New Concepts in Recoil Mechanisms
Abstract
The function of a recoil mechanism is to moderate the firing load on the supporting structure. This moderation is accomplished by prolonging the time of resistance to the reaction force caused by the action of the gun on the propellant gases. If no resistance is offered, the reaction force will be as great as the action force caused by the propellant gas. In other words, if the gun tube is rigidly fixed to the gun mount/carriage, the supporting structure is subjected to the full force of the propellant which, for large guns, may be 2- to 3- million pounds. To withstand such a force, the structure has to be not only strong and heavy but also wide-based on prevent tip over. As the gas pressure propels the projectile toward the muzzle, it exerts an equal and opposite force on the breech, which tends to drive the gun backward. The recoil-mechanism suppresses this force gradually and also limits the rearward movement. All guns, prior to about 1980, were mounted rigidly on a wheeled carriage which rolled backward to dissipate the recoil energy. The US first started to manufacture a gun with a recoil mechanism, the French 75mm field gun, during World War I. Since that time, the design of recoil mechanisms has been actively pursued. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA090453
Entities
People
- Rao Yalamanchili
Organizations
- United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center