Automatic grenade launcher

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An automatic grenade launcher (AGL) or grenade machine gun is a grenade launcher that is capable of fully automatic fire, [1] and is typically loaded with either an ammunition belt or magazine. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

These weapons are often mounted on vehicles or helicopters, as when these weapons are moved by infantry the weapon, its tripod, and ammunition, are a heavy load, requiring a small team. [2] Other types of grenade launchers are typically much lighter and can easily be carried by just a single soldier. The Mark 19 Automatic Grenade Launcher, first fielded by the United States in 1966, and still widely used today, weighs 62.5 kg (137.58 lb) when attached to its tripod, and loaded with a box of ammunition. [3] For comparison, the single-shot M79 grenade launcher weighs 2.93 kg (6.45 lb). Regardless of their weight, AGLs are still highly effective, and the Mark 19 is capable of indirect fire up to 2,200 metres, a role traditionally reserved for mortars. Even though the round carries less explosive than a 60mm mortar shell, this is thought to be counterbalanced by its much higher volume of fire.

The most popular caliber for automatic grenade launchers in Western nations has been 40mm. [2] [3] The Soviet Union successfully fielded a 30mm grenade launcher, the AGS-17, during its war in Afghanistan. In 2002, Russia introduced a successor weapon, the AGS-30, and in 2017, the AGS-40 Balkan. [6] Traditional munitions for automatic grenade launchers include high explosive, fragmentation, and shaped charge for attacking light armored vehicles. Less lethal rounds, like tear gas and sponge grenades for crowd control, have also been made. In the 21st century, AGLs have been made with integrated sight/range systems which can set a fused round to detonate precisely on, above, or behind a designated target. [6] [7]

Different weapons use different methods of operation, with blowback and long recoil being two common choices. [2] In all these weapons, the energy released by firing a round loads the next round into the weapon's breech. The Mark 19 is automatically reloaded through the blowback method, where expanding gases blow back the firing bolt.

In the long recoil method the bolt is fixed to the firing chamber, and the whole firing chamber is blown back. These weapons are slightly less accurate, but weigh less than blowback weapons. [8] General Dynamics manufactures a long recoil weapon, the Mark 47 Automatic Grenade Launcher, as does the Spanish firm Santa Bárbara. The LAG-40 manufactured by Santa Bárbara has a relatively low rate of fire of 215 rounds per minute.

Comparison

NameCountryYearImageCaliberEffective RangeMuzzle
velocity		Rate of
fire, rpm		Approx.
weight [upper-alpha 1] 		Feed,
rounds		Sights [upper-alpha 2]
Mk 19 Mod 3
[9] 		Flag of the United States.svg  United States 1966

MK19-02.jpg

40×53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft)241 m/s (790 ft/s)325‑37535.2 kg (78 lb)Belt, 32, 48Night vision
AGS-17 Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 1967 30-mm avtomaticheskii granatomet AGS-17 Plamia.jpg 30×29mm grenade 1,700 m185 m/s400———
Mk 47 Striker
[10] 		Flag of the United States.svg  United States 2005

200295103315mk47.jpg

40x53mm 1,700 m (5,600 ft)—225‑30018 kg (40 lb)Belt, 32, 48FCS, Thermal
HK GMG
[11] 		Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1992

HK GMW.jpg

40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft)241 m/s (790 ft/s)34029 kg (64 lb)Belt, 32Reflex, "Various"
SB-40 LAG
[ citation needed ]		Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 1984

LAG-40 I.M.-1.JPG

40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft)240 m/s (790 ft/s)21534 kg (75 lb)Belt, 24, 32Night vision
STK 40 AGL
[12] 		Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore 1986 SLA MIR weapons.JPG 40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft)242 m/s (790 ft/s)350‑50033 kg [13] Belt, 32 Reflex, FCS, Thermal
Daewoo K4
[14] 		Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 1985 K-4 Auto Grenade Launcher.jpg 40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft)241 m/s (790 ft/s)325-37534.4 kg (76 lb)Belt, 24, 48KAN/TVS-5 night vision scope can be attached
Howa Type 96
[15] 		Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 1996

Type96 40mm Automatic Grenad Gun.JPG

40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft)—250‑35024.5 kg (54 lb)Belt, 50Ladder sights
Denel Y3 AGL
[16] 		Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 1992 Y3 AGL.JPG 40x53mm 2,176 m

(7,100 ft)

242 m/s (790 ft/s)280‑32053 kg (117 lb)Belt, 20Optical, Indirect electronic sight
UAG-40
[17] 		Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 2016

UAG-40, Kyiv 2018, 19.jpg

40x53mm —240 m/s (790 ft/s)40031 kg (68 lb)Belt, 32Optical, Infrared, Photo‑Visual, Electronic [18]
AGA-40 Md.85
[19] [upper-alpha 3] 		Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 1985 AGA-40 Md.85 grenade launcher.jpg 40x74.5mm 1,400 m (4,600 ft)216 m/s (710 ft/s)380‑45033 kg (73 lb)Mag., 10—
AGS‑30 Atlant
[20] [21] [22] 		Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 1990

AGS-30 maks2009.jpg

30x29mm2,100 m

(6,900 ft)

185 m/s (610 ft/s)40017.5 kg (39 lb)Belt, 29Optical, Day‑Night, Radar sight
AGS‑40 Balkan
[23] [24] 		Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 2017

AGS-40 grenade launcher - Oboronexpo2014part4-46.jpg

40x53mm
(caseless)		2,500 m

(8,200 ft)

—40032 kg (71 lb)Belt, 20Optical
Type 87
[upper-alpha 4] [25] 		Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 1987

Type 87 Grenade Launcher.jpg

35x32mm 1,700 m (5,600 ft)200 m/s (660 ft/s)50012 kg (26 lb)/20 kg (44 lb)Mag., 6, 9, 12, 15Optical
Type 04
[26] 		Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 2004

QLZ-04-1.png

35x32mm 1,750 m (5,740 ft)200 m/s (660 ft/s)350-40020 kg (44 lb)Belt, 30Optical
  1. ↑ Without ammo, with default sights.
  2. ↑ Normally includes iron sights.
  3. ↑ Production status is unclear.
  4. ↑ Can be fired from bipod.

