. and the “continuation war” of 1941-1944.
In 1918-1922 a number of Russian Maxim machine guns mod. 1910 entered service with paramilitary forces in China (in particular, Zhang Zuolin received them from white emigrants who retreated to northern China)
-Bulgaria: in 1921-1923. a number of Russian 7.62 mm Maxim machine guns mod. 1910 came into the possession of the Bulgarian army after the disarmament of units of Wrangel’s army that arrived in Bulgaria.
-Second Spanish Republic: After the outbreak of the Spanish War in 1936, 3221 machine guns were purchased by the government of the Spanish Republic.
-Mongolian People's Republic
-Third Reich: captured Soviet Maxim machine guns (under the name MG 216(r)) were used by the Wehrmacht and entered service with paramilitary and security police forces in the occupied territory of the USSR.
Czechoslovakia: in January 1942, the first 12 Maxim machine guns were received by the 1st Czechoslovak separate infantry battalion, and later by other Czechoslovak units.
-Poland: in 1943, Soviet machine guns were received by the 1st Polish Infantry Division named after T. Kosciuszko, and later by other Polish units.
-Ukraine: as of August 15, 2011, there were 35,000 pieces in the custody of the Ministry of Defense. machine guns; On October 8-9, 2014, it was used by volunteer battalions during the battles for the Donetsk airport; at the beginning of December 2014, another machine gun was seized by SBU officers from DPR supporters in the Slavyansk area. Maxim machine guns of the 1910 model (produced in 1944) were issued to units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that took part in the armed conflict in the Donbass.
Reflection in culture and art
The Maxim machine gun is mentioned in many works about the events of the First World War, the Civil War (the films “Thirteen”, “Chapaev”, etc.), the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War.
Civil version
In 2013, the Maxim machine gun, without the automatic fire function, was certified in Russia as a hunting weapon rifle, sold under license.
TTX
Weight, kg: 20.3 (body), 64.3 (with machine)
-Length, mm: 1067
-Barrel length, mm: 721
-Cartridge: 7.62x54 mm R
- Operating principles: barrel recoil, crank locking
-Rate of fire, rounds/min: 600
-starting speed bullets, m/s: 740
-Type of ammunition: canvas or metal cartridge belt for 250
Caliber 7.62 mm Muzzle velocity 740 m/s Rate of fire 600 rpm
The invention of Hiram Stevenson Maxim gained not only popularity in Russia, but also sounded in the Russian manner. Not surprisingly, during the October Revolution he became, in fact, its symbol, and during the Second World War - the savior of the infantry.
Some experts argue that the productive use of this design inspired engineers to create tanks.
History of creation and start of production
The most famous weapon of two centuries, at its first public demonstration, seemed futile to the military. There was a possibility that we would never have known about it if entrepreneur Nathaniel Rothschild had not invested in production and an advertising company at one time.
The history of creation is unusual. It was like this: the American Maxim proposed an invention for consideration by representatives of the American army in 1880. The inventor invented a machine gun, making design drawings and receiving a patent for it, back in 1873, but brought the design to its optimal (at that time) working condition later.
There was a lot to do, from a bicycle wheel to an asthma inhaler.
The demonstration made a negative impression on the American and later the British army - the military leaders did not see the point in the system’s rate of fire, being horrified by the number of rounds required.
This reaction is understandable: while there were no weapons, no schemes for using them were developed. strengths– rate of fire.
The project required the introduction of advanced technologies, which cost a lot. However, the British banker Nathaniel Rothschild saw possible prospects and sponsored the Maxim Armory Workshop.
Improvements to the design itself and advertising campaigns were carried out in Great Britain and in other countries of the world. The result painstaking work was the recognition of the machine gun. It appeared in service with the British troops already in 1899, although modified to a 7.7 mm caliber.
Design and operating principle
This is not to say that there were no machine guns. But to fire shots, it was necessary to turn a special handle, that is, the drive was due to mechanical action. The design of the Maxim machine gun made it possible to do this automatically.
The operating principle of automation is recoil force. The powder gases threw the barrel in the opposite direction, which set in motion the reloading mechanism, which pulled the next cartridge out of the belt and sent it into the breech. He also cocks the drummer. As a result, the machine gunner fires 250-300 shots effortlessly in combat conditions.
In tests, with an endless belt, the performance is twice as high, up to 600 shots.
For accuracy of fire, structural stability was required. At first they were carriages, heavy, large sizes. Sokolov's wheeled machine gun for the Maxim machine gun made the design transportable during combat operations over rough terrain.
Water was used to cool the system, and snow was used in winter.
Names of the main parts of the structure:
- casing;
- box;
- gate;
- receiver;
- return spring box together with the spring;
- butt plate;
- lock;
- release lever.
History best remembers the 1910 version of the Maxim machine gun. Description technical characteristics indicated a barrel length of 721 mm, a total length of 1067 mm. The initial bullet speed is 740 m/s.
Production was expensive, it was necessary to perform 2448 operations, which were carried out over 700 hours by qualified workers, and special equipment was needed.
Maxim in Russia
Promotion in Russia began in 1887, but progress was slow. After a demonstrative demonstration with the participation of the emperor himself, the British managed to sell only 12 pieces to the country. Later, 3 more were ordered for testing in naval conditions.
In the period 1895-1904, about 300 Maxim system machine guns chambered for 7.62/54 mm were supplied.
It has been in the army since 1901, when, together with the wheeled carriage, the weight of the machine gun was 244 kg. It is not surprising that he ended up in the artillery troops.
In May 1904, serial production began at the Tula Arms Plant, which subsequently led to positive design changes.
Subsequent upgrades
Work was carried out in several directions:
- Lighten the weight. For this purpose, steel began to be used instead of brass and bronze. In addition to the reduced weight, there was a financial gain - steel is cheaper than non-ferrous metals.
- To improve transportation, a lightweight wheeled Sokolov machine was created, which allowed use without carts and cars.
- The tarpaulin or fabric tape for the Maxim machine gun clogged the system with dirt. Therefore, later it was replaced with a metal, reliable and gentle design.
- The need for cooling with water brought problems. It is not always possible to find the required volume in battle, and constant descaling made it difficult to use. But it was not possible to advance in this direction. The only change is the expansion of the top of the container to accommodate snow.
