{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-flak-30-38-anti-aircraft-gun-20-mm-magazine-dated-1941-flakvierling-38","title":"Original German WWII Flak 30\/38 Anti-Aircraft Gun 20 mm Magazine - Dated 1941 - Flakvierling 38","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent example of a 1941-dated German WW2 Flak 88 20mm magazine with great markings and much of the finish retained. The 20 round magazine bears Waffenamt (WaA) as well as a manufacture code and 1941 date. The side of the magazine has slots to show the user how many rounds are left.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe magazine is stamped\u003cstrong\u003e Waffenamt WaA542\u003c\/strong\u003e next to \u003cstrong\u003ecjs \/ 41\u003c\/strong\u003e denoting 1941 manufacture by an unknown maker. Next to this is a code, \u003cstrong\u003eB1569\u003c\/strong\u003e, possibly a serial number. There is oxidation scattered across the magazine, and it shows heavy service use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReady for display!\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe Flak 30 (Flugabwehrkanone 30) and improved Flak 38 were 20 mm anti-aircraft guns used by various German forces throughout World War II. It was not only the primary German light anti-aircraft gun, but by far the most numerously produced German artillery piece throughout the war.[1] It was produced in a variety of models, notably the Flakvierling 38 which combined four Flak 38 autocannons onto a single carriage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven as the Flak 30 was entering service, the Luftwaffe and Heer (army) branches of the Wehrmacht had doubts about its effectiveness, given the ever-increasing speeds of low-altitude fighter-bombers and attack aircraft. The Army in particular felt the proper solution was the introduction of the 37 mm caliber weapons they had been developing since the 1920s, which had a rate of fire about the same as the Flak 38, but fired a round with almost eight times the weight. This not only made the rounds deadlier on impact, but their higher energy and ballistic coefficient allowed them to travel much longer distances, allowing the gun to engage targets at longer ranges. This meant it could keep enemy aircraft under fire over longer time spans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 20 mm weapons had always had weak development perspectives, often being reconfigured or redesigned just enough to allow the weapons to find use. Indeed, it came as a surprise when Rheinmetall introduced the 2 cm Flakvierling 38, which improved the weapon just enough to make it competitive once again. The term Vierling literally translates to \"quadruplet\" and refers to the four 20 mm autocannon constituting the design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Flakvierling weapon consisted of quad-mounted 2 cm Flak 38 AA guns with collapsing seats, folding handles, and ammunition racks. The mount had a triangular base with a jack at each leg for levelling the gun. The tracker traversed and elevated the mount manually using two handwheels. When raised, the weapon measured 307 cm (10 feet 1 inch) high.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach of the four mounted guns had a separate magazine that held only 20 rounds. This meant that a maximum combined rate of fire of 1,400 rounds per minute was reduced practically to 800 rounds per minute for combat use – which would still require that a magazine to be replaced every six seconds, on each of the four guns. This is the attainable rate of fire; the sustained rate of fire is significantly lower due to rapid heat buildup and barrel erosion. Automatic weapons are typically limited to roughly 100 rounds per minute per barrel to give time for the heat to dissipate, although this can be exceeded for short periods if the firing window is brief.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45061012324421,"sku":"ONJR26MYAS033","price":595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/925E7165-3680-4ABA-B740-7855FC7D18F3.jpg?v=1779903942","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-flak-30-38-anti-aircraft-gun-20-mm-magazine-dated-1941-flakvierling-38","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}