The MG 151 (MG 151/15) was a 15 mm aircraft-mounted autocannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser during World War II. It was the prototype for the 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon widely used on German Luftwaffe fighters, night fighters, fighter-bombers, bombers and ground-attack aircraft. Salvaged guns saw post-war use by other nations.
Two versions of the 20 mm MG 151 were built. Early guns used a percussion priming system, and later E-models used electrical priming. Some rounds were available with a timer self-destruct and/or tracer (or glowtracer). There were also different types of high explosive shell fillings with either standard PETN, a mixture called HA41 (RDX and aluminium), and a compressed version where more explosives were compressed into same space using large pressures (XM).
Technical Specifications
MG 151 specifications
Type: single-barrel automatic cannon
Calibre: 15 mm x 96
Operation: Recoil-operated; short recoil
Length: 1916 mm
Barrel length: 1254 mm
Rifling: 8 grooves, right hand twist, 1 turn in 16″
Weight (complete): 38.1 kg (84 lb)
Rate of fire: 740 rpm
Effective range: 1000 m
Muzzle velocity: 850 m/s (AP-T); 960 m/s (HE-T, HEI-T); 1030 m/s AP(WC)
Projectile types:
AP-T weighting 72 g
HE weighting 57 g. HE filler: 2.8 g
AP(WC) weighting 52 g
MG 151/20 specifications
Type: single-barrel automatic cannon
Calibre: 20 mm x 82
Operation: Recoil-operated; short recoil
Length: 1766 mm
Barrel length: 1104 mm/55 calibers
Rifling: 1 turn in 23 calibres
Weight (complete): 42.7 kg
Rate of fire: 750 rpm
Effective range:800 m
Muzzle velocity: 805 m/s (M-Geschoss); 705 m/s (HE-T, AP)
