The 105 mm XM35 low recoil gun was developed by the US Army's Benet Laboratory from 1983 to meet the requirements for a Mobile Protected Gun System (MPGS) which was never funded.

The first prototype 105 mm XM35 Low Recoil Gun was designed and test fired within a period of 11 months. The weapon was installed in prototypes of the Diesel Division, General Motors of Canada/Textron Marine & Land Systems Light Armored Vehicle - Assault Gun (LAV - AG) (8 x 8) and in prototypes of the United Defense M8 Armored Gun System.

No 1 gun weighed only 1,270 kg and achieved a 22 per cent reduction in impulse using a 35 per cent efficient integral pepperpot muzzle brake. Both 559 and 762 mm recoil lengths have been tested, with the shorter of these being preferred when the weapon is in the LAV - AG.

Three prototype mounts and four guns were built initially with two of the latter being fitted with horizontal and two with upward opening breech mechanisms.

For the LAV - AG competition a further four prototype models were built which all had a downward opening breech mechanism. These all have Benet's own design of a multilug breech which is claimed to offer significant savings in breech weight for no loss in fatigue life.

The 105 mm XM35 has small diameter recoil and recuperator cylinders with the individual cylinders having bayonet fixings to facilitate field replacement.

In both prototype applications, the 105 mm XM35 gun is fed by an automatic loader. In the case of the Light Armored Vehicle - Assault Gun, this has been developed by FHL of the UK while in the case of the M8 Armored Gun System it has been developed by United Defense, Armament Systems Division. Details of both of these automatic loaders are given in the Automatic loaders and flick rammers section later in this book.

The XM35 105 mm low recoil gun has been type classified as the M35 but as the LAV-AG and M8 have been cancelled by the US Marine Corps and Army there is as yet no production application for these weapons, both of these vehicles are still being marketed, United Defense (M8) and Textron Marine & Land Systems (LAV - AG), have leased back examples of these vehicles for overseas marketing purposes. In late 1997, for example, the M8 AGS was tested in Turkey.

Prototypes. Not yet in production or service. Installed in prototypes of the LAV-105 Assault Gun and the M8 Armored Gun System.

When placed in production it would be made at Watervliet Arsenal.