Afanasev A-12.7
| A-12.7 aircraft machine gun | |
|---|---|
| Type | Single-barrel aircraft machine gun |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Soviet Union, Russia |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Nikolay M. Afanasev |
| Designed | 1949–1953 |
| Manufacturer | Tulamashzavod Tula Izhmash Izhevsk Kovrov KMZ |
| Produced | 1953–1983 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 25.5 kg (56 lb) |
| Length | 1,423 mm (4 ft 8 in) |
| Barrel length | 1,005 mm (3 ft 4 in) |
| Width | 154 mm (6 in) |
| Height | 154.5 mm (6 in) |
| Cartridge | 12.7×108mm |
| Caliber | 12.7 mm (0.50 in) |
| Barrels | 1 |
| Action | Gas operation |
| Rate of fire | 800–1,100 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 818 m/s (2,680 ft/s) |
The Afanasev A-12.7 is a heavy machine gun developed by Nikolay M. Afanasev in 1949 and adopted for service in 1953. This gun was supposed to have a considerably higher rate of fire than its predecessor, the Berezin UB aircraft machine gun. Due to excessive barrel wear however, it was eventually limited by an electrical trigger to a rate comparable to the Berezin UB. Initially intended to be mounted in the defensive turrets of the Tu-4 bomber, the A-12.7 was ultimately installed only in trainer aircraft and helicopters. Nevertheless, it was produced for 30 years.