COW 37 mm gun

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	Weapon: COW 37 mm gun Type: Autocannon Country of Origin: United Kingdom Year Adopted: 1918 Caliber: 37x190mmR Action: Recoil Operated Overall Length (mm): 2330.0 Overall Length (in): 91.73 Weight (kg): 91.00 Weight (pounds): 200.62 Effective Range (m): 1000 m Effective Range (yards): 1093.61

The COW 37 mm gun (Coventry Ordnance Works) was an early automatic cannon developed in the United Kingdom during World War I. Designed by the Coventry Ordnance Works company around 1913-1918, it was a recoil-operated weapon intended for aircraft use. The gun fired 37x190 mm rounds and was relatively advanced for its time, using a long-recoil mechanism to cycle its action. Its firepower was substantial compared to the machine guns of the era, making it one of the first practical attempts to mount heavy-caliber weapons on aircraft.

Although development began during World War I, the COW gun saw limited service in that conflict and was more widely experimented with in the interwar period. It was tested in various aircraft, including the Vickers Type 161 - a prototype pusher biplane interceptor built specifically to carry the gun. The concept aimed to use the powerful cannon to bring down large, heavily built bombers with a single hit. However, the cumbersome nature of the weapon and the difficulties of aiming and firing such a large caliber gun from a fast-moving aircraft limited its practicality at the time.

The COW 37 mm gun was never widely adopted, and production figures remained low, with only a handful of units made for testing and evaluation. Despite its limited service, the weapon was influential in demonstrating the potential of large-caliber automatic cannons for aerial use. Its legacy lived on in subsequent British autocannon designs, such as the Vickers S gun used in World War II and later aircraft armament concepts. The COW gun remains a notable milestone in the evolution of airborne firepower.