Useful improvements were made - hermetic boxes for cartridges, a special box for tapes. Disadvantages remained, and big ones. A massive shield blocked the view. Sometimes it was removed, but this led to serious consequences. Without a shield in the Maxim machine gun, the box could easily be pierced, and maintenance personnel could be injured, even by random fragments. But the efficiency of the work more than compensated for these shortcomings and the production of weapons continued.
Main modifications
The British continued to work. Maxim's partner, Vasily Zaharoff, after the inventor's retirement, merges with Vickers Limited. Their Vickers became more reliable, lighter, aiming was doubled, and from 1912 Britain adopted this machine gun as a heavy weapon for equipping aircraft.
In 1918, the Mark II was invented, air-cooled, and got rid of the casing. The third and fourth versions were produced until 1944, including for arming such units.
Maxim machine gun Russian model 1910 appeared thanks to the efforts of Tula masters. They increased the weight to 70 kg with the machine, and raised the rate of fire to 600 rounds per minute. Even during the October Revolution its production did not stop.
Over time, it became cheaper, more convenient and lasted until 1930.
But even later it did not disappear anywhere, it was simply modified and the new model was called the 7.62 heavy machine gun of the 1910/30 model.
Improvements for 1930:
- the safety is shifted to the trigger, which made it possible to fire with one hand;
- the sight has been improved - a stand has appeared, a clamp with a latch has appeared, the lateral adjustment scale has become longer;
- a buffer-holder is attached to the shield;
- a separate firing pin has been developed for the firing pin;
- the barrel casing is reinforced with special corrugation;
- the light bullet is replaced by a heavy one.
In 1940, the last changes were made by Russian gunsmiths. The filler hole was expanded and a pourer with a tap was introduced. Now not only snow, but also ice was suitable for cooling. The experience of the Soviet-Finnish War was taken into account.
The Finns used the 1910 model for experiments. In 1932, M/32-33 was created. Designer Aimo Lahti increased the rate of fire to 800, the range to 2000 m, made adjustments to other systems, and used different ammunition. For winter transportation, special skis were used instead of wheels.
Almost all countries of the world used Maxim’s invention, making changes depending on the cartridges adopted for service, the characteristics of combat operations and natural conditions.
Usage
The appearance of new weapons on the battlefield made adjustments to the patterns of combat operations. It was effectively used to suppress mass attacks, cover waste, and protect stationary points. Pacifists in many countries, not knowing about the imminent appearance atomic bomb, demanded its ban as a weapon mass destruction.
The cavalry ceased to exist, since large targets and mass manpower in the attack became easy prey for the iron bounty hunter. Instead, tanks appeared - cars covered with a thick ball of iron, allowing the use heavy weapons and hiding soldiers under their armor.
Another innovation was trenches and entire lines of defense instead of previously adopted firing points, providing shelter from targeted mass fire and restraining superior forces enemy.
The structure weighed so much that during marches it was disassembled into 3 parts. Since the staff consisted of 6 people, each had to carry considerable weight (including ammunition and spare parts for the Maxim machine gun).
AAA GAS with machine guns was used to protect infantry units and stop a massive enemy attack. It is easier to transport heavy weapons, but the car cannot go everywhere, which made it difficult to use.
Use of weapons
Aviation and anti-aircraft troops also tried to use the machine gun, and with success.
On aircraft in the period 1928-1940, the PV-1 was adopted. The performance characteristics have undergone major changes. It was lightened (up to 14.5 kg due to the use of aluminum in the design), transferred to aerial view cooling, for this they came up with a new casing, shortened the barrel (which was later abandoned due to low accuracy of fire).
It was installed on all types military aviation, shooting was sometimes carried out through the screw. The rate of fire reached 750 rounds per minute, belts of 200-600 rounds.
In the air defense forces, efficiency appeared after the device of a machine gun in 1931 made it possible to fire 1200-2000 rounds, sighting range was 1400 m.
This was the M4 anti-aircraft gun, which included 4 barrels at once. Even special tapes were released for her.
If a regular belt contains 250 machine gun rounds, then for anti-aircraft installation created at 1000, with its rate of fire, a lower one is simply ineffective. In addition, bundles of 2 and 3 barrels were used permanently to protect populated areas and military installations from air attacks, and were installed on vehicles.
Mobile installations moved along with combat units, protecting them from bombing.
Maxim light machine gun
Created for infantry by gunsmith Tokarev light machine gun Maxim, whose weight remained considerable, 12.5 kg. At first glance, the difference is huge, especially in 1924, but on foot marches you had to carry it along with a duffel bag and ammunition. Therefore, compared to the heavy machine gun, this option was used less willingly. It had a bullet speed at exit of 800 m/s, belts of 100 and 250 rounds.
Maxim's light machine gun with Tokarev's modifications (MT) did not last long, until 1928, after which it gave way to the DP (Degtyarev infantry machine gun).
Today it is used in a modernized version, but only as a pneumatic, for recreational shooting.
Completion of production
The Maxim machine gun continued to be produced in series until 1945. After the war there was no need for them, so most often the weapons were sent for export. There were bulk deliveries to China and Vietnam.
In addition, the weapons are outdated. New, more advanced systems have appeared, in particular Goryunova, SG-43. However, it continued to be used in local combat operations. According to the latest data, it is still used today, in Ukraine in the ATO combat zone, for example.
Mass-dimensional mock-ups (MMG) of the Maxim machine gun are popular all over the world. From children's toys to serious collectible options. Such mockups give a complete picture of the appearance, and the best of them give internal structure designs, and even give skills for use and care.
Today it is a prestigious element of decor, a favorite toy for adults.
However, there are adults who played with plastic versions of the machine gun back in the Soviet times.
Spare parts intended for replacing broken ones and maintaining them (spare parts for the Maxim machine gun) are also highly valued by collectors and simply owners of this machine gun.
Video
GAU index - 56-P-421
A heavy machine gun, a modification of the British Maxim machine gun, widely used by the Russian and Soviet armies during World War I and World War II. The Maxim machine gun was used to destroy open group targets and enemy fire weapons at a distance of up to 1000 m.
Story
After a successful demonstration of the machine gun in Switzerland, Italy and Austria-Hungary, Hiram Maxim arrived in Russia with a demonstrative example of a .45 caliber (11.43 mm) machine gun.
In 1887, the Maxim machine gun was tested under the 10.67 mm Berdan rifle cartridge with black powder.
On March 8, 1888, Emperor Alexander III himself fired from it. After the tests, representatives of the Russian military department ordered Maxim 12 machine guns mod. 1895 chambered for the 10.67 mm Berdan rifle cartridge.
