Comparison of .50 cal Colts with .303 Brownings

[theNewB]

Never understood the Spitfire package of .303's with 20mm's? They don't seem to complement each other as the .50's and 20mm's do

As a spit dweeb IMO they do work nice, you have the hitting power and range of 2 20mms. Get in closer and you have a set of 4 303s to chew wings,pilot or tail off. Ive noticed my flights in any 2x50cal armed spits I never bother with the 50s, they may pack more of a punch, but for the snapshots and quick manuvering fights (which I tend to get into a lot) 2 guns just dosent cut it. Even with the 2x20s for those quick passes I can get a good ammout of lead to the point of contact with those 4x303s. Isnt the hardest hitter but it pushes more lead toward target, increasing my chances of hitting pilot, engine, fuel, ect. and softens them up more for when I get a good bead for those 20s. So in short I find the 303s better to pepper with before nailing down a few 20mm bursts to finish off the target. Just my opinion on the way I fly. As for your second question, Believe the most ammount of lead downrange is what they were going for. What I would do if it was real.

[Ack-Ack]

I think they'd decided before the BoB that the 20-mm was needed, but the development was protracted.

Thanks.  Was wondering because I found some concept drawings of some pre-war planes, like the Supermarine Type 327 with proposed multiple 20mm cannons.  Even though the Supermarine Type 327 and others like the Type 325 were only concept designs but they do show that at least British aircraft designers were already thinking of the benefits of the firepower of cannons over the .303 machine gun.

ack-ack

[Karnak]

Never understood the Spitfire package of .303's with 20mm's? They don't seem to complement each other as the .50's and 20mm's do. Did Spitfire pilots fire all guns at once or use cannon's only with .303's in reserve if cannon's ran out?

Easy.

1) The cannons are new and have in past installations on the Spitfire Mk Ib and Mk IIb had severe jamming problems, so a backup gun needs to be carried.
2) The .303 is in widespread service and plenty of ammo is in stock with the RAF.
3) The aircraft already has the mounting points for the .303 guns.
4) The .50 is not in service, nor are there stocks of ammo for it.  In addition it would be an additional weapon for logistics to support.

In the actual event, the new method of mounting the Hispano 20mm cannon in a Spitfire's wings introduced with the Spitfire Mk Vb resolved the jamming problem.  Some pilots went as far as to remove the four .303s to increase maneuverability.

[Charge]

"Never understood the Spitfire package of .303's with 20mm's?"

I recall hearing an anecdote in Youtube about the outboard .303s in Spitfire that they were not much use due to wide separation and thus narrow area of convergence and also due severe wing flexing during maneuvers which made those guns to miss the target for yards. Of course if you get to shoot from a steady loading you only have the convergence problem to deal with. All in all the gun setting used in P51, P47 and Hurricane was considered better providing the mounting point for such gun package was adequately rigid.

-C+

[Angus]

Tap your fingers on the hull of a WW2 fighter. Then take a .303 rifle and shoot through a barrel. Even a .22 mag will shoot through it. So will it do through the crew section of a BoB-era German bomber.
Tap your fingers on the barrel. Very much thicker than the skin on an aircraft.
Try not to shoot yourself with a .303 since it will lead to very much injury or death.
Then you have the "evil" .303 DeWilde ammo.
Then there is the factor of plenty of ammo in stock.
Bottom line: It all boils down into logistics. The .303's of the RAF, being inferior to the .50 and the 20mil were THERE. The result was the fastest killing of LW planes (at least bombers) recorded. Some 1200+ DESTROYED in a matter of weeks, with no shadow of doubt. The scrapyard number still rests relatively little explored. The casualties well exceed the numbers of those who were in the "destroyed" category as well.
This the RAF did with the .303......what could they have done with all the Hurricanes armed like the IIC and the Spits like the VC or VIX...but that was just not the case at the time. They had .303.