M242 Bushmaster autocannon on an M2 Bradley.

An autocannon is a projectile weapon with a larger caliber (bore) than a machine gun, but smaller than field gun or other artillery. They have mechanisms to automatically load the ammunition and have a faster rate of fire than artillery. The M242 Bushmaster Cannon on the M2 Bradley. ... The M242 Bushmaster Cannon on the M2 Bradley. ... Caliber: 25 mm NATO Firearm action: Chain gun Manufactured by: ATK Barrel Length: 85. ... The M2 Bradley and M3 Bradley are American infantry fighting vehicles. ... The bayonet is used as both knife and spear. ... The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... A field gun is an artillery piece. ... A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

The term cannon was used during WWII to describe guns used in aircraft, where the distinction was that the shells were explosive. After the war similar guns were used with non-explosive rounds in the anti-tank role, and the name autocannon started to become popular. Autocannon today are typically distinguished by their incorporation of some method of automated loading and firing. This article is becoming very long. ... A shell is a projectile, which, as opposed to a bullet, is not solid but contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage includes large projectiles without a filling which are properly termed shot. ...

Examples of an autocannon are the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster mounted on the M2 Bradley, the Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun, the Mauser BK-27, which is used in all aircraft and on all navy vessels of the Bundeswehr and also by the US Navy, or the 30 mm GAU-8 in the A-10 Warthog close air support airframe. Caliber: 25 mm NATO Firearm action: Chain gun Manufactured by: ATK Barrel Length: 85. ... The M2 Bradley and M3 Bradley are American infantry fighting vehicles. ... Bofors 40mm/L60. ... The BK 27 (also BK27 or BK-27) (Translation: Board Cannon) is a 27 mm autocannon manufactured by Mauser (currently part of Rheinmetall). ... The Bundeswehr ( ) (Federal Defence) is the armed forces of Germany and its administration. ... The GAU-8/A Avenger is a 30 mm, seven-barrel Gatling gun that is mounted on the United States Air Forces A-10 Thunderbolt II. It is the largest (it is the size and weight of a family saloon car (sedan)), heaviest and most powerful aircraft gun in... The A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II, often known as the Warthog, is the first US Air Force aircraft specifically designed for close air support of ground forces. ...

Autoloading equipment had been used on anti-aircraft guns and for other guns (such as the Molins gun) during the Second World War. Modern tank guns (around 120 mm calibre) have been fitted with automatic loading systems (typically Soviet Union and Russian main battle tanks, along with French, have used these for reasons of space) and although they technically might be considered to be autocannon they are not referred to as such, due to their relatively low cadence. A notable exception to this might be the Russian AK-130 130mm/70 twin naval gun, used on most large Russian warships, which has a fire rate in excess of 60 rounds per minute, currently the fastest-firing weapon in excess of 120mm known. Polish paratroopers (1st Independent Parachute Brigade) manhandling 6 pdr AT gun The Ordnance QF 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pdr, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II. as well as the main armament for a number of... This article is becoming very long. ... Panzerkampfwagen IV with long-barrelled gun ISU-122 A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. ... USS Iowa (BB-61) fires a full broadside of nine 16/50 and six 5/38 guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, 1 July 1984. ...