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An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large-caliber (20 mm/0.79 in or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary shells, as opposed to the smaller-caliber kinetic projectiles fired by a machine gun.
Autocannons are automatic guns with calibers of 20 millimeters (0.79 in) to 60 millimeters (2.4 in). There are many types, including chain guns, gast guns, revolver cannons, and rotary cannons.
The M242 Bushmaster chain gun is a 25 mm (25×137mm) single-barrel chain-driven autocannon.It is used extensively by the U.S. military, such as in the Bradley fighting vehicle, as well as by other NATO members and some other nations in ground combat vehicles and various watercraft.
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I.It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models employed by both Allied and Axis forces during World War II.
The OTO Melara 76 mm gun, marketed as the OTO 76/62 Gun Mount, is a naval autocannon built and designed by the Italian defence company OTO Melara. It is based on the OTO Melara 76/62C and evolved toward 76/62 SR and 76/62 Strales. [3] The system is compact enough to be installed on relatively small warships.
20 mm caliber is a specific size of popular autocannon ammunition. The dividing line between smaller-caliber weapons, commonly called "guns", from larger-caliber "cannons" (e.g. machine gun vs. autocannon), is conventionally taken to be the 20 mm round, the smallest caliber of autocannon.
Most nations use rapid-fire cannon on light vehicles, replacing a more powerful, but heavier, tank gun. A typical autocannon is the 25 mm "Bushmaster" chain gun, mounted on the LAV-25 and M2 Bradley armoured vehicles. Autocannons may be capable of a very high rate of fire, but ammunition is heavy and bulky, limiting the amount carried.
A revolver cannon is a type of autocannon, commonly used as an aircraft gun. It uses a cylinder with multiple chambers, similar to those of a revolver handgun, to speed up the loading-firing-ejection cycle. Some examples are also power-driven, to further speed the loading process.