Vickers, Sons & Maxim began supplying Maxim machine guns to Russia. The machine guns were delivered to St. Petersburg in May 1899. The Russian navy also became interested in the new weapon and ordered two more machine guns for testing.
Subsequently, the Berdan rifle was removed from service, and the Maxim machine guns were converted to accept the 7.62 mm cartridge of the Russian Mosin rifle. In 1891-1892 Five machine guns chambered for 7.62x54 mm cartridges were purchased for testing.
To increase the reliability of the automatic operation of the 7.62 mm machine gun, a “muzzle accelerator” was introduced into the design - a device designed to use the energy of powder gases to increase recoil force. The front of the barrel was thickened to increase the muzzle area and then a muzzle cap was attached to the water casing. The pressure of the powder gases between the muzzle and the cap acted on the muzzle of the barrel, pushing it back and helping it roll back faster.
In 1901, the 7.62-mm Maxim machine gun on an English-style wheeled carriage was adopted by the ground forces; during this year, the first 40 Maxim machine guns entered the Russian army. During 1897-1904, 291 machine guns were purchased.
The machine gun (the mass of which on a heavy carriage with large wheels and a large armored shield was 244 kg) was assigned to the artillery. The machine guns were planned to be used for the defense of fortresses, to repel massive enemy infantry attacks with fire from pre-equipped and protected positions.
This approach may cause confusion: even during the Franco-Prussian War, French mitrailleuses, used in an artillery manner, that is, with batteries, were suppressed by Prussian counter-artillery fire due to the obvious superiority of artillery over small-caliber weapons in terms of range.
In March 1904, a contract was signed for the production of Maxim machine guns at the Tula Arms Plant. The cost of production of the Tula machine gun (942 rubles + 80 pounds sterling commission to the Vickers company, about 1,700 rubles in total) was cheaper than the cost of acquisition from the British (2,288 rubles 20 kopecks per machine gun). In May 1904, serial production of machine guns began at the Tula Arms Plant.
At the very beginning of 1909, the Main Artillery Directorate announced a competition for the modernization of the machine gun, as a result of which a modified version of the machine gun was adopted in August 1910: the 7.62-mm Maxim machine gun of the 1910 model, which was modernized at the Tula Arms Plant under the guidance of masters I. A. Pastukhova, I. A. Sudakova and P. P. Tretyakov. The weight of the machine gun body was reduced and some details were changed: a number of bronze parts were replaced with steel, sighting devices were changed to match the ballistics of a cartridge with a pointed bullet mod. 1908, they changed the receiver to fit the new cartridge, plus they also widened the hole in the muzzle sleeve. The English wheeled carriage was replaced with a lightweight wheeled carriage by A. A. Sokolov, and the English-style armor shield was replaced with an armored shield of reduced dimensions. In addition, A. A. Sokolov created cartridge boxes, a gig for transporting cartridges, and sealed cylinders for boxes with cartridges.
Maxim machine gun mod. 1910 with the machine weighed 62.66 kg (and together with the liquid poured into the casing to cool the barrel - approximately 70 kg).
Design
The automatic machine gun operates on the principle of using the recoil of the barrel.
The design of the Maxim machine gun: the barrel is coated on the outside with a thin layer of copper to protect it from rust. A casing is placed on the barrel, filled with water to cool the barrel. Water is poured through a tube connected to the casing by a pipe with a tap. To drain the water there is a hole closed with a screw cap. The casing has a steam outlet pipe through which steam escapes from it when firing through a hole in the muzzle (closed with a plug). A short, movable tube is placed on the tube. At elevation angles, it lowers and closes the lower hole of the tube, as a result of which water cannot enter this latter, and the steam accumulated in the upper part of the casing will enter through the upper hole into the tube and then exit through the tube to the outside. The opposite will happen at declination angles.
Combat use
World War I
The Maxim machine gun was the only type of machine gun produced in the Russian Empire during the First World War. By the time mobilization was announced, in July 1914, the Russian army had 4,157 machine guns in service (833 machine guns were not enough to meet the planned needs of the troops). After the start of the war, the War Ministry ordered an increase in the production of machine guns, but it was very difficult to cope with the task of supplying the army with machine guns, since in Russia machine guns were produced in insufficient quantities, and all foreign machine gun factories were loaded to the limit. In general, during the war, Russian industry produced 27,571 machine guns for the army (828 units in the second half of 1914, 4,251 units in 1915, 11,072 units in 1916, 11,420 units in 1917) , but production volumes were insufficient and could not meet the needs of the army.
In 1915, they adopted and began production of a simplified machine gun of the Kolesnikov system model 1915
Civil War
During the Civil War, the Maxim machine gun mod. 1910 was the main type of machine gun of the Red Army. In addition to machine guns from the warehouses of the Russian army and trophies captured during military operations, in 1918-1920, 21 thousand new machine guns mod. were produced at the arms factories of Soviet Russia for the Red Army. 1910, several thousand more were repaired.
In the Civil War, the cart became widespread - a spring cart with a machine gun pointed backwards, which was used both for movement and for firing directly on the battlefield. Carts were especially popular among the Makhnovists (armed rebel groups during the Russian Civil War, operating in southeastern Ukraine from July 21, 1918 to August 28, 1921 under the slogans of anarchism).
In the 1920-1930s in the USSR
In the 1920s, based on the machine gun design, new types of weapons were created in the USSR: the Maxim-Tokarev light machine gun and the PV-1 aircraft machine gun.
In 1928, an anti-aircraft tripod mod. 1928 system of M. N. Kondakov. In addition, in 1928, the development of quad Maxim anti-aircraft machine gun mounts began. In 1929, an anti-aircraft ring sight mod. 1929.
In 1935, new staff levels of the Red Army rifle division were established, according to which the number of Maxim heavy machine guns in the division was slightly reduced (from 189 to 180 units), and the number of light machine guns was increased (from 81 units to 350 units).
The cost of one Maxim machine gun on a Sokolov machine (with a set of spare parts) in 1939 was 2,635 rubles; the cost of a Maxim machine gun on a universal machine (with a set of spare parts) is 5960 rubles; the cost of a 250-cartridge belt is 19 rubles
In the spring of 1941, in accordance with the staff of the RKKA rifle division No. 04/400-416 dated April 5, 1941, the standard number of Maxim heavy machine guns was reduced to 166 pieces, and the number of anti-aircraft machine guns was increased (to 24 pieces 7 ,62-mm complex anti-aircraft machine guns and 9 pcs. 12.7-mm DShK machine guns).
