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M256 (tank gun)
Tank gun / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The M256 is an American 120 mm smoothbore tank gun. It is a licensed-built German-designed Rheinmetall Rh-120 L44 gun tube and combustible cartridges with an American-designed mount, cradle and recoil mechanism. It is primarily used by the M1 Abrams main battle tank.
Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...
M256 | |
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![]() Front view of a M256 gun on an American M1A2 SEP main battle tank during a gunnery exercise at Red Cloud Range, 2013. | |
Type | Tank gun |
Place of origin | United States Germany |
Service history | |
In service | 1985–present |
Production history | |
Designer | Rheinmetall Watervliet Arsenal |
Manufacturer | Watervliet Arsenal |
Produced | 1985–present |
Variants | XM256, KM256, M256E1 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 1,175 kg (2,590 lb) (gun tube) 1,905 kg (4,200 lb) (recoiling gun mass) |
Length | 5,593 mm (220.20 in) (overall) |
Barrel length | 5,300 mm (208.66 in) (gun tube) |
Shell | 120×570mm |
Calibre | 120 mm (4.724 in) |
Breech | semi-automatic vertical sliding-breechblock |
Recoil | 304.8 mm (12.000 in) |
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