The
artillery weapon (10) comprises a gun
carriage (100) and a cannon (200) having a
barrel (202) operable to move between an in-battery position and an out-of-battery position. The
artillery weapon (10) further comprises a multi-function cylinder (300) mounted to and movable with the cannon (200). The multi-function cylinder (300) comprises a
regulator unit (302) including a fluid housing (304) for holding a
hydraulic fluid (306), the fluid housing (304) being in fluid communication with a
shock absorber system (308), the
shock absorber system (308) being configured to deliver fluid to and receive fluid from the fluid housing (304) in response to movement of the
barrel (202) relative to the gun
carriage (100). The
regulator unit fluid housing (304) is in fluid communication with the
hydraulic accumulator chamber (310) through a first flow aperture (312). An accumulator
piston (314) is also provided that is disposed in the
hydraulic accumulator chamber (310) and is operable to move along the
hydraulic accumulator chamber (310). The
shock absorber system (308), the
regulator unit (302), the hydraulic accumulator chamber (310), and the first flow aperture (312) are configured such that displacement of the
barrel (202) along the barrel axis (204) from an in-battery position to an out-of-battery position causes fluid flow from the shock absorber system (308) to the fluid housing (304), thereby causing fluid flow through the first flow aperture (312) into the first accumulator
antechamber region (316) and moving the accumulator
piston (314) in a first direction along the hydraulic accumulator chamber (310), thereby compressing the gas in the second accumulator
antechamber region (318).