Maxim machine gun mod. 1910/1930
During the combat use of the Maxim machine gun, it became clear that in the vast majority of cases, fire was fired at a distance of 800 to 1000 meters, and at such a range there was no noticeable difference in the trajectory of light and heavy bullets.
In 1930, the machine gun was again modernized. The modernization was carried out by P. P. Tretyakov, I. A. Pastukhov, K. N. Rudnev and A. A. Tronenkov. The following changes were made to the design:
A folding buttplate was installed, as a result of which the right and left valves and the connection of the release lever and rod were changed
-the safety was moved to the trigger, which eliminated the need to use both hands when opening fire
-installed return spring tension indicator
-the sight has been changed, a stand and a clamp with a latch have been introduced, the scale on the rear sight for lateral adjustments has been increased
-a buffer appeared - a shield holder attached to the machine gun casing
-a separate firing pin was introduced to the firing pin
-for shooting at long distances and from closed positions, a heavy bullet mod. 1930, optical sight and protractor - quadrant
-for greater strength, the barrel casing is made with longitudinal corrugation
The modernized machine gun was called the “7.62 heavy machine gun of the Maxim system, model 1910/30.” In 1931, a more advanced universal machine gun model 1931 of the S.V. Vladimirov system and a PS-31 machine gun for long-term firing points were created and put into service.
By the end of the 1930s, the design of the machine gun was obsolete, primarily due to its large weight and size.
On September 22, 1939, the “7.62-mm heavy machine gun mod. 1939 DS-39”, which was intended to replace Maxim machine guns. However, the operation of the DS-39 in the army revealed design flaws, as well as unreliable operation of the automation when using cartridges with a brass sleeve (for reliable operation of the automation, the DS-39 required cartridges with a steel sleeve).
During the Finnish war of 1939-1940. Not only designers and manufacturers tried to improve the combat capabilities of the Maxim machine gun, but also directly among the troops. In winter, the machine gun was mounted on skis, sleds or drag boats, on which the machine gun was moved through the snow and from which they fired, if necessary. In addition, in the winter of 1939-1940, there were cases when machine gunners mounted on the armor of tanks installed Maxim machine guns on the roofs of tank turrets and fired at the enemy, supporting the advancing infantry.
In 1940, in the barrel water cooling casing for quick water changes, the small diameter water filling hole was replaced with a wide neck. This innovation was borrowed from the Finnish Maxim (Maxim M32-33) and made it possible to solve the problem of the crew’s lack of access to coolant in winter; now the casing could be filled with ice and snow.
After the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, in June 1941, the DS-39 was discontinued and enterprises were ordered to resume the curtailed production of Maxim machine guns.
In June 1941, at the Tula Arms Plant, under the leadership of chief engineer A. A. Tronenkov, engineers I. E. Lubenets and Yu. A. Kazarin began the final modernization (in order to improve the manufacturability of production), during which the Maxim was equipped with a simplified sighting With a device (with one sighting bar instead of two, which were previously replaced depending on the shooting with a light or heavy bullet), the mount for the optical sight was removed from the machine gun machine.
Maxim machine gun as a means of military air defense
Based on the machine gun design, single, twin and quad anti-aircraft machine gun mounts were created, which were the most common weapon in army air defense. For example, the quad M4 anti-aircraft machine gun mount of the 1931 model differed from the conventional Maxim machine gun in the presence of a forced water circulation device, a larger capacity of machine gun belts (for 1000 rounds instead of the usual 250) and an anti-aircraft ring sight. The installation was intended for firing at enemy aircraft (at altitudes up to 1400 m at speeds up to 500 km/h). The M4 unit was widely used as a stationary, self-propelled, ship-mounted unit, mounted in car bodies, armored trains, railway platforms, and on the roofs of buildings.
Twin and quad mounts of Maxim machine guns were also successfully used to fire at ground targets (in particular, to repel enemy infantry attacks). Thus, during the Finnish War of 1939-1940, units of the 34th Tank Brigade of the Red Army, which were surrounded in the Lemitte-Uomas area, successfully repelled several attacks by Finnish infantry, using two twin installations of Maxim anti-aircraft machine guns mounted on lorries as mobile firing points.
Application in the Great Patriotic War
The Maxim machine gun was actively used in the Great Patriotic War. It was in service with infantry and mountain troops, border guards, and the navy, and was installed on armored trains, Willys and GAZ-64 jeeps.
In May 1942, in accordance with the order of the People's Commissar of Armaments of the USSR D.F. Ustinov, a competition was announced to create a new design of an easel machine gun for the Red Army (to replace the Maxim machine gun model 1910/30.
On May 15, 1943, the Goryunov SG-43 heavy machine gun with an air-cooled barrel system was adopted by the Red Army, which began entering service in June 1943. But the Maxim machine gun continued to be produced until the end of the war at the Tula and Izhevsk factories, and until its end it was the main heavy machine gun of the Soviet Army.
Operating countries
Russian Empire: the main machine gun in service with the army.
-Germany: captured machine guns were used during the First World War.
-THE USSR
-Poland: in 1918-1920, a number of Russian Maxim machine guns mod. 1910 (under the name Maxim wz. 1910) was in service with the Polish army; after the 7.92x57 mm cartridge was adopted as standard rifle-machine-gun ammunition in 1922, a number of machine guns were converted to this cartridge, they received the name Maxim wz. 1910/28.
-Finland: after the declaration of independence of Finland in 1918, up to 600 7.62 mm Maxim machine guns mod. 1910 entered service with the emerging units of the Finnish army, another 163 were sold by Germany; they were used under the name Maxim m/1910; in the 1920s, machine guns were purchased abroad (for example, in 1924, 405 were purchased in Poland); in 1932, a modernized Maxim M/32-33 machine gun powered by a metal belt was adopted; some of the machine guns installed in pillboxes were equipped with forced water cooling of the barrel. By the winter of 1939, Maxim machine guns of various modifications still made up the bulk of the heavy machine guns of the Finnish army. They were used in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. and the “continuation war” of 1941-1944.
In 1918-1922 a number of Russian Maxim machine guns mod. 1910 entered service with paramilitary forces in China (in particular, Zhang Zuolin received them from white emigrants who retreated to northern China)
-Bulgaria: in 1921-1923. a number of Russian 7.62 mm Maxim machine guns mod. 1910 came into the possession of the Bulgarian army after the disarmament of units of Wrangel’s army that arrived in Bulgaria.
