The 3-inch/50 seems to perform extremely poorly in game in comparison to other autocannons. Not only it is the slowest autocannon, it also fires an comparatively light shell at a relatively low velocity.
That translates to low kinetic energy, combined with light weight shells and low rate of fire, which should mean more time for cooling down. Yet this isn’t the case in game.
For demonstration purposes, I have tested it on multiple boats. I do not have all of them, but I have access to some of the premium boats and these in test drives.
The 3-inch/50 Mk.34 fires a 5.9 kg shell at 823 m/s
Can fire about 30 shells before jamming
The 76mm AK-726 fires a 5.9 kg shell at 980 m/s
Can fire about 40 shells before jamming
The 76mm OTO-Melera Compact fires a 6.35 kg shell at 925 m/s
Can fire about 60 shells before jamming
The 76mm AK-176M fires a 5.9 kg shell at 980 m/s
Can fire about 60 shells before jamming
What do you honestly expect from an early automatic artillery piece designed in the late stages of the second world war? Of course it’ll be worse than cannons from the 1960’s onwards.
TBH my only gripes with the 3"/50 Mk. 22 cannon is that:
• The AA VT Mk. 31 shell is really hit or miss against aircraft, often generating flak plumes around an enemy aircraft while doing bugger all to the aviators even with six of them on the Destroyer JDS Ayanami DD-103 I’ve seen them just do squat.
• Ammunition feeding is done by belts in game even when the model shows the cartridges & the X-ray shows a more conventional elevator, also belts on anything Cost’all is extremely expensive while cheapwater they’re sub 100 sl.
Niche trivia:
• Mk. 27 (early twin), Mk. 33 (improved late twin) & Mk. 34 (single mount) are the mounts specifically while the cannon remain the same as the Mk. 22.
• The first cannon was ready for testing of September 1st 1945, one day before the war ended yet didn’t entre service until 1948.
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It’s a very early design. You are comparing late 1940’s technology to mid 1960’s technology. That’s really the only difference.
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The real mystery is why the gun cooled by seawater is easier to overheat than the 76 compact.
The 76mm OTO-Melera Compact is cooled by seawater. The 76mm AK-176M and 76mm AK-726 are both also water cooled.
The 3-inch/50 was not until later versions.
