Maxim M/32-33
| 7,62 mm Maxim M/32-33 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Machine gun |
| Place of origin |  Finland |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1933 to 1950 |
| Used by | Finland |
| Wars | World War II Winter War, Continuation War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1931 |
| Produced | 1933 to 1944 |
| No. built | ~ 1200 |
| Variants | - |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 24 kg, M/33 tripod: 30 kg |
| Length | 1180 mm |
| Barrel length | 721 mm |
| Cartridge | 7.62x53mmR |
| Action | recoil |
| Rate of fire | 650-850 round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | - |
| Effective firing range | 2000 m |
| Feed system | 200 round continuous metallic belt |
The Maxim M/32-33 is a Finnish modification of the Russian M1910 Maxim, developed by Aimo Lahti in 1932. The weapon was able to fire at the rate of 850 rounds/min, while the Russian M1919 and earlier Finnish M09-21 were capable of 600 rounds /min. The reason was not only that Aimo Lahti was ordered to develop the weapon with a new metallic ammunition belt but also because of other improvements, such as accelerator mechanism and muzzle booster. Other improvements had Maxim M/32-33's whole handle part were redesigned and installation point for optical sight was added.
Unlike all the other Finnish Maxims, the Maxim M/32-33 was designed to be suitable for anti-aircraft usage from the beginning. Tripod M/32 was designed and issued with extra parts allowing it to be easily modified as an anti-aircraft mount and accessories for anti-aircraft shooting were included.
The last improvement to the M/32-33 was adding a snow filling cap to the water jacket, this way snow could be used instead of water in winter, so there was no need to carry and taking care of 3 kg of coolant water in winter. This feature was copied in the late Russian WW2 Maxim variant.
Some few hundred early M/09s were modified into M/32s by Gun Depot 1 between 1933-1935. These weapons have also been called M/09-32s.
External links
- 7,62 mm Maxim M/32-33 - Jaegerplatoon.com