British, 1966, 30MM AFV Rarden Round, Radway Green, Inert

*British, 1966, 30MM AFV Rarden Round, Radway Green, Inert*

Headstamp: 30mm AFV, 003, RG, 66
Body: 4 160 139

Approximate measurements: 29.3cm tall, 16.9cm brass casing, 4.1 diameter base

28.5cm tall, 16.8cm brass casing, 4.1 diameter base 16.8cm brass casing
This 30mm Rarden Round is used with the 30mm Rarden L21A1 auto cannon found in British Warrior, Scimitar, and Fox armoured vehicles. The acronym ‘RARDEN’ stands for ‘Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment eNfield’. Developed from the WW2 Hispano-Suiza 831L aircraft cannon round, it shares the same cartridge case dimensions. It was issued in three-round steel clips with a loading handle at the bottom.

The RARDEN Gun, developed in the mid-1960s by the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock and the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment at Fort Halstead, was designed for light armoured vehicle turrets. Initial prototypes appeared in 1966, with preproduction versions in 1968 and service versions in the early 1970s. Prioritizing accuracy for targeting APCs at over 1,000 meters, it consistently achieves 1-meter groupings at that range.

Derived from the Hispano-Suiza 831-L round, the RARDEN L21 operates on the ‘long recoil’ principle, reducing trunnion loads. Its enclosed system takes up just 430 mm within the turret space, manually loading three-round clips to limit automatic firing to 6 rounds. Despite this, it operates without external power, with a charging handle and forward ejection of spent cases ensuring minimal turret exposure to firing fumes. While mainly firing single shots, it can deliver six-round bursts to preserve its lightweight barrel.

*Condition*
Good used condition. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.

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