How did the Lewis Gun magazine work?

The Lewis gun used a pan magazine holding 47 or 97 rounds. Unlike the more common drum magazines, which hold the rounds parallel to the axis and are fed by spring tension, pan magazines are mechanically indexed. The Lewis magazine was driven by a cam on top of the bolt which operated a pawl mechanism via a lever.

How does a pan magazine work?

The pan magazine is a flat cylindrical shape, similar in shape to a drum magazine. However, if you look at the previous post, drum magazines are mounted from below the gun. A pan magazine, on the other hand, is mounted on top of the gun and uses the force of gravity to drop cartridges into the action.

Was the Lewis Gun a good gun?

As a light automatic machine gun it was considered the best and most reliable available at the time and was soon adapted for use both at sea by the Royal Navy, and for use in the air by aircraft observers (with the Vickers Gun used for forward firing through the aircraft’s propeller blades).

How much does an MG42 weigh?

With a butt, for use with a bipod, the gun is 122.5 cm (48.25 inches) long. It weighs (without bipod) 10.5 kg (23.1 pounds). The MG42 is fed by a metal link belt at a cyclic rate of fire of 700–1,300 rounds per minute. It is air-cooled and has a quick-change barrel.

Why is it called a Lewis gun?

The Lewis gun was invented by U.S. Army colonel Isaac Newton Lewis in 1911, based on initial work by Samuel Maclean. 303 British round and, in 1914, BSA purchased a licence to manufacture the Lewis machine gun in England, which resulted in Lewis receiving significant royalty payments and becoming very wealthy.

What is the purpose of a magazine on a firearm?

In repeating firearms, the magazine is the place that stores the ammunition that has not been fired. It is a removable, spring-powered ammunition storage and feeding device that is inserted into a semi-automatic firearm.

Why are gun magazines called magazines?

A modern pistol magazine takes its name from, you guessed it- the ammunition storage function. When written magazines were invented, they took their name from the broad based ammunition storage facility, not the other way around.

Did the US use the Lewis gun in ww2?

Although it was far superior than any machine gun of its time, the United States Military did not adopt it initially, but they later used it during World War II. The Lewis Gun had a rate of fire of 550 rounds per minute and it took either the .

Why is a clip called a magazine?

Hacker. You mean why is a magazine called a clip? Because people that know nothing about guns want to sound cool like they know the lingo. A magazine is a box in which the bullets are housed either internally in a rifle or an external magazine which is inserted into the rifle or firearm in a fixed location…

Are MP40 still in service?

It was also adopted by some nations with the Norwegian army only withdrawing both its the MP38 in 1975, but used the MP40 for several more years until it was replaced by the Heckler and Koch MP5. Today the MP40 can still be seen being used in the Libyan and Syrian civil wars.

Was the MG 42 used in ww2?

The MG 42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or “machine gun 42”) is a 7.92×57mm Mauser general-purpose machine gun designed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II.

How many rounds does a Lewis gun hold?

The Lewis gun used a pan magazine holding 47 or 97 rounds. Pan magazines hold the rounds in a radial fan. Unlike the more common drum magazines, which hold the rounds parallel to the axis and are fed by spring tension, pan magazines are mechanically indexed.

What kind of magazine does a Lewis gun have?

A 97-round pan magazine, as used on a 7.92×57mm Lewis gun, Museum of Coastal Defence, Poland. Note the magazine is only partially filled. The Lewis gun was gas operated. A portion of the expanding propellant gas was tapped off from the barrel, driving a piston to the rear against a spring.

What is a pan magazine and how does it work?

The pan magazine is a flat cylindrical shape, similar in shape to a drum magazine. However, if you look at the previous post, drum magazines are mounted from below the gun. A pan magazine, on the other hand, is mounted on top of the gun and uses the force of gravity to drop cartridges into the action.

Why was the Lewis gun chosen for the tank?

The Lewis was chosen for its relatively compact magazines, but as soon as an improved magazine belt for the Hotchkiss was developed, the Lewis was replaced by them in later tank models. The Germans also used captured Lewis guns in both World Wars, and included instruction in its operation and care as part of their machine-gun crew training.