-Second Spanish Republic: After the outbreak of the Spanish War in 1936, 3221 machine guns were purchased by the government of the Spanish Republic.
-Mongolian People's Republic
-Third Reich: captured Soviet Maxim machine guns (under the name MG 216(r)) were used by the Wehrmacht and entered service with paramilitary and security police forces in the occupied territory of the USSR.
Czechoslovakia: in January 1942, the first 12 Maxim machine guns were received by the 1st Czechoslovak separate infantry battalion, and later by other Czechoslovak units.
-Poland: in 1943, Soviet machine guns were received by the 1st Polish Infantry Division named after T. Kosciuszko, and later by other Polish units.
-Ukraine: as of August 15, 2011, there were 35,000 pieces in the custody of the Ministry of Defense. machine guns; On October 8-9, 2014, it was used by volunteer battalions during the battles for the Donetsk airport; at the beginning of December 2014, another machine gun was seized by SBU officers from DPR supporters in the Slavyansk area. Maxim machine guns of the 1910 model (produced in 1944) were issued to units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that took part in the armed conflict in the Donbass.
Reflection in culture and art
The Maxim machine gun is mentioned in many works about the events of the First World War, the Civil War (the films “Thirteen”, “Chapaev”, etc.), the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War.
Civil version
In 2013, the Maxim machine gun, without the function of automatic fire, was certified in Russia as a hunting rifle weapon and sold under license.
TTX
Weight, kg: 20.3 (body), 64.3 (with machine)
-Length, mm: 1067
-Barrel length, mm: 721
-Cartridge: 7.62x54 mm R
- Operating principles: barrel recoil, crank locking
-Rate of fire, rounds/min: 600
-Initial bullet speed, m/s: 740
-Type of ammunition: canvas or metal cartridge belt for 250
, Vietnam War
shots/min:
Machine gun "Maxim" model 1910(GAU index - 56-P-421 listen)) is a heavy machine gun, a variant of the British Maxim machine gun, widely used by the Russian and Soviet armies during the First World War and the Second World War. The Maxim machine gun was used to destroy open group live targets and enemy fire weapons at a distance of up to 1000 m.
Story
Maxim machine gun on a serf (“artillery”) carriage. 1915
By 1899, the Maxim machine guns were converted to the 7.62x54 mm caliber of the Russian Mosin rifle from the 10.67 mm caliber Berdan rifle under the official name "7.62 mm heavy machine gun."
To increase the reliability of the machine gun, the so-called “muzzle accelerator” was used - a device that works on the principle of a muzzle brake. The front of the barrel was thickened to increase the muzzle area and then a muzzle cap was attached to the water casing. The pressure of the powder gases between the muzzle and the cap acted on the muzzle of the barrel, pushing it back and helping it roll back faster. A similar device was later used on a German machine gun MG-42.
In the Russian army, a new type of weapon - a machine gun - was subordinated to artillery. It was installed on a heavy carriage with large wheels and a large armored shield. The weight of the structure was about 250 kg. It was planned to use this installation for the defense of fortresses; from pre-equipped and protected positions, it was planned to counter massive attacks by enemy infantry with machine-gun fire. This approach may now cause bewilderment: after all, even during the Franco-Prussian War, French mitrailleuses used in an artillery manner, that is, with batteries, were suppressed by Prussian counter-artillery fire due to the obvious superiority of artillery over small-caliber weapons in terms of range.
Soon the machine gun mount was reduced to an acceptable size, although the armor shield that revealed the position was still left, and the machine gunners wore it during two world wars. The crew often simply threw away the armored shield, own experience having established that for a machine gun position camouflage is best protection when defending, and when attacking, especially when advancing through a field riddled with craters or a city littered with debris, mobility is more important than armor protection. In addition to the Russian army, the armored shield was used in the German army ( MG-08) during the First World War, however, the German armored shield was half the size, which provided some level of protection for the shooter and machine gun without impairing visibility.
The machine gun turned out to be extremely reliable and effective weapon. Production of the Maxim began in 1904 at the Tula Arms Factory.
Tula machine guns were cheaper, easier to manufacture and more reliable than foreign ones; their valves were completely interchangeable, something that English and German factories could not achieve for a long time. The most good results showed Sokolov's wheeled machine; Sokolov also designed special cartridge boxes, a gig for transporting ammunition, and sealed cylinders for boxes with cartridges. Simultaneously with the development of a more convenient machine gun, the weight of the machine gun itself was reduced, and some parts were also altered in connection with the adoption of a cartridge with a pointed bullet of the 1908 model, which necessitated the need to change the sighting devices in the Maxim machine gun, and remake the receiver so that it would fit the new rifle cartridge 7.62×54 mm with bullets of the 1908 model (light bullet) and the 1930 model (heavy bullet), and also widen the hole in the muzzle sleeve to avoid too much shaking of the machine gun when firing. Maxim's machine gun with the machine weighed more than 60 kg, and it also came with machine gun belts, machines for stuffing belts with cartridges, a supply of water for cooling the barrel.
Mechanism
The automatic machine gun operates on the principle of using the recoil of the barrel.
The design of the Maxim machine gun: the barrel is coated on the outside with a thin layer of copper to protect it from rust. A casing is placed on the barrel, filled with water to cool the barrel. Water is poured through a tube connected to the casing by a pipe with a tap. To release water there is a hole closed with a screw cap. The casing has a steam outlet pipe through which steam escapes when firing through a hole in the muzzle (closed with a plug). A short, movable tube is placed on the tube. At elevation angles, it lowers and closes the lower hole of the tube, as a result of which water cannot enter this latter, and the steam accumulated in the upper part of the casing will enter through the upper hole into the tube and then exit through the tube to the outside. The opposite will happen at declination angles.
