Bofors Gun Firing

I was watching a documentary recently which contained some achieve film footage of Bofors guns in action in /France following D-Day. Part of the footage seemed to show single shells being passed to the gun, as single shells rather than in 5 round clips, and then fed into the gun as single shells, from the top. It wasn't 100% clear that the shells were not put into clips at the gun but the impression was that the gun was being fed with single shells/multiple single shells.

I thought that Bofors guns could only be fed with 5 round clips of shells and not single shells/multiple single shells. Could a Bofors gun be fed with single shells/multiple single shells or could they only be fed with 5 round clips?

Many thanks

US 40MM like on twin and quad mounts on all the ships ? 4 round clips . Have one right here .
Chris

It was late when I wrote the post. The question was/is, are Bofors guns capable of firing single shells/multiple single shells or do the shells always have to be put in clips before firing?

At a rate of fire between 1.3 and 2.0 rounds per second , I think single feed would not be possible .
Chris

I was watching that. They were single feeding them, topping up as it was fired. It was being fired single shot, slowly at ground level targets at Caan.

It appeared to be that he was topping up the clip as each one was fired.

They weren't simply loading clips as the rounds were dropping each time it was fired.

I love the Bofors Gun.........simplicity personified especially with the Bren additive!!

Machine Gun Fires Shells (1940) - YouTube

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roy W

I was watching that. They were single feeding them, topping up as it was fired. It was being fired single shot, slowly at ground level targets at Caan.

It appeared to be that he was topping up the clip as each one was fired.

They weren't simply loading clips as the rounds were dropping each time it was fired.

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Thanks for that, I'm pleased that I wasn't the only person to watch the documentary.

I couldn't quite figure out what was going on with loading the rounds hence the thread here.

Thanks for all the replies chaps.

Interesting, as when they first came out in 1931, 4 rounds in a designated clip was the norm, to prevent stoppages, then they tried single shots, but with everything Military they soon wanted a more sustained rate of fire and moved to 7 round clips..........I bet that was a handful, and purely laying down fire against fast aircraft at low level.

What I found interesting was the Bren gun atop the breech firing as well. Never saw anything like that. Bofor's gun's that I gave seen usually had twin guns with loaders dropping in 4 round clips as fast as they could. Frank

Interesting video!
With the Bren on top; I was wondering if that would be firing tracer to help train the teams for getting on target? However I have no idea how the trajectories of the .303 and the 40mm Bofors would compare.

A simple Bore sight, like many anti tank guns in the 50's that used a M8C .50 calibre spotting rifle, which fired a zirconium-tipped spotter tracer round visible past 2,000 yards, it could engage targets out to 2,000 m to ensure they were on target before releasing the main round.

That's an interesting video

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If your a baddy and runnin' drugs in a boat or flying at low level then you are in for a very bad day.......
BAE Systems Bofors 57mm Mk 3 Stealth Gun with 3P Ammunition - YouTube

Cinders, they would never fire that at boats with deadly heavily armed smugglers, killers and kidnappers on board its surely against Human Rights :lol:

:p Guess the baddies would invoke the Queensbury Rules and sail away into the sunset! :dancingbanana:
Somehow I don't think that would hold water with the authorities........