Forty somethings: Lightweight 40 mm guns enter the market

摘要

The 40 mm L/70 gun established itself as something of a classic during the post-war period. Its development can be traced back to 1944, when the Swedish armaments company Bofors (today constituted in the Weapon Systems - Sweden business of BAE Systems) commenced work on a successor to its widely fielded 40 mm L/60 weapon that could offer an effective counter to a new generation of high-speed, hard-manoeuvring, jet-powered aircraft. The result was a new 40 mm gun system that introduced a higher rate of fire, a 70 calibre barrel, new ammunition, and gyro-stabilised reflex sights with integral predictor mechanisms.