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BAnti-aircraft guns
Soviet towed, road-transportable, short- to medium-range, single-barrel anti-aircraft gun
At a glance
37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)larger figure on 1 of 4
AZP S-60larger figure on 3 of 4
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
Configuration
| Specification | 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) | AZP S-60 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Anti-aircraft gun Autocannon[source] | Autocannon[source] |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union[source] | Soviet Union[source] |
| In service | 1939–present[source] | 1950–present[source] |
| Used by | See Users[source] |
Width
Single source2.054 m (6 ft 9 in)[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
See § Users[source] |
| Wars | List of conflicts World War II First Indochina War Korean War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Portuguese Colonial War Somali Civil War South African Border War Lebanese Civil War Syrian Civil War Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Tigray War[source] | See § Conflicts[source] |
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| Manufacturer | Podolsk Mechanical Plant[source] | TsAKB[source] |
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| Produced | 1939–1945 (USSR)[source] | — |
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| No. built | 20,000 (USSR)[source] | — |
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| Shell | 37×252mmSR[source] | Fixed QF 57×347mmSR[source] |
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| Shell weight | 730 g (1.61 lb) Frag-T 770 g (1.70 lb) AP-T[source] | — |
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| Recoil | Hydro-spring[source] | — |
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| Carriage | Four-wheeled with twin outriggers[source] | Four wheels with outriggers[source] |
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| Elevation | −5° to 85°[source] | −4° to +85°[source] |
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| Traverse | 360°[source] | 360°[source] |
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| Former operator · Afghanistan | Afghanistan[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Albania | Albania[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Bulgaria | Bulgaria[source] | — |
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| Former operator · East Germany | East Germany[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Finland | Finland[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Georgia | Georgia[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Indonesia | Indonesia[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Iraq | Iraq[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Islamic State | Islamic State[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Morocco | Morocco[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Mali | Mali[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Mongolia | Mongolia[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Nicaragua | Nicaragua[source] | — |
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| Former operator · North Yemen | North Yemen[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Poland | Poland[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Romania | Romania[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Soviet Union | Soviet Union[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Somalia | Somalia[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Yugoslavia | Yugoslavia[source] | — |
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| Former operator · Zaire | Zaire[source] | — |
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| Role | Soviet 37 mm calibre anti-aircraft gun[source] | Soviet towed, road-transportable, short- to medium-range, single-barrel anti-aircraft gun[source] |
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| Source measurement | The 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) ( Russian : 37-мм автоматическая зенитная пушка образца 1939 года (61-К) ) is a Soviet 37 mm calibre anti-aircraft gun developed during the late 1930s and used during World War II . The land-based version was replaced in Soviet service by the AZP S-60 during the 1950s. Guns of this type were successfully used throughout the Eastern Front against dive bombers and other low- and medium-altitude targets. It also had some usefulness against lightly armoured ground targets.[source]37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The Soviet Navy purchased a number of Bofors 25 mm Model 1933 guns in 1935, trials of the weapon were successful, and it was decided to develop a 45 mm version of the weapon designated the 49-K. The development under the guidance of leading Soviet designers M. N. Loginov , I. A. Lyamin and L. V. Lyuliev was successful, but the army thought that the 45 mm calibre was a little too large for an automatic field weapon. In January 1938 the Artillery Factory Number 8 in Sverdlovsk was ordered to develop a 37 mm weapon based on the same design. The task was fulfilled by the chief designer of the factory, Mikhail Loginov , and his assistant Lev Loktev . Firing trials of the new 61-K were conducted in October 1938.[source]37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) · Development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Armour penetration of the armour-piercing (AP) rounds is reported as 37 millimetres of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) at 60°at 500 metres range and 28 millimetres of RHA at 90° at 1,500 metres range.[source]37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) · Development / Land version; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage After this an 85- calibre 100 mm (3.9 in) anti-aircraft mounts long version, the 45 mm/85, was developed and accepted into service in 1954, it was deployed in twin and quad turrets on a number of classes of vessels, including the Neustrashimy , Kildin and Kotlin-class destroyers . However, it was later replaced with the ZIF-31 twin 57 mm mounting.[source]37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) · Development / Naval version; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The 37 mm twin mounting was exported to China where it was manufactured and used extensively, as the "Type 65". A turret-based version was produced from the late 1980s called the "Type 76" or H/PJA 76.[source]37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) · Development / Naval version; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The ZSU-37 was developed late in the Second World War, it was a single 37 mm gun mounted in a large open turret on the chassis of the SU-76 self-propelled gun.[source]37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) · Development / ZSU-37; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Recoil length: 150 to 175 mm[source]37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) · Specifications; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Norinco (Chinese) Type 55 – towed single-barreled 37 mm, copy of the M1939 (61-K) Type 63/65 – self-propelled twin 37 mm gun based on the T-34-85 chassis. Type 65 – towed twin-barreled 37 mm, copy of the M1939 (61-K) Type 74 – towed twin-barreled 37 mm, upgrade of the towed Type 65, with a greater rate of fire. Type 74SD – Type 74 with servo system removed for operation with Type 800 laser course director system. Type 79-III – upgraded version of the Type 74 with electro-optical director, and powered traverse and elevation. Type 76 – Naval version of the twin 37 mm. P793 – Advanced twin-barrel version, with electro-optical predicting sight and higher rate of fire and lengthened barrels giving a higher muzzle velocity (1,000 m/s). Operated by a crew of 5 or 6.[source]37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage | — |
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| Origin reported by inventory | Soviet Union China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 9, row 2, cell 4; revision 1373498165; retrieved 2026-10-02 Soviet Union[source]Inventory Origin column; table 15, row 24, cell 3; revision 1375897637; retrieved 2026-10-02 Soviet Union[source]Inventory Origin column; table 4, row 5, cell 2; revision 1365890955; retrieved 2026-10-02 China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 3, row 4, cell 3; revision 1376512630; retrieved 2026-10-01 Soviet Union[source]Inventory Origin column; table 4, row 4, cell 2; revision 1364971517; retrieved 2026-10-01 | — |
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| Designer | — | Vasiliy Grabin[source] |
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| Action | — | Recoil operated[source] |
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| Reported operators |
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6,000 m (20,000 ft) (radar guided) 4,000 m (13,000 ft) (optically guided)[source]