Savin–Norov machine gun
Soviet aircraft machine gun with opposed barrel and bolt movement.
The Savin–Norov (SN) machine gun was a Soviet aircraft weapon produced in limited quantities before World War II. It fired the standard 7.62×54mmR cartridge and was designed to outperform the ShKAS in rate of fire. To achieve this, its barrel and bolt moved in opposite directions. Reported rates of fire vary; one source claims over 3,600 rounds per minute, while others place it between 2,800 and 3,000 rounds per minute.
The gun was developed in 1934–1935 by I.V. Savin and A.K. Norov. According to a Western account, the Soviet Air Force (VVS) rejected it in 1936. Soviet sources state that in January 1939, three Polikarpov I-16 fighters (designated I-16 Type 19) had SN guns installed in their wings and saw action in the Winter War. A propeller-synchronized mounting was planned for the I-16 Type 20, and four such aircraft were built, but they never entered service; the Type 20 designation was later reused for I-16s armed only with ShKAS guns but capable of carrying drop tanks. A further variant, the I-16 Type 22, was intended to carry four synchronized guns—two SN and two ShKAS—but was apparently never built and was cancelled in August 1939. Like the UltraShKAS, the SN suffered from poor reliability and never reached mass production. As of 1996, an example was on display at the Central Air Force Museum.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Is Ranged
- YES
- Service
- 1939–1940
- Used By
- Soviet Air Forces
- Wars
- Winter War
- Designer
- Ivan Savin, Aleksandr Norov
- Design Date
- 1935
- Number
- at least 14 built; 6 used in service
- Cartridge
- 7.62×54mmR
- Caliber
- 7.62 mm
- Action
- Gas-operated
- Rate
- 2800–3600 RPM
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The SN gun was designed in 1934–1935 by I.V. Savin and A.K. Norov. According to a Western source, it was offered to the VVS, which rejected it in 1936. Soviet sources indicate that the SN machine gun was installed in the wings of three Polikarpov I-16 aircraft in January 1939; these planes were given the designation I-16 Type 19 and they took part in the Winter War. The gun was also supposed to be installed in a propeller-synchronized mounting in the I-16 Type 20. Although four planes were built in this configuration, they did not go into service; the Type 20 designation was then reused for I-16 aircraft only armed with ShKAS guns, but capable of carrying drop tanks.
A further type I-16 Type 22 was planned to be armed with four propeller-synchronized guns, two of which were supposed to be SN guns (and the other two ShKAS), but this type was apparently never built and was cancelled in August 1939. As with the UltraShKAS, the reliability of the SN machine gun was low, so it did not go into mass production. An SN exemplar could be seen (in 1996) at the Central Air Force Museum.
Reader's Guide
The Savin–Norov machine gun represents an attempt to push the rate of fire of rifle-caliber aircraft machine guns beyond that of the contemporary ShKAS, using an unconventional opposed-recoil action. Its development and limited fielding illustrate the Soviet pursuit of higher firepower for fighter aircraft in the late 1930s. The gun saw only small-scale production and was installed in a few Polikarpov I-16 fighters, which saw combat in the Winter War. However, low reliability prevented mass production, mirroring the fate of the UltraShKAS. The cancellation of the planned I-16 Type 22, which would have paired SN guns with ShKAS guns, further curtailed its service. The SN's legacy is that of a technically ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful design, preserved today only as a museum piece at the Central Air Force Museum.
Did You Know?
- The SN gun's barrel and bolt moved in opposite directions to achieve a high rate of fire.
- Three Polikarpov I-16 Type 19 aircraft armed with SN guns took part in the Winter War.
- The I-16 Type 22, planned with four synchronized guns including two SN guns, was cancelled in August 1939.
- An SN exemplar was on display at the Central Air Force Museum as of 1996.
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