Description
Add a hard-to-find piece of Cold War aircraft cannon history to your collection with this 20mm M39 LH Cam Switch, identified by Part Number 8407806 and FSN 1005-525-7361. This is a specialized U.S. military-surplus component associated with the 20mm M39 aircraft revolver cannon family.
The M39 was one of the classic American aircraft cannon systems of the jet age. Hill Aerospace Museum describes the M39A3 as a 20mm revolver-type aircraft gun developed from postwar revolver-cannon concepts, originally known as the T160, and produced in large numbers for aircraft such as the F-100, F-101, and other American fighters.
Historical Significance
The 20mm M39 cannon helped mark the shift from .50 caliber aircraft machine guns to high-rate 20mm cannon armament in U.S. fighter aircraft. Its revolver-type design gave American jet aircraft a compact, fast-firing gun system suited to Cold War fighter combat.
The M39 family is strongly associated with early jet-age aircraft and later Cold War fighters. M39A2 and M39A3 variants remained tied to aircraft such as the Northrop F-5, and related M39A2 parts listings identify the system as a long-serving U.S. 20mm revolver cannon family with a compact aircraft-friendly design.
That gives this LH Cam Switch strong collector value. It represents the smaller internal support hardware behind a major aircraft cannon system, rather than a common general-purpose surplus part.
The M39 LH Cam Switch
This item is identified as a Left-Hand Cam Switch for the 20mm M39 system. The “LH” designation is especially relevant to collectors because the M39 family included left-hand and right-hand feed / configuration references in its parts ecosystem. Related M39A2 surplus listings also identify left-hand-feed-specific components, showing how feed direction and side-specific parts matter within the M39 cannon family.
Known identification details include:
- Item: 20mm M39 LH Cam Switch
- Part Number: 8407806
- Federal Stock Number: FSN 1005-525-7361
- Associated System: 20mm M39 aircraft revolver cannon
- Configuration: LH / Left-Hand
- Item Type: U.S. military-surplus aircraft cannon component
- Supply Class: 1005 – Guns, through 30mm
- Included Item: Cam switch only, unless otherwise shown or stated
The 1005 supply classification is used for guns through 30mm, which fits this component’s association with the 20mm M39 cannon family.
Key Features
- 20mm M39 aircraft cannon component
- LH / left-hand configuration
- P/N 8407806
- FSN 1005-525-7361
- Associated with the M39 revolver cannon family
- Strong Cold War aircraft armament collector subject
- Useful for aircraft cannon parts displays, reference collections, and restoration research
- Compact, part-numbered component with clear surplus identification
- Component only — no complete cannon, receiver, barrel, ammunition, feed system, tools, or additional accessories included unless specifically shown or noted
Why This Part Matters
Small components like this help tell the support story behind historic aircraft weapon systems. The M39 cannon itself is well known, but the system depended on many individual switches, cams, feed components, extractors, retainers, and other cataloged parts.
For collectors, this piece adds depth to a 20mm aircraft cannon display. It also fits well with F-100 Super Sabre, F-101 Voodoo, F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II, and Cold War aircraft armament collections.
Because side-specific M39 parts can be difficult to locate, a clearly identified LH Cam Switch with both part number and FSN has strong reference value for collectors, museums, and aviation ordnance researchers.
About This Cam Switch
This listing is for one 20mm M39 LH Cam Switch, identified as P/N 8407806 and FSN 1005-525-7361.
This listing is for the cam switch component only unless otherwise stated. No complete M39 cannon, aircraft, receiver, barrel, ammunition, feed chute, firing system, tools, manuals, or additional parts are included unless specifically shown or noted.
This item is intended for collection, display, restoration reference, historical research, or aircraft cannon parts study.
Ideal For
This cam switch is a strong fit for:
- 20mm M39 cannon collectors
- Cold War aircraft armament displays
- F-100, F-101, and F-5 aviation collections
- M39A2 / M39A3 parts reference collections
- military surplus aircraft cannon parts collectors
- museum and archival ordnance displays
- aircraft restoration-reference projects
- collectors of FSN and part-numbered U.S. military components
- buyers seeking P/N 8407806 / FSN 1005-525-7361
Approx length 10", Approx width 3", Approx height 1", Approx weight 2lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item's general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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