Rheinmetall 77mm field gun M. 1916

 

 

 

 

German designation :

7.7cm FK 16

Calibre :

77mm L/35

Weight in action :

1325 kg

Weight in marching order :

2256 kg

Barrel length :

2.695 m

Barrel grooves

number :

32

depth :

0.75 mm

width :

5.06 mm

Rifling

length :

2.27 m – 29 calibres

twist :

uniform : 1 turn in 25 calibres

angle of twist :

8° 25’

Height of the line of fire :

1060 mm

Shield thickness :

4 mm

Cartridge

size :

77 x 229 x 91 R

weight :

762 g

charge :

1st charge : 600 g of Röhrenpulver 38

2nd charge : 690 g of Röhrenpulver 40

Shells

 

F.Schr. 96

 

weight :

6.85 kg – charge: 80 g of black powder

300 lead bullets x 10 g or 203 x 11 g steel bullets

max. range :

6000 m (with 1st charge)

K.Gr. 14

weight :

6.85 kg - charge: 180 g / 260 g Fp. 60/40

K.Gr. 15

weight :

6.85 kg (short fuze) / 7.12 kg (long fuze)

charge :

350 g / 400 g Fp. 60/40

300 g Grf. 88

max. range :

8600 m

K.Gr. 16

weight :

6.22 kg / 6.265 kg

charge :

300 g Grf. 88 + 210 g trinitronaphthalene

85 g Grf. 88 + 610 g Fp. 60/40

max. range :

7100 m (with 1st charge)

lg.F.K. Gr.

weight :

7.1 kg / 7.45 kg

charge :

900 g Fp. 60/40

140 g Grf. 88 + 800 g Fp. 60/40

529 g Grf. 88 + 265 g trinitronaphthalene

800 g Grf. 88 and Paraffin

max. range :

6000 m (with 1st charge) 8500

Muzzle velocity :

1st charge : 420 m/s

2nd charge : 545 m/s

C-Geschoss

weight :

5.89 kg - bursting charge : 0.55 kg Fp. 60/40

muzzle velocity :

602 m/s

max. range :

10700 m (with 2nd charge)

Gasgeschoss

max. range :

9100 m (with 2nd charge)

Elevation :

+ 40° / - 10°

Traversing angle :

4°

Remarks :

Quick firing heavy gun, with hydro-spring recoil system, single-motion wedge breech mechanism, traverse on pivot. The sights were the same as those of the light field howitzers M. 1898/09. It was introduced in autumn 1916. It could fire also a star shell (7,7cm Leuchtgeschoss), a 6.79 kg incendiary shell (7,7cm Brandschrapnellgranate) and various patterns of gas shells.