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Lahti's Last Machine Gun: The L33/39 Antiaircraft Gun (ad-free full version)
🕑 Added 2022-09-09 12:01:01 +0000 UTCIn response to a Finnish military need for a machine gun better than the old Maxim for aerial and anti-aircraft use, Aimo Lahti developed the L33 machine gun from the basis of the Lahti-Saloranta design. It was recoil operated, with the ubiquitous Lahti accelerator lever, and a quite high rate of fire. Total production was quite small, but several different versions of the gun were made for mounted AA use, aircraft wing mounting, and aerial observer mounts. This example is from the last pattern, the L33/39. Despite its designation, deliveries were not made until after the end of the Continuation War, as the manufacturer (VKT) had many higher priority projects during the fighting. The L33/39 is chambered for the standard Finnish 7.62x54 (53)mm cartridge, and uses a 75-round pan type magazine.
We also take the Lahti L33/39 out at the range to try out. We have the gun on a naval-type cone mount, but it is not secured down to the ground. I was taken rather aback by the really high rate of fire, and the gun rocked back on its mount more than I expected! In addition, it was extremely difficult to load the magazines, as we didn't have the original loading machine.
Comments
Grant Janzen
A 75 round drum is pretty small, given the Lahti's rate of fire; you would spend more time changing magazines than actually firing at an attacking aircraft.
Matisse Enzer
The instability of the mounting system in this particular case really makes a huge difference it seems.
Farmer Brown
It would be interesting during editing the video to try and approximate the rate of fire. Sounds very, very high. Regarding YT - I heard they don't like "high capacity feeding devices"
Alexander Thomas
I don't think anyone knows, especially not YT themselves.
Christopher Maclennan
Very similar in form to a vickers k
Guido Schriewer
sounds close to a 36 or 42. looks almost new.
Risto Alanko
The "trumpet pedestal" should be bolted on a deck of a ship... so you could lean on the support strap and actually hit something.
ViejoLobo
What was YT's stated reason for banning the shooting sequences?
Robert N Ayres
I did not get a notification either
Weird, I didn't receive an email from Patreon for this.
Robert Socal
I don't understand: what exactly is YT banning? Any shooting from a machine gun? Any shooting with automatic fire? Any shooting at all? Sorry for my ignorance.
