Firestorm

Since the advent of firearms designers tried to increase its rate because almost immediately began to understand the benefits of a massive fire. Quite a long time rate increased indirect way: Training arrow. But they do not train a soldier firing rate did not significantly increase. What was needed was some kind of idea for improving the design of weapons. One of the earliest and simplest ideas is to equip implements several trunks.



The first samples of such systems appeared more than five centuries ago. But loading from the trunk, not bad for a total skorostrelnosti.Do middle of the XIX century. trunks had separate locks or cranking to supply under the hammer by hand; loading was carried out with the barrel. With the advent of mitrailleuse period begins self-loading (automatic) weapons. Time multicore systems came only in the middle of the XIX century. In 1851, the Belgian Montigny made weapon with the block rifle barrels, breech-loading. Were very helpful and recently appeared fixed ammunition. They can be easily recharged in a special cage that looked like a metal plate with holes. Clip inserted into the breech and install all the bullets was fired at the same time. Due to the cage, compared with the guns of the XV century, rate rose significantly. Already in 1859, this pattern was adopted in France under the name "mitrailleuse." However, a major breakthrough in the tactics of fighting these weapons are not allowed, the French just do not know how to use the device that brings them the advantage on the battlefield almost to zero.



Across the ocean, in the United States, at the time of their child worked physician RJ. Gatling. He also decided to use several trunks, but not to fire volleys. If the barrel has to be hand in these cartridge, and then he shoots, and then be thrown sleeve ... Why not make a few trunks, each of which is charged and throws sleeve while others shoot? It reasoned Gatling. The result of his inventions was the machine-machine with six trunks. Arrows on hurdy-gurdy, turning the handle of a breech weapons, setting in motion a block trunks. Cartridges of the top box magazine guns under their own weight were fed into the chamber. Per revolution block every single time to get the barrel cartridge, shoot and throw sleeve. Extraction of spent cartridges, it is worth noting, too, was made by gravity. Need to make a reservation: the idea of ​​rotating the barrel block was not new, had already existed multiply revolvers type pepperbox. The main merit of the Gatling - ammunition feed system and distribution cycle loading-shot extraction during the turnover of the block. In the end, the idea embodied in the future Gatling machine guns, but the question of increasing the density and rate of fire remained open.



Attempt to solve this problem did Swede H. Palmkrants. In 1897, when the famous gunsmith Maxim, had his famous machine gun, a Swede Palmkrants developed and offered its multilateral system of volley fire. The Swede went on the usual ways to increase the rate of fire by using multiple trunks immediately. All this "exotic" works as follows. Calculation gun laying in vertical stores cartridges (30 pieces), produces about pointing towards the target and the shooter starts to rotate the knob on the side of the receiver. When it is rotated every block "trunk-gate" produced several operations in one revolution of the crankshaft and pens. Per rotation arm shot gun does all trunks. The idea was so successful, and Maxim machine gun is so flawed that it Palmkrantsa gun entered service in many European countries, including the British Empire.



Getting a machine gun Maxim machine gun and multicore Palmkrantsa were worthy competitors. The product was a Swedish in its construction and as a consequence, relatively cheap. However, the receiver unit and large trunks made gun rather cumbersome. By weight, it must be said, it is not much different from the Maxim machine gun, but he lost much usability. The fact that the need for an external drive mechanics gun did not allow one arrow at a time, and direct fire machine gun. Maxim machine gun had no such problems - it worked automatics only by the recoil energy, and not from a special handle. Finally, even the earlier versions of the design rate of Maxim had about 600 rounds per minute. Palmkrantsa machine gun, in turn, even in desyatistvolnoy version could not give more than four hundred. Recent instances of multicore machine gun Palmkrantsa in Britain were retired to the top in 1910. Military whole of Europe prefer an automatic system without an external source of energy. This is the path and went further development of machine guns, but the multilateral arms volley fire was not completely forgotten.



In the XX century. to increase the rate of first combined in one system 2 - 4 machine guns and automatic guns (especially in the anti-aircraft guns). This caused difficulties and delays sometimes when reloading and weighting setting. Then trunks reduced (by the principle mitrailleuse) into a single rotating package and created a common mechanism of reloading and descent, allowing use to supply 1 -2 tape.



Another way to increase the rate - combined into a single unit or two, three, and several weapons. For example, during the war bomber Tu-2 Sturmovik tried to turn in, setting his bombolyuk 88 machines PCA; TU-2 dive on enemy positions, open bomb bay, where they were installed PCA and they attack any enemy withering rain of bullets 6248. After one such passage over enemy trenches TU-2 left a plowed field lead. But all of these multi-barreled designs were too bulky and produced in small batches. The idea is to create a serial multi-stemmed automatic weapon with a high rate of fire and density did not leave gunsmiths, and in the end, the idea developed into a very real personal prototype of automatic weapons fire salvo, which was able to carry and use only one soldier.



Automatic rocket launchers TKB-059 unique example of domestic design ideas, created by the Soviet small arms designer Herman Korobov Alexandrovich (1912-2006). Triple-Machine (Device-3B) Herman Korobov created in 1962 in the Tula Design Bureau. Herman Korobov in creating TKB-059, at the forefront of all ultra-fast set, in which the return of the shots did not have time to reject the trunk, to achieve high accuracy. Several trunks on one machine allowing to produce volley shot, the rate of fire of the machine TKB-059 (Device-3B) reached 1400-1800 rounds per minute. Many components and parts of the instrument-3B were borrowed from machine "Kalashnikov", which allows to achieve a high degree of commonality with the major small arms of the Armed Forces of the USSR.



Fire from the TKB-059 was conducted or three volleys of shots or bursts. Three stem from the machine assembled in a single carriage and have a common mobile automation system. TKB-059 has demonstrated unparalleled accuracy when firing bursts through sverhskorostrelnosti and the carriage circuit mounting shafts. During state testing, by simultaneously shot three bullets in the queue, the weapon actually showed a very high accuracy. However, the unusual structure and complexity of embedded equipment stores has led to the fact that the state commission refused to accept the machine into service. The role played by the fact that the troops were armed with automatic AKM and the need to equip the new type of small arms was not. It would seem that this would be to put an end, but as it turned out the idea of ​​rapid-fire machine volley, only waiting in the wings.



At the international exhibition Eurosatory-2012 Israeli company Silver Shadow® introduced the first assault rifle AR-15 with a double-barrel. Gilboa DBR has two concurrent trunk, run by double clicking on the trigger. It will be available in both semi-automatic (double salvo per trigger pull) and fully automatic version. Rifle with two 5.56-mm barrels weighs 4, 26 kg.



According to the creators Gilboa DBR - a conceptual weapon designed to provide twice the firepower, no matter what caliber it may be manufactured. Features rifles allow the shooter to hit the target in two stages at the same time on a single charge and return. Simultaneous firing of two trunks at the touch of the trigger allows for faster change goals.



I am sure that his product idea Israelis have picked Korobov. This once again confirms the brilliant idea Soviet gunsmith, and short-sightedness of the Soviet military officials refused to further development in this direction.