Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat (Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum NASM 2009-9043)
2009-9043
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Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat (Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum NASM 2009-9043)
Did the Wildcat have a longer firing time with 4 guns available in the earlier models?
With 450 rounds per gun, the Grumman F4F-3’s four Browning AN-M2 .50-caliber machine guns would have had approximately 32–36 seconds of total firing time (750–850 rounds per minute. See TDiA at https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/browning-machine-gun-caliber-50-an-m2/ ) The F4F-4, with six guns, had 240 rounds per gun, for 17–19 seconds of firing time. Pilots could select only 4 guns and leave 2 unfired for reserve. The General Motors FM-1 Wildcat was built with only four guns.