L7 (105 mm) (Family)

Description

The Royal Ordnance L7, officially designated Gun, 105 mm, Tank, L7, is the basic model of the United Kingdom's most successful tank gun.

Variants

• L7A1
• L7A3
• L7 LRF - (Low Recoil Force)
• L74
• FM K.4 Modelo 1L
• GT-3
• GT-7
• GT-8
• JSW 105/52 - (Japan Steel Works)
• Kan Bofors
• Kan Strv 101
• M68
• M68A1
• M68A1E8
• OTO Melara 105/52
• OTO Melara 105/55
• Sharir
• Type 83
• WMA301
• XM35
• ZPL94

History

Introduction

During the burning hours of WWII, the allies were developing larger calibre guns to compete against heavily armoured German tanks, which later would be needed against Cold War Soviet tanks. The USA designed and built several heavy tanks during this period most notable was the T95 as well as the 32pdr OQF (94 mm) mounted on the British A39 Tortoise.

The USA struggled against the Soviet IS-3 and IS-4 with its M47. This led to the introduction of the M103, a heavy tank designed to counter Soviet heavy tanks. Although it packed an extremely powerful 120 mm cannon, it was too impractical as it required two loaders for separate shell and propellant charge loading. The UK came to the same conclusions as they developed their own heavy tank, the Conqueror, which mounted the US 120 mm gun.

Development

With the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, a Soviet T-54A was driven into the British embassy in Budapest by rebelling Hungarians. After a quick inspection of the armour and its gun, British officials deemed that the 20-pounder they used was inadequate to deal with the Soviet standard.

After these analyses, the United Kingdom adopted the new high-velocity gun, the Royal Ordnance L7, in 1958. This would keep existing Centurion tanks relevant and capable against the Soviet threat. The design of the L7 was to be fitted into old turret mountings of the 20-pounder, making upgrades to Centurions relatively minimal and cheap. The next production tank that would incorporate the L7 was the up-armoured Mark 7 Centurion in 1958 and every other Centurion that came after it.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;
• references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the weapon;
• other literature.

USA tank cannons
20 mm	M139
25 mm	LW25 · M242
37 mm	M3 · M5 · M6
57 mm	M1
75 mm	M2 · M2 Howitzer · M3 · M6 · M1897A4 · XM274
76 mm	M1 · M7 · M32 · T185E1
90 mm	M3 · M3A1 · M36 · M41 · M54 · T15E1 · T15E2 · T54 · T208E9
105 mm	M4 · M68 · M68A1 · M68A1E8 · T5E1 · T5E2 · T140E2 · T140E3 · XM35
106 mm	M40A1C
120 mm	M58 · M256 · T53
152 mm	M81 · M162 · XM150E5
155 mm	M185 · T7
165 mm	M135
	Foreign:
20 mm	Rh202 (Germany)
57 mm	6pdr OQF Mk.III (Britain) · ZIS-2 (USSR)
105 mm	Sharir (Israel)
120 mm	IMI MG251 (Israel)

Britain tank cannons
30 mm	L21A1
40 mm	QF 2-pounder
47 mm	Ordnance QF 3-pounder
57 mm	6pdr OQF Mk.III · 6pdr OQF Mk.V
75 mm	OQF Mk.V
76 mm	OQF 3-inch Howitzer Mk I · OQF 3in 20cwt · QF 17-pounder
77 mm	OQF Mk.II
84 mm	20pdr OQF Mk.I
94 mm	28pdr OQF · 32pdr OQF · OQF Mk.II
95 mm	Howitzer, Tank No.1, Mk.I
105 mm	LRF · Royal Ordnance L7A1
120 mm	Ordnance QF Tk. L1A2 · Ordnance BL Tk. L11 · L11A5 · L30A1
165 mm	ORD BL 6.5in L9A1
183 mm	QF L4A1
	Foreign:
25 mm	M242 (USA)
37 mm	M5 (USA) · M6 (USA)
75 mm	M2 (USA) · M3 (USA)
84 mm	kan Strv 81 (Sweden)
105 mm	Sharir (Israel)
120 mm	Rh120 L/55 A1 (Germany)
125 mm	2A46M-5 (Russia)
155 mm	M185 (USA)
	South Africa
20 mm	GI-2
76 mm	GT-4
90 mm	GT-2
105 mm	GT-3 · GT-7 · GT-8
155 mm	G6 L/45

Japan tank cannons
37 mm	Type 94 · Type 100 · Type 1
47 mm	Type 1
57 mm	Type 90 · Type 97
70 mm	Type 94
75 mm	Type 90 · Type 99 · Type 3 · Type 5 (Type I Model II · Type II Model I · Type II Model II)
90 mm	Type 61
105 mm	Type 5 (Experimental · Production) · JSW L/52
106 mm	Type 60 (B)
120 mm	Taishō Type 10 · Navy short gun · Type 90 L/44 · Type 10 L/44
150 mm	Type 38
155 mm	NSJ L/30 · JSW L/52
	Foreign:
25 mm	Oerlikon KBA B02 (Switzerland)
30 mm	Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA)
35 mm	Oerlikon KDE (Switzerland)
75 mm	M6 (USA)
76 mm	M1 (USA) · M32 (USA)
88 mm	KwK36 (Germany)
90 mm	M3A1 (USA) · M36 (USA)
105 mm	L7A3 (Germany)
120 mm	Schneider-Canet 1898 (France)

