Automatic loader for an armored vehicle having a rotatable turret

The invention relates to an automatic loader for an armored vehicle having a rotatable turret adapted to feed vertically stored projectiles from a storage magazine into the loading chamber of a large caliber weapon from which it can be inserted into the gun barrel by means of a rammer. The arrangement of the invention provides a rapid transporting of the vertically stored ammunition from a space saving storage position to a loaded ready to fire position. The automatic loader of the invention includes an automatically driven endless ammunition magazine at least partially mounted within the outer elevation a of the turret and within the inner elevation region b of the vehicle trough. This magazine is separated from the personnel chamber of the armored vehicle by means of armored walls and includes a loading tray which is connected to a feeder for pivotally transporting a vertically stored projectile into a loading position from which it can be slid into the gun barrel of the weapon by means of the rammer. The loading tray functions as a partial ammunition container of the ammunition magazine as well as a feeder for the projectile. The magazine is independently rotatable with respect to the rotatable turret by means of a roller bearing.