A frame is attached to the trunk (Fig. 4, 5), consisting of two slats. The front ends are put on the axles of the barrel, and the rear ends are put on the axles of the bloodworm. The crank is connected by a hinge to the connecting rod, and this latter is connected to a lock. To the frame (Fig. 4, 5, 7) of the lock, which has two cheeks, are attached on studs from the outside: lock levers, crank levers; inside - the lower trigger, the boot, the trigger, the safety trigger with its spring and the mainspring. A combat cylinder is placed on the front of the castle so that it can move up and down relative to it. Its upward movement is limited by the protrusion, and its downward movement by the rod. Lock lever head AND is put on the front end of the connecting rod (Fig. 6) and when it is rotated 60° relative to the connecting rod, its three sector protrusions extend beyond the corresponding protrusions of the head of the lock levers. This way the locking levers, and therefore the lock, will be connected to the connecting rod. The lock can slide its protrusions along the frame in its grooves formed by the ribs. The protrusions of the frame (Fig. 3, 4, 5) fit into the slots on the side walls of the box. These slots D covered with slats. The lugs on the box serve to strengthen the machine gun on the carriage. The side walls and bottom of the box are one piece. On inside These walls of the box have grooves in the form of a swallow's tail at the beginning and at the end. The front wall of the box, which is integral with the casing, is pushed into the front ones using corresponding protrusions, and the butt plate is pushed into the rear ones. The front wall has two through channels. A barrel is inserted into the upper one, and spent cartridges pass through the lower one, and a spring prevents the cartridges from falling inside the box. The trigger lever is attached to the buttplate by an axis, the lower end of which is connected by a hinge to the rod. The trigger rod is secured at the bottom of the box with two rivets and so that it can move slightly along the box. The box is closed with a hinged lid Sh with latch Sh. The lid has a press that does not allow the lock E rise up when it comes out of the grooves with its ribs when the barrel moves back. On the left side wall of the box (Fig. 3, 8) there is a box mounted on spikes. It is connected to the front wall with a screw 6 spiral (return) spring 7 . Screw 6 serves to regulate the degree of spring tension. The other end grabs it with its hook by the chain, and this latter, in turn, is connected with the eccentric rush of the bloodworm IN(Fig. 5). The receiver (Fig. 3, 4, 11) is inserted into the slots on the side walls of the box. It has a two-finger and a heel slider. A crank lever is placed on the heel, the other end of which goes into the frame cutout (Fig. 5). At the bottom of the receiver (Fig. 11) there are two more fingers, which, like the upper ones, have springs.
Machine gun action
The automatic action of the machine gun is based on the recoil of the bolt and the barrel coupled to it under the pressure of powder gases. Having rolled back a certain distance, the bolt and barrel disengage and move independently of each other.
In the position in FIG. 4 machine gun is ready to fire. To fire a shot, you must raise the safety lever I and press the upper end of the trigger lever. Then the rod will move back and with its protrusion will turn the lower descent P, which will free the ankle. The trigger, no longer held by the palm of the hand, is under the action of the mainspring ABOUT will move forward and break the cartridge primer (Fig. 10). The bullet flies out of the barrel through the hole in the steel muzzle plug. Powder gases will push the barrel and frame back and exit through the muzzle holes. To increase the recoil energy, a muzzle is used, and the barrel in the muzzle is thickened. Bloodworm IN rests against the edge and cannot rise up, so the lock in this position of the bloodworm will only move backwards together with the frame and barrel. If, after the shot, the lock was immediately thrown away from the barrel by powder gases, the cartridge case would be torn apart.
The spring, unlike most systems, works in tension, not compression. The barrel with the shank then stops, and the bolt (“lock”) connected to the lever pair continues to move backward, simultaneously removing a new cartridge from the tape and a spent cartridge case from the barrel. When the moving system rolls forward, the new cartridge is lowered to the barrel line and sent into the chamber, and spent cartridge case fed into the sleeve outlet channel located below the barrel. The spent cartridges are thrown forward from the weapon, under the barrel. To implement such a feeding scheme, the shutter mirror has a T-shaped vertical groove for the flanges of the sleeves, and during the rollback process it moves down and up, respectively.
When the barrel and frame move backwards, the following happens: the handle G bloodworm (Fig. 3) slides along the roller X(attached to the axis of the right bar 12) and, thanks to its outline, will lower the bloodworm down. This movement of the bloodworm will cause the lock to accelerate its movement relative to the frame, while the lock will slide along the frame with its edges towards (Fig. 4, 5, 7, 9, 10) in the grooves 23 and separates from the trunk. Combat larva TO holds the cartridges located in the chamber of the barrel and in the receiver, capturing with its ribs L for the rims of the cartridges. At the moment of recoil, the combat larva pulls out the cartridge from the receiver and, when the lock is separated from the barrel, the spent cartridge case from the chamber. The cartridge and sleeve are held in the appropriate places on the cylinder by latches M And N with springs and cannot lower relative to it. When lowering the bloodworm head I lock levers presses on the ankle, and this latter will pull the trigger back. Safety trigger P under the influence of its spring, its protrusion jumps over the protrusion 24 trigger The ankle is held in the retracted position by the lower trigger of the machine gun. Fighting larva, sliding along the ledges ABOUT the side walls of the box with their protrusions R, towards the end of the movement it will fall down due to its own gravity and under the influence of springs WITH mounted on the box lid until its protrusions R won't fall on your ribs E frames. In this position of the combat larva, the new cartridge will be against the chamber, and the sleeve against the outlet channel 2 . When the frame moves backwards, the coil spring 7 stretches and when the bloodworm turns, the chain 8 winds around the eccentric tide of bloodworms. The frame when moving backwards with its cutout 17 (Fig. 5) turns the bell crank 15 (Fig. 11) so that the slider 13 moves to the right and it upper fingers 16 go for the next cartridge.
Power scheme
When recoil ends, the coil spring 7 compresses and returns the frame with the barrel to its original position. Lever G, sliding along the roller X, turns the crank, causing the lock to fit the barrel, a new cartridge enters the chamber, and the sleeve into the output channel. Crank lever 15 , turning, advances the slider into the receiver 13 , and this last one with his fingers 16 will move the tape to the left so that the new cartridge falls into the receiver socket R. Before the end of the lock movement E lock levers AND by clicking on the cutouts 25 (Fig. 7), turn the crank arms L, as a result of which the combat larva rises to its upper position and will be held in it by a spring AND(Fig. 5). The fighting larva, rising, will grab with its ribs L by the edge of the new cartridge lying in the receiver, and it is held in place by a latch M, and now located in the chamber with a latch N. With further movement of the lock, the lock levers slide into the second cutout 26 crank levers and, pressing on these latter, will send the lock close to the barrel. When the bloodworm stops moving, the head I lock levers (Fig. 4) will raise the end of the safety trigger and release the trigger, which is now held in the cocked position only by the lower trigger. At the same time the handle G(Fig. 3) jumps over the delay ledge F and therefore cannot be reflected forward. By pressing the end of the trigger lever, we will fire again. With continuous squeezing, shooting will also continue continuously. The ballistic data of a machine gun is almost the same as that of a shotgun.