China tank cannons
30 mm	ZPL02 · ZPZ02
73 mm	Type 86
76 mm	M32K1
85 mm	Type 56 · Type 63
100 mm	PTP86 · Type 59 · Type 69 · Type 69-II · ZPL04
105 mm	88B-105T · Type 83 · WMA301 · ZPL94 · ZPL98A
120 mm	122TM · PTZ89
125 mm	Type 88C · Type 99A · ZPT98
130 mm	PL59A Gai
152 mm	PL66 Gai
	Foreign:
20 mm	KwK30 (Germany)
37 mm	M6 (USA)
45 mm	20-K (USSR)
47 mm	Type 1 (Japan)
57 mm	Type 97 (Japan) · ZIS-2 (USSR)
75 mm	M2 Howitzer (USA) · M3 (USA) · M6 (USA)
76 mm	D-56T (USSR) · F-34 (USSR) · M1 (USA) · M7 (USA) · ZIS-3 (USSR)
85 mm	ZIS-S-53 (USSR)
90 mm	M3 (USA) · M41 (USA)
100 mm	D-10S (USSR)
105 mm	M68 (USA) · M68A1 (USA)
115 mm	U-5TS (USSR)
122 mm	A-19 (USSR) · D-25T (USSR)
152 mm	ML-20S (USSR)

Italy tank cannons
20 mm	Breda Mod.35 · Fucile Controcarri S Mod.39
25 mm	Oerlikon KBA B02
37 mm	Vickers-Terni 37/40 mod.18
47 mm	47/32 mod.35 · 47/32 mod.39 · 47/40 mod.38
60 mm	Cannone da 60/70 · OTO HVG
75 mm	75/18 mod.34 · 75/32 mod.37 · 75/34 mod.39 · Ansaldo 75 L/34 · OTO 75/43 mod.40
90 mm	90/53 mod.41 · Cannone da 90/50 M3A1 · Cockerill Mk.3
100 mm	Cannone da 100/17 Mod.1914
105 mm	Cannone Ansaldo da 105/25 · OTO Melara 105/52 · OTO Melara 105/55
106 mm	Cannone da 106 s.r.M40A1
120 mm	OTO Breda 120/44 · OTO Melara 120/45
	Foreign:
30 mm	Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA)
37 mm	M6 (USA)
75 mm	KwK37 (Germany) · KwK40 L48 (Germany) · M3 (USA) · M6 (USA) · StuK40 L48 (Germany)
76 mm	M1 (USA) · QF 17-pounder (Britain)
90 mm	M3 (USA)
105 mm	L7A3 (Germany) · M68 (USA)
155 mm	M126 (USA)
	Hungary
20 mm	Solothurn QF.36M
40 mm	37/42M · MÁVAG 41.M 40/51
75 mm	41.M · 43.M
105 mm	MÁVAG 40/43M
	Foreign:
30 mm	2A72 (USSR) · MK 30-2/ABM (Germany)
88 mm	KwK36 (Germany)
120 mm	Rh120 L/44 (Germany) · Rh120 L/55 A1 (Germany)
122 mm	2A31 (USSR)
125 mm	2A46 (USSR)

Sweden tank cannons
20 mm	Akan m/47D · Pvlvkan m/40
37 mm	kan m/38
40 mm	akan m/70B
57 mm	Pvkan m/43
75 mm	kan m/02 · kan m/41 · kan Strv 74 · lvkan m/37 A · pvkan m/43
84 mm	kan Strv 81
90 mm	kan Ikv 91
105 mm	kan Bofors · kan Ikv · kan m/44 · kan Strv 101 · L74
120 mm	automatkanon · CTG · kan Strv 121 · kan Strv 122
150 mm	fsthaub m/02
155 mm	kan m/60
	Foreign:
35 mm	Bushmaster 3 (USA)
73 mm	2A28 (USSR)
75 mm	M3 (USA)
88 mm	KwK43 (Germany)
105 mm	L/50 (Belgium) · L7A3 (Germany)
125 mm	2A46M-1 (USSR)
155 mm	CN98 (South Korea)
	Finland
37 mm	Psv.K/36
114 mm	Psv.H/18
	Foreign:
30 mm	Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA)
45 mm	20-K (USSR)
75 mm	KwK40 L48 (Germany)
76 mm	D-56TS (USSR) · F-34 (USSR) · L-10 (USSR)
77 mm	OQF Mk.II (Britain)
84 mm	20pdr OQF Mk.I (Britain)
85 mm	ZIS-S-53 (USSR)
100 mm	D-10T (USSR) · D-10T2S (USSR)
105 mm	L/50 (Belgium)
120 mm	Rh120 L/44 (Germany) · Rh120 L/55 (Germany)
125 mm	2A46 (USSR)