2A14 23 mm cannon

### Rifling

rh, 10 grooves increasing over 920 mm from 1 turn in 1.15 m to 1 turn in 575 mm; thenconstant to muzzle

### Marketing agency

Rosoboronexport Federal State Unitary Enterprise

The 2A14 23 mm cannon is one of the most frequently used cannon in the armoury of the RFAS ground forces and has gained an enviable reputation as an anti-aircraft weapon. In general concept it dates from a gun that appeared on Soviet aircraft just after the Second World War. The first specimens to be examined in the West came from fighters shot down during the Korean War. Since then the 2A14 has remained in service with what appear to be very few alterations to either gun or ammunition, but some advances in mountings and tactical use. In various Middle East conflicts it demonstrated useful air defence when mounted in pairs (ZU-23-2), its most formidable features being its rate of fire and range. The 23 mm cannon carried by the self-propelled ZSU-23-4 air defence system (and others) is the ballistically similar 2A7.

The 2A14 23 mm cannon is a gas-operated gun with a vertically moving breech block locking system which drops to unlock. The breech block is raised and lowered in guideways in the body of the gun and its position is controlled by cams on the piston extension. The gun stops firing with the working parts held to the rear on the sear. When the trigger is operated and the sear is lowered, the return spring drives the working parts forward. A round is rammed by the separate rammer and extractor through the link and into the chamber. As the piston extension moves forward, three diagonal grooves across the top surface move a cross-feed slide outwards and the feed pawls are retracted. The extractor on the rammer engages the rim of the round in the chamber and the breech block is raised and pushed slightly forward by the cams on the piston extension, raising it in the inclined guideways in the gun body. The firing pin is released during the last 20 mm of breech block movement. The piston extension holds the block in position and is prevented from bouncing. The gun fires and some propellant gases are diverted through the gas regulator at a point 368 mm from the commencement of rifling. The regulator is chromium plated and has two ports of 3.2 and 3.4 mm diameter. The gases enter the gas cylinder, which is also chromium plated. The gas piston is driven back and, after 10 mm of free piston movement, the breech block is lowered by cams on the piston extension. The block moves back as it goes down and drives the extractor back to provide primary extraction. As the piston continues back, the extractor withdraws the empty case which is forced down through guides and out of the bottom of the gun. Further movement of the piston draws the feed slide across and the one-piece spring-loaded feed pawl pulls the belt across. The piston extension is checked by the buffer and thrown forward. If the ammunition is depleted, a last round lever, operated by the linked round and connected to the firing mechanism, ensures that the last round is left on the feed tray ready for ramming so that the mechanism need not be recocked before a new belt is placed in the feed tray. The gun can be fed from either side. To effect the change, only the feed pawl, the three-tracked cam plate on the piston extension and the retaining pawls have to be changed.

chamber pressure: 3,100 kg/cm2