"The Type 59 Field Gun is a Chinese license production copy of the Soviet Cold War-era M-46 field gun."
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Type 59 (Gun) 130mm Towed Field Gun.
None. This is a towed artillery piece. Installed Power
17 miles 27 km Range
Structure The physical qualities of the Type 59 (Gun) 130mm Towed Field Gun.
8 (MANNED) Crew
38.5 ft 11.73 meters O/A Length
8.4 ft 2.55 meters O/A Height
18,629 lb 8,450 kg | 9.3 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Type 59 (Towed) 130mm Towed Field Gun.
1 x 130mm main gun tube.
AMMUNITION: Dependent on ammunition carrier.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the Type 59 (Towed) family line.
M-46 - Original Soviet Designation.
Type 59 - Chinese Designation.
M1954 - Western Designation of M-45 system.
The Type 59 is a Chinese license-production copy of the successful Soviet M-46 (also known as the M1954 to the West). It is produced by NORINCO of China.
Design of the M-46 is typical of weapons in this class. Her long, slender barrel sits out and over her base and carriage, sporting two large road wheels for transport (and additional pair of road wheels is sometimes added). The weapon system is supported by legs that fan out aft, semi-recessed into the ground to accept the violent recoil. There is an angular shield to either side of the barrel base for limited protection to the operating crew from small arms fire. Her muzzle brake is vented and noticeably large at the barrel end. Her size is such that she can be transported into action with relative ease when compared to her larger cousins and set up just about anywhere that her size allows.
Operation of the M-46 field gun revolves around a crew of eight personnel. The weapon system is towed by whatever means necessary to her pre-determined target zone and set up to fire. She weighs in at roughly 16,975lbs and features a 130mm caliber barrel. The breech is of a horizontal sliding wedge design and projectiles are manually loaded by the operating crew. The barrel can elevate from -2.5 degrees to 45 degrees and traverse up to 50 degrees. A rate-of-fire by a trained crew can reach six rounds per minute under normal conditions with five being reported for the sustained fire role. In the burst role, eight rounds per minute can be achieved. Muzzle velocity is 3,051 feet per second. Maximum range is out to 17 miles though this can be padded through the use of specialized ammunition and reach out to over 23.5 miles. The M-46 is provided with a night sight for direct fire.
Since most any artillery piece makes its name on the battlefield based on its adaptability and firepower, the M-46 proves no different in the types of projectiles she is designed to fire. This includes the Frag-HE (Fragmentation, High-Explosive), OF-43 and the Frag-HE, OF-44 rounds, ranged out to 27,500 and 22,500 meters respectively. The Frag-HE, ERFB-BB (Extended Range Full Bore - Base Bleed) round offers a range up to 38,000 meters. The APCBC-HE-T, BR-482 (along with its cousin the BR-482B) is ranged out to just 1,140 meters but is still effective for the given role. Other projectile types run the gamut of basic uses including illumination rounds, smoke rounds and chemical rounds. Projectiles feature variable charge.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Type 59 (Towed). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 3,500 Units Contractor(s): State Factories - China
[ Bangladesh; China ]
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Iraqi Type 59 field gun alongside S-60 AAA system.
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Type 59 field gun towed behind a transport truck.
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Chinese Type 59 in a defensive emplacement in Iraq.
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