Description
This is a SUPERB and VERY RARE example of a 100% INERT WW2 Imperial Japanese Navy 20mm Type 99 Mark 1 High Explosive Aircraft Cannon Round! This was used in conjunction with the Mitsubishi A6M “Zero”; J2M “Raiden”; N1K “Rex”; G3M “Nell”; G4M “Betty”; and other fighters and bombers!
The Type 99 Mark 1 machine gun and Type 99 Mark 2 machine gun were Japanese versions of the Oerlikon FF and Oerlikon FFL autocannons respectively. They were adopted by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in 1939 and served as their standard aircraft autocannon during World War II.
The Type 99 Mark 1 was adopted by the Japanese for both fixed and flexible installations. The fixed installation was developed first, as a fighter gun fed by a 60-round drum magazine, mounted in the wings of the famous Mitsubishi A6M Zeke or Zero. A flexible version, initially developed for the Mitsubishi G3M bomber, was inverted to put the ammunition drum below the line of sight of the gunner. Smaller drums (45, 30 or 15 rounds) were used on flexible installations where space was limited.
The limited ammunition capacity was an important disadvantage. The Type 99 Mark 1 Fixed Model 3 could be equipped with a 100-round drum, but the size of the drum was itself a problem in fighter installations, although the Model 3 guns were installed on the initial production versions of the A6M3. A more practical solution was provided by the Type 99 Mark 1 Fixed Model 4, which featured a Kawamura-developed belt feed mechanism..
Made of brass and steel, this 20x72mm HE aircraft round is a FANTASTIC piece of history! Completely inert, there are some very slight wear and marks, however it remains VERY SOLID with much of the original paint and finish! Various markings and stamps throughout, it would make a PERFECT addition to any collection or display!
