Ordnance QF 25-pounder

Ordnance QF 25-pounder
Ordnance QF 25-pounder gun mounted on its firing platform in Dundas, Hamilton, Canada
Type	Field gun/Howitzer
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1940–present
Used by	See users
Wars	World War II Indonesian National Revolution Indochina War Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 Greek Civil War 1948 Arab–Israeli War Malayan Emergency Korean war Second Arab–Israeli War Sino-Indian War Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War Nigerian Civil War Six-Day War Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Dhofar Rebellion Turkish invasion of Cyprus Iran–Iraq War Lebanese Civil War Sri Lankan Civil War Iraqi Civil War
Production history
Designed	1930s
Manufacturer	Royal Ordnance
Variants	See variants
Specifications (Mk II on Carriage Mk I)
Mass	1,633 kg (3,600 lb)
Length	4.6 m (15 ft 1 in) muzzle to towing eye
Barrel length	2.47 m (8 ft 1 in) (28 calibres)
Width	2.13 m (7 ft) at wheel hubs
Height	1.16 m (3 ft 10 in) trunnion height
Crew	6
Shell	88 x 292mm R High explosive Anti-tank Smoke HESH[1]
Shell weight	11.5 kg (25 lb) (HE including fuze)
Calibre	3.45 in (87.63 mm)
Breech	Vertical sliding-block
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic
Elevation	-5° to 45° (80° with dial sight adapter and digging trail pit or wheel mounds)
Traverse	4° Left & Right (top traverse) 360° (platform)
Rate of fire	Gunfire, 6–8 rpm Intense, 5 rpm Rapid, 4 rpm Normal, 3 rpm Slow, 2 rpm Very slow, 1 rpm
Muzzle velocity	198 to 532 m/s (650 to 1,750 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	12,253 m (13,400 yd) (HE shell)
Sights	Calibrating & reciprocating

The Ordnance QF 25-pounder, or more simply 25-pounder or 25-pdr, with a calibre of 3.45 inches (87.6 mm), was a piece of field artillery used by British and Commonwealth forces in the Second World War. It was often described as being durable, easy to operate and versatile.^{[according to whom?]} It was the major British field gun and howitzer during the War.

It was introduced into service just before the War started, and combined both high-angle and direct-fire abilities, a relatively high rate of fire, and a reasonably lethal shell, with a highly mobile piece. Initial production was slow but, by 1945, over 12,000 had been manufactured. It remained the British Army's primary artillery field piece well into the 1960s, with smaller numbers used in training units until the 1980s. Many Commonwealth countries used theirs in active or reserve service until about the 1970s, and ammunition for the weapon is currently (2020s) being produced by Pakistan Ordnance Factories.