| Ordnance QF 6-pounder 7 cwt | |
|---|---|
 QF 6-pounder at Rawalpindi | |
| Type | Anti-tank gun Tank gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1942–1960 |
| Used by | Allies of World War II and other users |
| Wars | World War II First Indochina War[1] Korean War 1956 Suez War North Yemen Civil War[2] Nigerian Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1940 |
| Produced | 1941–1945 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2,520 lb (1,140 kg) Mk II 2,679 lb (1,215 kg) Mk IV and M1 |
| Barrel length | Mk II, III: 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m) 43 calibres Mk IV, V and M1: 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) 50 calibres |
| Width | 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)[3] |
| Height | 4 ft 2 in (1.28 m)[3] |
| Crew | 6 |
| Shell | Fixed QF 57×441 mmR[3] |
| Calibre | 2.244 in (57 mm) |
| Breech | Vertical sliding-block[3] |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic[3] |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | -5° to +15° |
| Traverse | 90° |
| Rate of fire | 15 rpm[3] |
| Muzzle velocity | See ammunition table |
| Effective firing range | 1,650 yd (1,510 m) |
| Maximum firing range | 5,000 yd (4,600 m) |
| Sights | No.22c |
The Ordnance quick-firing 6-pounder 7 cwt,[note 1] or just 6-pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, serving during the Second World War as a primary anti-tank gun of both the British and United States Army (as the 57 mm gun M1). It was also used as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles.
Although designed before the start of the war, it did not reach service until the North African Campaign in April 1942. There, it replaced the 2-pounder as an anti-tank gun, allowing the 25-pounder gun-howitzer to revert to its intended artillery role.
- ^ Windrow, Martin (20 September 2018). French Foreign Légionnaire vs Viet Minh Insurgent: North Vietnam 1948–52. Combat 36. Osprey Publishing. pp. 50–59. ISBN 9781472828910.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Yemenwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f Foss, Christopher (1977). Jane's pocket book of towed artillery. New York: Collier. p. 17. ISBN 0020806000. OCLC 911907988.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).