3-inch/50-caliber gun vs Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70

ANaval guns

3-inch/50-caliber gun

Naval gun

Bofors 57 mm family — Mk 110 aboard USS Freedom — licensed equipment photograph

BNaval guns

Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70

Naval artillery

Credit

United States Navy, Lt. Ed Early · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

3-inch/50-caliber gunlarger figure on 0 of 1

None

Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70larger figure on 1 of 1

Rate of fire+1157%

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

17 of 41 rows sourced on both sides

4.06mMark 21

—

Length

All recorded figures & sources

3.91 m

Mark 2

Single source

4.06 m

Mark 21

Single source

Mark 2 : 153.8 inches (3.91 m) Mark 21 : 159.7 inches (4.06 m)^[source]

946kgMark 2 with breech

14t

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

800 kg

Mark 21

Single source

946 kg

Mark 2 with breech

Single source

Mark 2 : 2,086 pounds (946 kg) (with breech) Mark 21 : 1,760 pounds (800 kg)^[source]

6.5 kg

Mark 3 per complete round

Single source

14,000 kg

Mark 3 weight including 1,000 rounds onboard, each weighing

Single source

13kmMaximum; at 43° elevation

17kmMaximum; HE round at 45°

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

9.3 km

Maximum; AA ceiling

Single source

13.4 km

Maximum; at 43° elevation

Single source

14,600 yd (13,400 m) at 43° elevation 30,400 ft (9,300 m) AA ceiling^[source]

8.5 km

Effective; HE round

Single source

17 km

Maximum; HE round at 45°

Single source

3.82mMark 21 bore (50 calibres)

4.35mWith flash hider

Barrel lengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

3.82 m

Mark 21 bore (50 calibres)

Single source

3.8 m

Mark 2 bore (50 calibers )

Single source

Mark 2 : 150 inches (380 cm) bore (50 calibers ) Mark 21 : 150.3 inches (382 cm) bore (50 calibres)^[source]

3.99 m

Bore length

Single source

4.345 m

With flash hider

Single source

76mmCaliber

57mm/70 caliber

CalibreScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

76 mm

Caliber

Single source

3-inch (76 mm)^[source]

57 mm

/70 caliber

Single source

57 mm/70 caliber^[source]

15–20rounds/minMark 2

220rpmMark 2

Rate of fire

All recorded figures & sources

15–20 rounds/min

Mark 2

Single source

45–50 rounds/min

Mark 22 with autoloader

Single source

Mark 2 : 15 – 20 rounds per minute Mark 22 : 45 – 50 rounds per minute with autoloader^[source]

220 rounds/min

Mark 2

Single source

200 rounds/min

Mark 1

Single source

820m/s

1,035m/sHE round

Muzzle velocity

All recorded figures & sources

820 m/s

Muzzle velocity

Single source

2,700 ft/s (820 m/s)^[source]

1,035 m/s

HE round

Single source

1,035 m/s (3,400 ft/s) (HE round)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

