Parabellum MG14
Encyclopedia
The Parabellum MG14 was a 7.9 mm caliber World War I
machine gun built by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken
. It was an adaptation of their Maschinengewehr 08
gun intended for use on aircraft and zeppelins. The MG08's belt-style ammunition feed was enclosed in a drum, the recoil casing was lightened, and the cooling jacket was modified for air- instead of water-cooling. The rate of fire was 700 rounds/minute.
The MG14 first appeared in 1914
, but was rendered largely obsolete the following year with the introduction of the gun synchroniser
which allowed pilots to fire between their aircraft's propeller blades. The MG14 was tried with the pioneering Fokker Stangensteuerung synchronizer on the Fokker E.I
pre-production prototypes, but the gun's reliability in this installation eventually proved to be unsatisfactory, even though its closed bolt
firing cycle was a desirable feature for synchronisation. It continued in service in applications where a synchroniser was unnecessary, such as armament for observers in reconnaissance aircraft, or defensive gunners aboard Zeppelins.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
machine gun built by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken
Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken
Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken Aktien-Gesellschaft , known as DWM, was an arms company in Imperial Germany created in 1896 when Ludwig Loewe & Company united its weapons and ammunition production facilities within one company...
. It was an adaptation of their Maschinengewehr 08
Maschinengewehr 08
The Maschinengewehr 08, or MG08, was the German Army's standard machine gun in World War I and is an adoption of Hiram S. Maxim's original 1884 Maxim Gun. It was produced in a number of variants during the war. The MG 08 remained in service until the outbreak of World War II due to shortages of...
gun intended for use on aircraft and zeppelins. The MG08's belt-style ammunition feed was enclosed in a drum, the recoil casing was lightened, and the cooling jacket was modified for air- instead of water-cooling. The rate of fire was 700 rounds/minute.
1914 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1914.The outbreak of World War I accelerates all aspects of aviation which in turn changes war in a twofold way. The aeroplane turns the sky into a new battle field and eliminates the distinction between frontline and hinterland, with the civilian...
, but was rendered largely obsolete the following year with the introduction of the gun synchroniser
Interrupter gear
An interrupter gear is a device used on military aircraft and warships in order to allow them to target opponents without damaging themselves....
which allowed pilots to fire between their aircraft's propeller blades. The MG14 was tried with the pioneering Fokker Stangensteuerung synchronizer on the Fokker E.I
Fokker E.I
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Boyne, Walter J. The Smithsonian Book of Flight for Young People. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1988. ISBN 0-689-31422-1....
pre-production prototypes, but the gun's reliability in this installation eventually proved to be unsatisfactory, even though its closed bolt
Closed bolt
A semi or full-automatic firearm which is said to fire from a closed bolt is one where, when ready to fire, a round is in the chamber and the bolt and working parts are forward...
firing cycle was a desirable feature for synchronisation. It continued in service in applications where a synchroniser was unnecessary, such as armament for observers in reconnaissance aircraft, or defensive gunners aboard Zeppelins.