Ordnance QF 3 pounder gun Mk I, Mk II
On a Medium Mk II (special) tank at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum, Puckapunyal, Victoria, Australia
Type	Tank gun
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1924–1940
Wars	World War II
Production history
Variants	Mk I, Mk II
Specifications
Barrel length	1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) bore (32 cal) or 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) (40 cal)
Shell	47x351R. 1.47 kg (3 lb 4 oz) shell.
Calibre	47-millimetre (1.85 in)
Muzzle velocity	560 m/s (1,840 ft/s) (40 cal gun)

The Ordnance QF 3 pounder 2 cwt gun was a 47 mm British tank gun based on the Ordnance QF 3 pounder Vickers naval gun, mounted on Vickers-built tanks in the 1920s and 1930s. The gun was produced in 31 calibre (59 inch) and 40 calibre (74 inch) versions. The weapon only fired a solid shot, and was stated in the requirements of the A6 series of Vickers Medium tanks to have the ability to penetrate the armour of contemporary hostile tanks at a range of 1000 yards. The Vickers Medium Mark I was equipped with the Ordnance Quick Firing 2cwt Mark I version of the weapon, whilst from the Vickers Medium Mark II the Mark II version of the 3-pounder was utilized.

Even though other European countries still fielded similar weapons (e.g., Cannone da 47/32) at the start of the Second World War (and quite a few years into it), due to its comparatively low muzzle velocity the 3-pounder was considered obsolete by the war start by the British, with the Ordnance QF 2-pounder replacing it as the standard tank gun of British tanks.

• Vickers Medium Mark I
• Vickers Medium Mark II
• Medium Mark III
• A6E1
• Vickers A1E1 Independent
• Vickers 6-Ton

• List of tank main guns

• Anthony G Williams, 38–47 MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES
• David Fletcher, British Battle Tanks: World War I to 1939, Oxford: Osprey Publishing

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