Abstract: A howitzer suitable for deployment on a ground plane, the howitzer having an ordnance for firing a projectile. The ordnance can include a barrel defining a barrel axis and having a muzzle towards the front end of the howitzer and a breech assembly at the back end of the barrel; a cradle for holding the ordnance at a traverse and an elevation; two trunnion pins located on the cradle, which co-locate with receiving trunnion bearings on a saddle, wherein in a first position said breech is located forward of the trunnion, in a second position, at the end of the recoil stroke, the breech is retracted substantially behind the trunnion, wherein a recoil stroke is variable depending on the selection of the elevation.

Abstract: A howitzer suitable for deployment on a ground plane, the howitzer having an ordnance for firing a projectile. The ordnance can include a barrel defining a barrel axis and having a muzzle towards the front end of the howitzer and a breech assembly at the back end of the barrel; a cradle for holding the ordnance at a traverse and an elevation; two trunnion pins located on the cradle, which co-locate with receiving trunnion bearings on a saddle, wherein in a first position said breech is located forward of the trunnion, in a second position, at the end of the recoil stroke, the breech is retracted substantially behind the trunnion, wherein a recoil stroke is variable depending on the selection of the elevation.

Abstract: A self propelled gun (2) comprises a vehicle (4) possessing a source of primary power (6) and a gun assembly (8) movably attached to the vehicle. The gun assembly (8) comprises a base (10), a cradle (14) pivotally mounted to the base and a barrel (16) slidably mounted to the cradle (14) such as to be displaceable from a first, run-out, position to a second, recoiled, position as a consequence of the barrel (16) recoiling on firing. The gun assembly (8) is movably mounted to the vehicle (4), preferably by a pivot arrangement (24, 26) between vehicle (4) and base (10), such that in a first, “mobility”, mode the gun assembly (8) is free of any direct contact with the ground (42), and said barrel (16) points in a first direction allowing said vehicle (4) to be driven and a second, “firing”, mode of operation in which the gun assembly is deployed to a firing position in which the base moves towards and into engagement with the ground (42).