How a 'Naval Gun' Works (MK-45 5-inch Gun)

A 3D animation showing how a Mk 45 naval gun system works.

The 5-inch (127mm) Mk 45 Naval Gun system is in the U.S. Navy and 11 fleets worldwide.

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Film Credits: USA Military Channel 2 and U.S. Navy video by Austin Rooney, SN Drace Wilson, PO2 Logan Kellums, PO3 Nikita Custer, PO1 Jeremy Graham The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

[MadeByForce]

The overlay of animation on top of real footage is really cool to see. It helps give perspective of what parts are moving at what speed in real time. Great video!

[jedisaki]

I love using this video to show my civilian mates a bit of my job. As a 5 inch maintainer, this video is pretty spot on as a quick explanation, without going too much into detail. I love working on this gun and have been lucky enough to have the chance to fire it locally during a GFT.

[justgjt]

The small puff of smoke after the round leaves the muzzle is from the air blast that is ported into the breach as the block is opened to avoid the mount housing and lower assembly from filling with propellant smoke.

[JamesTheFurst]

Excellent animation, mixed in with an actually firing but being able to see what's going on inside. Love this

[ronwolff]

Back in the 1970's the MK45 I worked on was twice as fast as this. It had two loading drumbs in the Magazine, (two decks below the mount), and a double hoists taking the rounds to a twin carrier on the deck below the mount. The twin carrier would rotate the rounds to the guns orientation, where they were transfered up to the cradle in the mount which brought the rounds from vertical to horizontal. Once the rounds were horizontal the cradle would transfer it's round to the loading tray, to set any timed fuses, then to the ramming tray where it was rammed into the breach and fired. As the first round fired and recoiled, the breach would drop, the empty shell would be pulled from the breach into an ejector tray below the breach, where it was ejected under the barrell when the next round fired. We could fire 55 rounds per min, (and often did, as shore support in Viet Nam).
This configuration required a Gunner's Mate in the mount and another at a control panel in the carrier room. It also required at least 6-8 men in the magazine to keep drumbs full. The one shown in the representation here looks like it may require less manpower, but I would think double the firing speed is well worth the cost of a couple extra GM's.

[PNut]

then the whole boat smells like sulfur for hours. having the chance to shoot one of those guns was one of the best parts of my naval career.

[sc]

You forgot to show the Gunners Mates taking turns sleeping in the Magazine.

[isaiastoledo]

This is what makes Youtube such a great place

[chesterwang]

Jeez this animation is so freaking clear! Good job!

[Ironpancakemoose]

Very informative video, I look forward to purchasing my own MK-45 5-inch Gun. A few 5 inch shells will teach my neighbor not to let his dog out on my lawn.

[TwiGuy]

i once heard a military quote "amateurs talk about tactics, professionals talk about logistics"

i feel like this is the kind of stuff the professionals talk about

[cassidy]

I’d love to see one of these animations on the Des Moines class 8”/55 caliber guns. If I’m not mistaken they’re still the largest self loading artillery pieces ever made.

[heqdqhj]

The perspective drawing is really good

[Renegade_]

I love a good gun that tries to throw the casing at the enemy after shooting them

[thmichcav]

120 years of naval gun technology, and we still have spent casings rolling around on the deck.

[hassell]

Watch them shoot one. When I was in Navy, on Gonzo station! USS Barney! What a Gun!

[harrycalahan]

実写とCGの組み合わせで凄く分かりやすい。
しかし、Anneはどこ行った？？

[romtome]

Thanks for this animation, now I'll have to convince my wife to let me mount one on my truck. 'Merica!!

[billparker]

It's even cooler watching the internal components work down below. The animation doesn't do it justice. One time we got a round stuck in the barrel (which is semi-common) and had to blast it out with a clearing charge. In local control, there's no automatic stabilization, so as the ship rolled, we fired into the water about a hundred yards off the port side. I was walking forward on the weather deck at the time. Scared the shit out of me lol

[tstahler]

Back when they had an actual GM school at Great Lakes, there was a fully functioning Mk-45 mount. That was a truly beautiful building, I can't believe they demolished it.