Captured Russian heavy machine guns on a horse carriage
The cartridges are inserted into the sockets of cartridge (canvas) tapes, 450 pieces each. The tape is placed in the cartridge box (Fig. 11). Firing speed - up to 600 rounds per minute. The barrel gets very hot during shooting and after 600 shots the water in the casing boils. The disadvantages include the complexity of the mechanism and a large number of small parts, as a result of which delays during firing are possible due to their malfunctioning. After a large number of shots, the muzzle becomes clogged with small particles of bullet casing, flying out along with the powder gases, and impedes the movement of the barrel.
Sokolov machine
An important distinctive feature of the machine was the presence of a movable table on which the machine gun swivel was attached. This made it possible to give it a horizontal position, which ensured dispersed firing. Sokolov also designed special cartridge boxes, a gig for transporting ammunition, and sealed cylinders for boxes of cartridges.
Machine system of General A. A. Sokolov for 3-row. Maxim machine gun
Combat use in World War I
Combat use in the Civil War
There was also a quadruple anti-aircraft version of the machine gun. This ZPU was widely used as a stationary, self-propelled, ship-based one, and was installed in the bodies of cars, armored trains, railway platforms, and on the roofs of buildings.
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| Crimean Front, 1942 | Quadruple anti-aircraft machine gun mount model 1931 | "Maxim" on a drag boat |
Machine gun "Maxim" as a means of military air defense
Maxim machine gun systems became the most common weapon in army air defense. The quadruple anti-aircraft machine gun mount of the 1931 model differed from the conventional Maxim machine gun in the presence of a forced water circulation device and a larger capacity of machine gun belts - 1000 rounds instead of the usual 250. Using anti-aircraft ring sights, the mount was able to conduct effective fire at low-flying enemy aircraft (maximum at altitudes up to 1400 m at speeds up to 500 km/h). These mounts were also often used to support infantry.
Combat use experience
The Maxim machine gun is the first automatic weapon in history that uses the removal of powder gases to fire and reload a cartridge. The developed Maxim machine gun, the design and operating principle of which turned out to be so successful that from the second half of the 19th century to the present, this heavy machine gun has been used modern world is still in service. Having all kinds of modifications and calibers, the principle of shooting remains unchanged.
Brief performance characteristics of the Maxim machine gun
History of the Maxim machine gun
- 1873– production of the first sample of the Maxim machine gun;
- Autumn 1882– final development of machine gun drawings;
- 1883 —1895 – many patents have been issued for these weapons;
- 1888– first demonstration of the product in Russia;
- 1898- the first mass use of a machine gun by British troops in Sudan;
- 1899– the first one is made good option chambered for British 7.7 mm cartridge;
- May 1899– the first batch of machine guns manufactured in Britain was delivered to St. Petersburg;
- 1901– adoption into service Russian army;
- May 1904– start of production at the Tula Arms Plant;
- 1910– development of a Russian model;
- 1930– new modernization of the Soviet machine gun;
- 1931– start of production of a quadruple anti-aircraft gun.
Who created
Hiram Stevens was a famous inventor. His inventions are known in various fields. Creating a machine gun was his long-time dream.
The world's first Gatling machine gun, which had from 6 to 10 barrels, was effective at that time, but was heavy and inconvenient to use. It was necessary to turn the barrel rotation knob with one hand, and with the other to direct the fire towards the enemy.
The first Gatling gun Stevens came up with a more advanced weapon, in which he was the first to use recoil energy to automatically reload and fire a cartridge.
However, American gunsmiths refused to introduce the machine gun into production, citing complexity and high cost. The required high precision processing of machine gun parts required the involvement of many qualified specialists. The cost of one copy, at that time, was comparable to the cost of a steam locomotive.
Hiram Stevens emigrated to England, where he spent a long time marketing work among the leadership of countries and the military elite. He found interested entrepreneurs in the production of these weapons.
To attract more attention to his creation, he used this trick - in the documents he corrected the rate of fire from 600 to 666 , - allegedly emphasizing that this is a “devilish” weapon. Despite the indignation of churches and pacifists, the inventor ensured that the leading powers began to buy the machine gun.
Nathan Rothschild undertook to finance the project. Apparently, the world's behind-the-scenes elite was already planning the massacre.
History of production development
The first customer of several copies was Kaiser Wilhelm, who personally tested the machine gun.
The inventor brought a machine gun to Russia, from which Tsar Alexander III fired. Russia ordered 12 units chambered for the Berdan rifle (10.67 mm). Subsequently, the barrels were converted to the caliber of the Mosin rifle (7.62 mm). In total, during the period 1897-1904, Russia purchased 291 units.
The production license was sold to Germany, America and Russia.
From the time I received the machine gun Russian citizenship, at the Tula Arms Plant it underwent a number of upgrades.
In the history of the Maxim machine gun, there are many names written about who invented this type of weapon.
Changes introduced in the Russian version of the combat product:
- sighting device changed;
- the receiver mechanism was redesigned for a new cartridge;
- the hole in the muzzle sleeve has been expanded;
- the carriage was replaced with a Sokolov wheeled machine;
- the size of the armor shield has been reduced;
- Ammo boxes have been changed;
- a folding buttplate is installed;
- the fuse was moved to the trigger area, which speeded up the firing process;
- added return spring tension indicator;
- the sight has been changed with an enlarged scale;
- a separate firing pin is introduced to the firing pin;
- for long-range shooting, a heavy bullet and an optical sight were introduced;
- The water casing is reinforced with longitudinal corrugation.
In order to provide the army with machine guns chambered for the domestic cartridge, in the 20s of the last century our designers tried to develop their own models of automatic weapons. Based on the Maxim machine gun, Tula gunsmith F.V. Tokarev undertook to solve this problem. He was the first to invent the Maxim machine gun.
He created the MT model, a light machine gun of the Maxim-Tokarev system, which had a wooden butt and air cooling. However, the weight remained high.
It had some advantages over foreign analogues, and was put into service in 1925.
In 1923, another inventor of the Maxim machine gun appeared. On the basic design by gunsmith I.N. Kolesnikov created the Maxim-Kolesnikov machine gun. It was distinguished by its original pistol grip.
Both products were subjected to field tests, according to the results of which MT received the advantage. In 1925, its mass production began, which ceased in 1927.
