ww2steel Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 I have asked this on the DShK forum as well without a good answer yet... The DShK (the big Soviet .50 cal) has a very tall real sight graduated to several thousand meters. When viewing it from the rear, you can see that it is canted just a few degrees- I think with the top to the right. It is actually machined this way about half way up on the sight mount. Is this to compensate fo gyroscopic forces on the spinning bullet as it accelerates down due to gravity? (Doesn't seem like it would be spinning that fast, but I guess after a couple thousand meters... ?) Something else? Three other Russian DShKMs I have seen are this way- can't speak for the 38 models or the Chinese. I know somebody on here will know the answer for sure!!! Mike 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 ww2steel, I checked Ezell's classic SMALL ARMS OF THE WORLD, but it didn't have what you're looking for, probably because it's much more focused on shoulder-fired weapons than HMGs. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Presumably the front sight is similarly off centre? It's not uncommon in machineguns to have sights that are not on the centreline - eg the Bren -. It's normally due to a physical requirement of some sort. I can't imagine the DshK ballistics are so unique as to require a feature not seen on anything else! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2steel Posted April 17, 2006 Author Share Posted April 17, 2006 Yeah, it's wierd! The front sight is mounted directly in the center on top of the barrel. The rear sight is mounted directly in the center of the receiver behind the feed tray. About an inch and a half up on the base of the mount the cast/ machining goes to a canted posture and the entire 10" tall rear sight is canted about 7 degrees to the LEFT (I said right earlier) when viewed from behind. I have seen this in several other DShKs and a guy from the DShK board scanned and emailed a copy of his Soviet manual that shows that is supposed to be this way. Why??? I'm looking more into gyroscopic forces. Mike 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2steel Posted April 17, 2006 Author Share Posted April 17, 2006 (I also thought of Coriolis forces, since the top of the sight is to the left and in Russia (and the entire northern hemisphere) Coriolis forces are to the right. BUT- ballistics site I have looked at list this as a very small factor. (Even smaller than the centrifugal force pulling 'up' on the bullet due to the spinning earth!) Mike [ April 17, 2006, 01:48 PM: Message edited by: ww2steel ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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