Puteaux SA 18

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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.

Canon de 37 mm SA18

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.

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