Madsen 20 mm cannon

Madsen 20 mm cannon
Madsen 20 mm cannon
Type	Autocannon
Place of origin	Denmark
Service history
Used by	Denmark Finland Ireland
Specifications
Mass	55 kilograms (121 lb)
Length	2,500 millimetres (98 in)
Barrel length	1,200 millimetres (47 in)
Cartridge	20 x 120 mm
Caliber	20mm
Rate of fire	350 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	790 metres per second (2,600 ft/s)
Effective firing range	500 metres (550 yd)
Maximum firing range	1,800 metres (2,000 yd)
Feed system	Drum magazine

20x120mm Madsen
Type	Autocannon
Place of origin	Denmark
Production history
Manufacturer	Kynoch
Specifications
Rim diameter	28.9mm

20 mm AA Machine Cannon M/38 was produced by the Danish company Dansk Industri Syndikat (Danish Industry Syndicate) - maybe better known under the abbreviation DISA - in Herlev near Copenhagen and was used by the military of Denmark in different types of mounting. This cannon was originally constructed by Colonel V. H. O. Madsen and was therefore widely known as the 20 mm Madsen Cannon. A version with a necked-out 23 mm round was also produced, generally known as the 23 mm Madsen.

The mountings were also produced by DISA in the following types:

• Field Mount
• AA Defence Mount
• Sidecar mounting with the Danish motorcycle Nimbus
• Maritime mount

This type of machine cannon was a very well functioning weapon, which was exported by DISA to several countries.

20 mm machine cannon in side-car mounting was without doubt the weapons system that made the most remarkable contribution to the defence when Germany attacked Denmark in Operation Weserübung on the 9 April 1940.

External links

• Kurze Beschreibung der Munition Fur Die 20mm Madsen Kanone Gegen Luftziele und Tanks (The title, in English, is "Short Description of the Ammunition for the 20mm Madsen Cannon Against Airborne Targets and Tanks.")
• Pictures of the 20 mm machine cannon in different mountings