Nudelman's OKB-16 to replace the earlier Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 and entered service in 1946.

Its muzzle velocity was still considerable, but its rate of fire was only 400 rounds per minute.

The weapon's considerable recoil and waste gases were problematic for turbojet fighter aircraft, as was finding space for the gun and a useful amount of ammunition, but a single shell was often sufficient to destroy a bomber.

Production lasted through the late 1950s, although it remained in service for many years afterwards.

The Soviet archives detail the following production numbers by year:[1]