machine gun accuracy

27 February 2002, 02:53 AM

In a past thread there was a discussion of accuracy of the guns on these birds and I quoted a section from the 'Text book on Aerial Gunnery' that stated that one could expect the group you would get would be more than 50 feet at a range of 250 yards.

Try as I might I can't find that thread now, and I didn't get a chance to explain at that time, when someone said that couldn't be correct as these guns were rifled and capable of much better accuracy than that. Something was said that even old time smoothbore muskets shot better than that.

You must remember that a weapon is no more accurate than the person or the mount holding the piece. In the case of WW1 aircraft, you have a very light and rather flimsy frame to which the guns are mounted. Also, you must consider the air turbulance and how an even slightly bumpy ride would affect accuracy. With that in mind I must agree that a 50 ft group at 250 yds seems quite realistic.

SteveD

27 February 2002, 06:53 AM

I have no trouble believing this. I've read plenty of first-person accounts that talk of being shot at by an enemy at close quarters, then returning to the aerodrome to discover a solitary bullet hole. Or one hole in the empennage, another in a wing, etc.

TonyWilliams · 27 February 2002, 08:32 AM

A quote from "Fighting in the Air", a guide to fighter pilots published in 1916:

"Hundreds of rounds are fired every day at machines at ranges estimated at 50 yards (46m) or less without doing any damage".

Also quoting the same source (from my forthcoming book

)

"...a minimum group size (i.e., the measurement of the greatest distance between shots in a burst) at low altitude of 15m at a range of 230m; "and this size of group has often been greatly exceeded, even by an experienced gunner". In smooth air, the group size could improve to 6m at the same distance when firing at a target requiring no traversing, or 9m with traversing. "

From another volume of my next book (WW2), dug up from the PRO:

"...the .303" Brownings were notably inaccurate weapons, spreading their fire over a 1 metre circle at 100 m (although 75% of the bullets were within a 0.5 metre circle)."

Tony Williams
Author: "Rapid Fire: The development of automatic cannon, heavy machine guns and their ammunition for armies, navies and air forces"
Details on my military gun and ammunition website:
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.ukMilitary gun and ammunition discussion forum:
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