Ammunition

40×74.5mm  [19] 30×29mm40mm "Balkan"35×32mm  [25]
HEHEATVOG-30  [27] [28] GPD-30  [22] [29] 7P39  [24] [30] HEHEAT
Max. range1,550 m (5,090 ft)1,700 m (5,600 ft)2,100 m (6,900 ft)2,500 m (8,200 ft)1,750 m (5,740 ft)
Muzzle velocity223 m/s (730 ft/s)185 m/s (610 ft/s)—200 m/s (660 ft/s)
Weight490 g (1.08 lb)348 g (0.767 lb)340 g (0.75 lb)430 g (0.95 lb)——
Shell weight260 g (0.57 lb)275 g (0.606 lb)———
Filling——47 g (1.7 oz)—90 g (3.2 oz)——
Kill radius/area10 m (33 ft)—90 m2 (970 sq ft)120 m2 (1,300 sq ft)———
Penetration—50 mm (2.0 in)————80 mm (3.1 in)

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "GRENADE LAUNCHERS AND THEIR AMMUNITION: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS". Archived from the original on 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "CASW (Close Area Suppression Weapon System) Automatic Grenade Launcher — MERX Notice of Proposed Procurement". Canadian American Strategic Review. August 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  3. 1 2 3 "Background – CASW Project – Company Area Suppression Weapon". Canadian American Strategic Review. December 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. Retrieved 2015-03-09. In its current form, the Mk19 mod 3, this AGL has become the weapon of choice among US ground troops in Iraq – primarily because the AGL offers both direct (to 1,600 meters) and indirect fire (to 2,200 meters).
  4. ↑ Spencer C. Tucker (20 May 2011). The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. p. 431. ISBN   978-1-85109-961-0. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Dennis J. Blasko (17 June 2013). The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century. Routledge. p. 168. ISBN   978-1-136-51997-0. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  6. 1 2 "A new generation of AGLs". Armada International. 2002-04-01. Archived from the original on 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  7. ↑ Us Future Combat & Weapon Systems Handbook. International Business Publications. 30 March 2009. p. 265. ISBN   978-1-4387-5447-5. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  8. ↑ "Background — CASW Candidates Operating Systems – Long Recoil". Canadian American Strategic Review. December 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. Retrieved 2015-03-09. The long recoil operating system's obvious advantage is the compact gun body. While this compensates for the weapon's internal complications, that moving barrel might also result in first-round aiming inaccuracies. The AGL designers are willing to overlook this in exchange for reduced weight (in comparison to a blowback design) and for the portability inherent in a smaller weapon (even if weight reduction is modest). In any case, great accuracy is not the forte of the AGLs.
  9. ↑ [ dead link ]
  10. ↑ "Mk47 Striker40: GD's Auto-Programmed 40mm GMG". Defense Industry Daily. 9 August 2010. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "Heckler & Koch :: Home". Heckler-koch.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  12. ↑ "CIS 40AGL" (PDF). Stengg.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  13. ↑ "ST Kinetics (CIS) 40 AGL". Archived from the original on 2018-01-28. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  14. ↑ "Defense Products - S&T Motiv" (PDF). S&T Motiv. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  15. ↑ "96 formula 40 mm automatic gun gun". via wayback machine. 6 January 2009. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "40 ml Y3 AGL" (PDF). Iieexport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-22. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Leninska Kuznya Plant Joint Stock Co". Lk.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "мотреть Український автоматичний гранатомет УАГ-40 онлайн". Video.i.ua. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  19. 1 2 "Arme uitate". Romania Military. 15 December 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2023.
  20. ↑ "AGS-30". Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  21. ↑ "Open Joint Stock Company "V.A.Degtyarev Plant" / AGS-30 30 mm antipersonnel automatic grenade launching system". Kbptula.ru. Archived from the original on 2014-10-27. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  22. 1 2 "ГПД-30, 30 мм гранатометный выстрел". Archived from the original on 2013-07-06. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  23. ↑ "Military Defense Industry Technology - AGS-40 Balkan". Archived from the original on 2017-08-17. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  24. 1 2 "Lenta.ru: Оружие: Вооружение: Россия вооружится новым крупнокалиберным гранатометом" (in Russian). Lenta.ru. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  25. 1 2 "QLZ87 35mm Automatic Grenade Launcher". Archived from the original on February 12, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  26. ↑ "QLZ-04". weapon system.
  27. ↑ "Выстрел ВОГ-17 (ВОГ-17А) / ВОГ-17М / ВОГ-30 / ГПД-30". Weapon.at.au. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  28. ↑ Книга: Боевое стрелковое оружие России (in Russian). E-reading-lib.org. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  29. ↑ "ГПД-30" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  30. ↑ "IDEX 2019: Tecmash unveils AGS-40 grenade launcher - EDR Magazine". 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-04-13.
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