Puteaux SA 18
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- World War I
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| Puteaux SA 18 | |
|---|---|
Preserved SA 18 in the Saumur armour museum | |
| Type | Tank gun |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1917 – 1980s |
| Wars |
|
| Production history | |
| Designer | Puteaux |
| Designed | 1917 |
| Manufacturer | Puteaux |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 88 kg (194 lb) |
| Barrel length | 777 mm (30.59 in) L/21 |
| Cartridge | 37×94mmR |
| Caliber | 37 mm (1.46 in) |
| Rate of fire | Max: 15 rpm Practical: 10 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity |
|
The Puteaux SA 18 was a French single-shot, breech-loading cannon, used in World War I through World War II, primarily mounted on combat vehicles. It is a development of the Canon de 37 mm à tir rapide Modèle 1916 (SA 16), also produced by Puteaux.

It was a simple, reliable weapon with a high rate of fire made possible by a semi-automatic breech system. While its maximum fire rate was 15 rounds per minute,[3] its practical rate was 10 rounds per minute.[4] After firing, the breech opened and ejected the used cartridge case automatically.
The gun was operated by the gunner, who aimed it through a simple 1x direct scope separately attached to the left side of the weapon.[4] It was found easy to use, with a low incidence of jamming.
The barrel length was 21 calibres (L/21). It was primarily intended to be used against infantry and machine-gun nests; its low muzzle velocity made it unsuitable for use against armour. Although its armour penetration capabilities were poor, it was able to combat light armoured vehicles as late as 1939.