These guns were designed after World War II for the heavy cruisers of the Project 22 and Project 66 classes. After Stalin's death in 1953, all work on large ships was halted and these cruisers were cancelled. Work on the turret design was stopped at the same time, but it was decided to continue the design of the gun itself for experimental purposes. The prototype was completed in December 1953 and tests were conducted at Rzhevsk until November 1954. The gun was not accepted for production.
| Designation | 220 mm/65 (8.66") SM-40 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Pr. 22 and Pr. 66 class Heavy Cruisers |
| Date Of Design | 1953 |
| Date In Service | N/A |
| Gun Weight | 52.5 tons (53.5 mt) |
| Gun Length oa | 563 in (14.3 m) |
| Bore Length | N/A |
| Rifling Length | N/A |
| Grooves | N/A |
| Lands | N/A |
| Twist | N/A |
| Chamber Volume | N/A |
| Rate Of Fire | 5.8 rounds per minute design |
| Type | Bag |
|---|---|
| Projectile Types and Weights | AP and HE: 388 lbs. (176 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | N/A |
| Projectile Length | N/A |
| Propellant Charge | 206.13 lbs. (93.5 kg) |
| Muzzle Velocity | 3,231 fps (985 mps) |
| Working Pressure | 24.1 tons/in2 (3,600 kg/cm2) |
| Approximate Barrel Life | 600 rounds 1 |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | 120 |
- ^With such ballistics and working pressures, I would consider the life figure to be on the optimistic side.
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| Max Range | 54,035 yards (49,410 m) |
| Designation | Triple Turrets
Pr. 22 (3) and Pr. 66 (3): SM-6 |
|---|---|
| Weight | Rotating part of the turret: 656 tons (665 mt)
Total weight of the turret: 719 tons (730 mt) |
| Elevation | -4 / +50 degrees |
| Rate of Elevation | 11 degrees per second |
| Train | 360 degrees |
| Rate of Train | 5.5 degrees per second |
| Gun Recoil | N/A |
| Loading Angle | +5 degrees |
- Turret armor thickness as given in "Midelʹ-špangout No.33 - Srednij krejser admirala N.G. Kuznecova Proekt 66"
Face: 30 cm (11.8 in)
Sides: 18 cm (7.1 in)
Rear: 26.5 cm (10.4 in)
Roof: 13.5 - 14.5 cm (5.3 - 5.7 in)
"Entsiklopedia Otechestvennoi Artillerii" (Encyclopedia of Fatherland [Russian] Artillery) by A.V. Shirokorad
"Midelʹ-špangout No.33 - Srednij krejser admirala N.G. Kuznecova Proekt 66" [Midship Frame No. 33 - Medium Cruiser Admiral N.G. Kuznetsov,
Project 66] by Arkady Maurein and Andrey Vasiliev
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Special help from Vladimir Yakubov and Eason Lee
27 August 2006 - Benchmark
16 March 2024 - Converted to HTML 5 format and added turret armor details