3-inch/50-caliber gun and Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70 configuration
Specification	3-inch/50-caliber gun	Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70
Type	Naval gun^[source]	Naval artillery^[source]
Place of origin	United States^[source]	Sweden^[source]
In service	1900–1990 (US Navy)^[source]	1971–present^[source]
Used by	US Navy^[source]	See users^[source]
Designed	Mark 2 : 1898 * Mark 10 : 1915 * Mark 22 : 1944^[source]	Mark 1: 1970 Mark 2: 1981 Mark 3: 1995^[source]
Produced	1900–1948^[source]	Mark 1: 1970 Mark 2: 1985 Mark 3: 2000^[source]
Variants	Marks 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22^[source]	See variants^[source]
Shell	complete round: 24 lb (11 kg); projectile weight: 13 lb (5.9 kg) projectile types: AP , AA (with VT proximity fuze), HE, Illumination^[source]	57 × 438 mm R (m/70) 6.1 kg (13 lb ) complete round 2.4 kg (5.3 lb ) pre-fragmented shell^[source]
Elevation	Pedestal Mount : -10° to +15° AA Mount : -10° to +85°^[source]	Mark 1: −10°/+78° (40°/s) Mark 2: −10°/+75° (40°/s) Mark 3: −10°/+77° (44°/s)^[source]
Traverse	360°^[source]	Full 360°: Mark 1: 55°/s Mark 2: 55°/s Mark 3: 57°/s^[source]
Sights	Peep-site and Optical telescope^[source]	Gyro-stabilized in local control.^[source]
Designer	—	Bofors Defence^[source]
Manufacturer	—	Bofors Defence (1970–2000) United Defense (2000–2005) BAE Systems AB (2005 onwards)^[source]
Barrels	—	Single barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 24 grooves)^[source]
Action	—	Electronic firing^[source]
Feed system	—	Magazine : Mark 1: 40 ready rounds, 128 rounds in ready racks in mount Mark 2: 120 ready rounds, up to 40 rounds in dual hoists Mark 3: 120 ready rounds, up to 40 rounds in dual hoists, 1,000 rounds in mounting^[source]
Reported operators	—	Reported operator · Bangladesh Reported operator · Croatia Reported operator · Finland Reported operator · Indonesia Reported operator · Ireland Reported operator · Malaysia Reported operator · Montenegro Reported operator · Singapore Reported operator · Sweden Reported operator · Thailand Reported operator · West Germany Reported operator · Canada Reported operator · Brunei Reported operator · Germany Reported operator · Mexico Reported operator · Norway Reported operator · United Kingdom Reported operator · United States

FORCETALLY

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3-inch/50-caliber gun

Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70

Type

Naval gun^[source]

Naval artillery^[source]

Place of origin

United States^[source]

Sweden^[source]

In service

1900–1990 (US Navy)^[source]

1971–present^[source]

Used by

US Navy^[source]

See users^[source]

Designed

Mark 2 : 1898 * Mark 10 : 1915 * Mark 22 : 1944^[source]

Mark 1: 1970 Mark 2: 1981 Mark 3: 1995^[source]

Produced

1900–1948^[source]

Mark 1: 1970 Mark 2: 1985 Mark 3: 2000^[source]

Variants

Marks 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22^[source]

See variants^[source]

Shell

complete round: 24 lb (11 kg); projectile weight: 13 lb (5.9 kg) projectile types: AP , AA (with VT proximity fuze), HE, Illumination^[source]

57 × 438 mm R (m/70) 6.1 kg (13 lb ) complete round 2.4 kg (5.3 lb ) pre-fragmented shell^[source]

Elevation

Pedestal Mount : -10° to +15° AA Mount : -10° to +85°^[source]

Mark 1: −10°/+78° (40°/s) Mark 2: −10°/+75° (40°/s) Mark 3: −10°/+77° (44°/s)^[source]

Traverse

360°^[source]

Full 360°: Mark 1: 55°/s Mark 2: 55°/s Mark 3: 57°/s^[source]

Sights

Peep-site and Optical telescope^[source]

Gyro-stabilized in local control.^[source]

Designer

—

Bofors Defence^[source]

Manufacturer

—

Bofors Defence (1970–2000) United Defense (2000–2005) BAE Systems AB (2005 onwards)^[source]

Barrels

—

Single barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 24 grooves)^[source]

Action

—

Electronic firing^[source]

Feed system

—

Magazine : Mark 1: 40 ready rounds, 128 rounds in ready racks in mount Mark 2: 120 ready rounds, up to 40 rounds in dual hoists Mark 3: 120 ready rounds, up to 40 rounds in dual hoists, 1,000 rounds in mounting^[source]

Reported operators

—

Reported operator · Bangladesh
Reported operator · Croatia
Reported operator · Finland
Reported operator · Indonesia
Reported operator · Ireland
Reported operator · Malaysia
Reported operator · Montenegro
Reported operator · Singapore
Reported operator · Sweden
Reported operator · Thailand
Reported operator · West Germany
Reported operator · Canada
Reported operator · Brunei
Reported operator · Germany
Reported operator · Mexico
Reported operator · Norway
Reported operator · United Kingdom
Reported operator · United States