Dekhtyarev's new heavy machine gun, which was hastily adopted in those years, turned out to be unreliable. In order to provide the army with weapons, the industry is forced to return to the production of Maxim, which was manufactured in Izhevsk and Tula until the end of the Great Patriotic War.
Combat use
The British first used a machine gun on the battlefield during the battle against the Mahdi's superior army in Sudan. An army of thousands, armed with muskets, was defeated in short period. The results of this massacre showed that the tactics of field battles must change radically. This fact was confirmed by the events that took place on the battlefields of the 20th century.
Changes in troop tactics after the introduction of the machine gun:
- the infantry went deeper into the trenches;
- the cavalry ceased to exist;
- line attacks stopped;
- gun volleys are a thing of the past.
The first samples were equipped with heavy gun carriages and resembled a cannon. They were classified as artillery and used for the defense of fortresses and fortified positions.
The first large-scale use of the machine gun in the 20th century occurred between Russia and Japan in May 1904 in the defense of Port Arthur. Both sides used them as miniature artillery, opening fire from the rear, over the heads of their soldiers, at enemy positions. The same version of the Maxim weapon was used during the 1st World War.
After a number of modifications, the sample acquired the well-known classic appearance on a frame with wheels. This option was more mobile; it was used not only in defense, but also in attack. The weight of the weapon changed from 244 to 65 kg.
The machine gun was mounted on spring carts.
As well as armored cars, armored trains and ships. It was also used in anti-aircraft artillery.
During the Civil War, the cart was used effectively against infantry and cavalry. Nestor Makhno was the first to use the tactics of fighting on carts.
Maxim on a cart With the advent of armored vehicles and tanks in the army, carts lost their role, and legendary machine gun continued with his life.
Armored car with a Maximov machine gun 
The machine gun was widely used during the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars. The last large-scale use of this weapon was during the Sino-Soviet conflict on Damansky Island in 1969.
Currently, the machine gun is used by units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the civil conflict in the South-East of Ukraine.
A Right Sector fighter and a Maximka machine gun at a firing position near Donetsk How the Maxim machine gun works - TTX
| Weight with machine, kg | 64,3 |
| Body weight with barrel, kg | 20,3 |
| Length, mm | 1067 |
| Barrel length, mm | 721 |
| Cartridge, mm | 7.62x54 |
| Combat rate of fire, rpm | 250-300 |
| Maximum rate of fire, rpm | 600 |
| Initial bullet speed, m/sec | 855 |
| Number of shots | 200/250 in tape |
| Barrel diameter | 7.62x54 mm, 4 grooves |
| Sighting range, m | 2300 |
| Maximum sighting range, m | 3800 |
| Effective sighting range, m | 600 |
| Stroke width, mm | 505 |
| Type of ammunition: | canvas or metal cartridge belt for 250 |
| Work principles: | gas outlet, crank locking |
| Machine gun crew | 3 people |
Maxim machine gun: design and principle of operation
Design
General design of the Maxim machine gun Atlas of drawings 1906
From the drawings presented above, we can conclude that the machine gun mechanisms are highly complex.
How does the Maxim machine gun work?
Loading
- Thread the cartridge belt into the receiver;
- Move the handle to the front and rear positions. At the same time, the belt with cartridges will move, and the first cartridge will stand opposite the lock (A). The lock moves forward and captures the cartridge (B);
- Repeatedly vigorously move the handle back and forth. When the handle moves forward, the lock removes the cartridge from the belt (B). When the handle moves to its original position, the cartridge enters the barrel bore, the tape moves onto one cartridge, which again captures the lock (G). The machine gun is ready to fire;
How does the Maxim machine gun work? Shooting
- The design of the Maxim machine gun is such that when you press the trigger, a shot is fired. Under the influence of powder gases, the lock with a new cartridge and spent cartridge case moves backward (A). The handle automatically goes forward (B);
Maxim machine gun, shooting - The cartridge and cartridge case move downwards, and under the influence of the return spring the lock moves forward, the cartridge is inserted into the bore, and the spent cartridge case is inserted into the cartridge ejection tube (B), which pushes out the previous cartridge case. Another shot is fired (D). The next cartridge is captured, the lock moves back, and the process repeats;
Maxim machine gun, shooting Modifications of the Maxim machine gun
| Title/Image | Country - creator of the Maxim machine gun | Brief technical characteristics |
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Finland |
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England |
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Germany |
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Switzerland |
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USSR |
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China |
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MG 08
MG 11
Advantages and disadvantages of the Maxim machine gun
Advantages
- high rate of fire;
- good accuracy of fire;
- high reliability and durability;
- the ability to fire in long bursts;
- large ammunition load;
- presence of armor protection;
- comfortable ergonomics when shooting.
Flaws
- short effective firing range;
- how much does a Maxim machine gun weigh?
- low maneuverability;
- high profile, making camouflage difficult and making the machine gunner an easy target;
- complexity of the design, making disassembly and assembly difficult;
- high cost and difficulty in production;
- low efficiency when water is scarce;
- combat crew of 3 people.
Operating countries
| A country | Usage |
| Bulgaria | Austro-Hungarian and Russian designs |
| Great Britain | Own production |
| German Empire | Own production |
| Greece | Purchase for your own cartridge 6.5x54 mm |
| Kingdom of Italy | Purchase |
| Serbia | Manufactured in Germany chambered for 7x57 mm |
| Ottoman Empire | 220 pcs., purchase |
| Russian empire | Own production |
| Romania | Purchase chambered for 6.5x53 mm |
| USSR | Own production |
| Montenegro | Purchase from Germany chambered for 7.62x54 |
| Finland | Own production |
| Switzerland | Own production |
| Ukraine | There are about 35,000 pieces in MO storage. |
Cultural use
This great invention of murder has become the hero of many folklore works of the world. Poems and songs were dedicated to him. His image was described in many works of literature and cinema. Films about the Civil War and the 2nd World War could not do without him.
Art films
- Chapaev;
- Officers;
- Brother 2.
Songs
- Two maxims;
- Maxim machine gun.
Many documentaries have been shot.
Documentary video
Video about the Maxim machine gun - device
Today, civilian models of the machine gun are available for public sale. Many models have been developed for collectors, construction sets and toys made from various materials from metal to cardboard.
Conclusion
Despite the many existing types modern machine guns, Maxim remains a current model of infantry weapons. Due to its reliability, strength and density of fire, it is still applicable in organizing defense firing points. Tens of thousands of working copies are mothballed in warehouses, ready for use in the event of aggression by Russia's enemies.
