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From: bxr307@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Muzzles of cannons
Message-ID: <1991Apr19.071236.14763@amd.com>
Date: 18 Apr 91 09:53:29 GMT
References: <1991Apr18.032433.21674@amd.com>
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From: bxr307@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian)


>From: khai@adi.com (Sao Khai Mong)
>On the muzzle of certain guns and howitzers, there is a
>hammerhead-like attachment present.  What is the purpose of it and why
>do certain guns need it and others not?

	This is called the "muzzle brake".  It is basically a device which is
intended to reduce the recoil that the gun carriage/mounting recieves when a
round is fired by redirecting the gases from the barrel rearwards.  Muzzle 
brakes come in assorted shapes, functionality and efficiency.  They can range
from simple holes drilled in the barrel at the muzzle end, canted backwards,
to complex, multi-slotted devices several feet long which project from the
end of the barrel.
	You will though, see them primarily on weapons which require some
help to alleviate the force of the recoil which would normally damage their
mountings.  However surprisingly they have gone out of favour on tank guns
because of problems encounted in their becoming fouled by the discarbing
sabots of the main anti-armour round now fired which relies on kinetic energy
(usually referred to as APFSDS or APDS) to destroy its target.

Brian Ross