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My favourite shell. SZAKATS 19 X 114/R

SG500

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
This is one of those shells that there is a reasonable amount of information on but which is very hard to find! There is a section in Chinn (some of which is summarised below) about it and several articles have been published in the ECRA journal.

When the inter-Allied Control Commission inspected German armarment plants soon after the end of the first world war it found an experimental aircraft cannon called the Szakats which was a belt fed air cooled automatic cannon having a rate of fire of 450 rounds per minute.
The weapon was invented by a Polish arms designer called Gabriel Szakats.

The first model was produced in 1918 but was not used in combat. Four types of gun were produced (SZ-1, SZA-2,SZB and SZC). The SZ-1 and SZA-2 could both be water cooled. The SZB was much lighter and was air cooled only. The SZC was the final imporved model and its modified components were made out of bronze to reduce friction.

The weapon could be mounted either flexibly or fixed in aircraft. When installed in the wings it was possible to synchronize it to fire through the propeller arc. When so installed an ammunition box holding 100 rounds was seated near it.

The photographs show the headstamp and a complete round next to the base that came with it. Apparently all known specimens have exactly the same headstamp. The base that would have originally had 4 rounds on it is interesting in that it says "LAACC Armament Section Germany 1920-1921". You can imagine some very lucky person having a couple of these on their desk!!

As to why its my favourite shell, dunno, its just so different!!

All INERT of course.

Dave.
 

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I briefly had one of those before I traded it for something I wanted more...

There's quite a bit about the Szakats in Musgrave's German Machine Guns.
 
Could you please tell me the reason for the knurling {not sure if this is the correct name}around the base is it to assist feed?
Regards Daryl
 
Hi, to quote a few lines from the December 2008 ECRA journal:

"The time fuze system (for an air burst effect) was very complicated and setting the fuzes was done during the feeding process automatically by fixing the projectile and TWISTING the case. So the setting of the fuzes could be changed during firing, which was an important feature for the pilot of a fighter in air combat".

I think the twisting was aided by the knurling on the base.

The deeper cut out of the rim (at about 7 o clock in the photo) is where the round was mounted onto the wooden base where a screw went through, all the rounds I've seen have suffered this minor damage and its nothing to do with the original design.

Hope this helps.

Dave
 
Excellent pictures and write ups gents!

Ive held a case only in my hand that is in a pals collection.
Good to see a complete one. That is worth an awful lot of money im told?

best

waff
 
Hi Chaps,
Ive been over to my pals house today and managed a few shots on the camera.
Here is his nice Szakats case.

cheers

waff
 

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I see Micks has a bit out of the rim also, its been mounted on a base at sometime.
Dave.
 
So was the case securely crimped to a part of the projectile base that could be rotated? Could the pilot control the range the projectile exploded at from frim a control in the cockpit? How was the projectile held securely when the case was rotated?
 
I can only assume that the case was crimped onto the projectile otherwise it wouldn't have worked too well on the belt.
Regarding the control of the fuze setting - I don't know, perhaps Tony Williams can help out with that one.
Dave.
 
a couple more bonus shots of the the Szakats

cheers

waff
 

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Next question about this.............does anyone have a photograph of the link for the Szakats? There's plenty of line drawings of the links but I was just wondering if someone out there actually had a link for it?
Dave.
 
Next question about this.............does anyone have a photograph of the link for the Szakats? There's plenty of line drawings of the links but I was just wondering if someone out there actually had a link for it?
Dave.


Crikey Dave!
Thats a tall order i would have thought?

cheers

waff
 
Crikey Dave!
Thats a tall order i would have thought?

cheers

waff

No problem in aiming high though :tinysmile_twink_t2:
They're certainly distinctive so if one popped out of the woodwork, well.....
Dave.
 
No problem in aiming high though :tinysmile_twink_t2:
They're certainly distinctive so if one popped out of the woodwork, well.....
Dave.


Dave my friend!,only you could pull that blag off! :tinysmile_classes_t

best

waff
 
Links

Dave - If I remember rightly Herb had a link for the 19mm. I know it is a bit of a long shot, but have you asked Martin G?

Regards
Tony
 
Dave - If I remember rightly Herb had a link for the 19mm. I know it is a bit of a long shot, but have you asked Martin G?

Regards
Tony

Thanks Tony, yes I've already enquired, its just down to finding where it is now.......
Dave.
 
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