| Gun, 105mm, field, L118 | |
|---|---|
 Royal Artillery firing 105 mm light guns on exercise in 2013 | |
| Type | Towed field gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1974–present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment |
| Designed | 1966–1973 |
| Manufacturer | Royal Ordnance Factory (later BAE Systems Land and Armaments) |
| Produced | 1974–2016 |
| No. built | Over 1,100[note 1] |
| Variants |
|
| Specifications (L118) | |
| Mass | 1,982 kg (1.951 long tons; 2.185 short tons) |
| Length | 7.01 m (23 ft) firing 4.876 m (16 ft) travelling |
| Barrel length | 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) L/37 |
| Width | 1.778 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 1.371 m (4 ft 6 in) travelling |
| Crew | 6 (minimum 3) |
| Shell | Separate loading cased charge 105 x 326 mm R [2] |
| Shell weight |
|
| Calibre | 105 mm (4.1 in) |
| Barrels | L19 ordnance |
| Breech | Vertical sliding block |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic |
| Carriage | L17 box trail carriage with circular firing platform |
| Elevation |
|
| Traverse |
|
| Rate of fire | 12 rds/min rapid 3 rds/min sustained |
| Maximum firing range |
|
| Sights |
|
| References | Janes[1][3] & BAE Systems[4] |
The L118 light gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer. It was originally designed and produced in the United Kingdom for the British Army in the 1970s. It has since been widely exported. The L119 and the United States Army's M119 are variants that use a different type of ammunition.
The L118 uses separate-loading cased-charge ammunition – the projectile is loaded into the gun and rammed by hand, then the cartridge with propellant is loaded behind it. The L119 and M119 use "semi-fixed" ammunition – when it is prepared for firing, the projectile is fitted into the top of the cartridge case and the shell loaded into the gun as a complete round.
- ^ a b Janes (25 August 2021), "L118 (105 mm)", Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Artillery & Air Defence, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Group UK Limited., retrieved 14 March 2023
- ^ 101. (n.d.). https://web.archive.org/web/20211207111140/https://www.quarryhs.co.uk/ammotable11.html
- ^ Janes (29 July 2022), "105 mm L50A2 (L31A4) HE‐IM and L50 HE‐IM ER improved ammunition", Janes Weapons: Ammunition, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Group UK Limited., retrieved 14 March 2023
- ^ "105mm Light Gun" (PDF). BAE Systems. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
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