The Mark 42 5"/54 caliber gun (127mm) is a naval gun (naval artillery) mount used by the United States Navy and other countries. It consists of the Mark 18 gun and Mark 42 gun mount. United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fires a projectile 5 inches in diameter, and the barrel is 54 calibers long (barrel length is 5" × 54 = 270" or 6.9 meters.)Fairfield(1921)p.156 In the 1950s, a gun with more range and a faster rate of fire than the 5"/38 caliber gun used in World War II was needed; therefore, the gun was created concurrently with the 3"/70 Mark 26 gun for different usages. The 5"/54 Mk 42 is an automatic, dual-purpose (air / surface target) gun mount. It is usually controlled remotely from the Mk 68 Gun Fire Control System, or locally from the mount at the One Man Control (OMC) station.

The self-loading gun mount weighs about including two drums under the mount holding 40 rounds of semi-fixed case type ammunition. The gun fires projectiles at a velocity of .Bailey(January 1983)p.106 Maximum rate of fire is 40 rounds per minute.O'Neil(March 1971)pp.48-49 Magazine capacity is 599 rounds per mount. The Mark 42 mount was originally equipped for two on-mount gunners, one surface and one antiaircraft, but the antiaircraft gunner position was scrapped later on when the increasing speed of naval aircraft made manual aiming of anti aircraft weapons impractical. The Mark 45 lightweight ()O'Neil, March 1971, pp. 48-49 gun mount began replacing the Mk 42 mount in 1971 for easier maintenance and improved reliability in new naval construction for the United States Navy.Cooney, 1980. p. 40

Users

United States Navy First used on (later removed during upgrade) and

Royal Australian Navy (modified Charles F. Adams class)

Egyptian Navy Damiyat-class frigate (ex-USN Knox-class frigates)

German Navy (modified Charles F. Adams class)

Hellenic Navy Ipiros-class frigate (ex-USN Knox-class frigates) Kimon-class destroyer (ex-USN Charles F. Adams-class destroyer)

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

Mexican Navy Ignacio Allende-class frigate (ex-USN Knox-class frigates)

Spanish Navy (modified Knox class)

Republic of China Navy Chih Yang-class frigate (modified ex-USN Knox class)

Royal Thai Navy (ex-USN Knox-class frigates)

Turkish Navy Muavenet-class frigate (ex-USN Knox-class frigates)

See also 5"/38 caliber gun US predecessor 5"/54 caliber Mark 16 gun US predecessor 5"/54 caliber Mark 45 gun US successor QF 4.5 inch Mk I - V naval gun British equivalent

Notes

Bibliography

External links

GlobalSecurity.org Mk 42 NavWeaps.com Mk 42 5"/54 MK 42 GUN - Seaman - Military manual for the Seaman rate via tpub.com