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Automatic grenade launcher - Wikipedia
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Automatic grenade launcher

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]

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

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Name Country Year Image Caliber Effective Range Muzzle
velocity 		Rate of
fire, rpm 		Approx.
weight[A] 		Feed,
rounds 		Sights[B]
Mk 19 Mod 3
[9] 		  United States 1966

 

40×53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft) 241 m/s (790 ft/s) 325‑375 35.2 kg (78 lb) Belt, 32, 48 Night vision
AGS-17   Soviet Union 1967   30×29mm grenade 1,700 m 185 m/s 400 — — —
Mk 47 Striker
[10] 		  United States 2005

 

40x53mm 1,700 m (5,600 ft) — 225‑300 18 kg (40 lb) Belt, 32, 48 FCS, Thermal
HK GMG
[11] 		  Germany 1992

 

40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft) 241 m/s (790 ft/s) 340 29 kg (64 lb) Belt, 32 Reflex, "Various"
SB-40 LAG
[citation needed] 		  Spain 1984

 

40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft) 240 m/s (790 ft/s) 215 34 kg (75 lb) Belt, 24, 32 Night vision
STK 40 AGL
[12] 		  Singapore 1986   40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft) 242 m/s (790 ft/s) 350‑500 33 kg[13] Belt, 32 Reflex, FCS, Thermal
Daewoo K4
[14] 		  South Korea 1985   40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft) 241 m/s (790 ft/s) 325-375 34.4 kg (76 lb) Belt, 24, 48 KAN/TVS-5 night vision scope can be attached
Howa Type 96
[15] 		  Japan 1996

 

40x53mm 1,500 m (4,900 ft) — 250‑350 24.5 kg (54 lb) Belt, 50 Ladder sights
Denel Y3 AGL
[16] 		  South Africa 1992   40x53mm 2,176 m

(7,100 ft)

242 m/s (790 ft/s) 280‑320 53 kg (117 lb) Belt, 20 Optical, Indirect electronic sight
UAG-40
[17] 		  Ukraine 2016

 

40x53mm — 240 m/s (790 ft/s) 400 31 kg (68 lb) Belt, 32 Optical, Infrared, Photo‑Visual, Electronic[18]
AGA-40 Md.85
[19][C] 		  Romania 1985   40x74.5mm 1,400 m (4,600 ft) 216 m/s (710 ft/s) 380‑450 33 kg (73 lb) Mag., 10 —
AGS‑30 Atlant
[20][21][22] 		  Russia 1990

 

30x29mm 2,100 m

(6,900 ft)

185 m/s (610 ft/s) 400 17.5 kg (39 lb) Belt, 29 Optical, Day‑Night, Radar sight
AGS‑40 Balkan
[23][24] 		  Russia 2017

 

40x53mm
(caseless)		 2,500 m

(8,200 ft)

— 400 32 kg (71 lb) Belt, 20 Optical
Type 87
[D][25] 		  China 1987

 

35x32mm 1,700 m (5,600 ft) 200 m/s (660 ft/s) 500 12 kg (26 lb)/20 kg (44 lb) Mag., 6, 9, 12, 15 Optical
Type 04
[26] 		  China 2004

 

35x32mm 1,750 m (5,740 ft) 200 m/s (660 ft/s) 350-400 20 kg (44 lb) Belt, 30 Optical
  1. ^ Without ammo, with default sights.
  2. ^ Normally includes iron sights.
  3. ^ Production status is unclear.
  4. ^ Can be fired from bipod.

Ammunition

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40×74.5mm [19] 30×29mm 40mm "Balkan" 35×32mm [25]
HE HEAT VOG-30 [27][28] GPD-30 [22][29] 7P39 [24][30] HE HEAT
Max. range 1,550 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 velocity 223 m/s (730 ft/s) 185 m/s (610 ft/s) — 200 m/s (660 ft/s)
Weight 490 g (1.08 lb) 348 g (0.767 lb) 340 g (0.75 lb) 430 g (0.95 lb) — —
Shell weight 260 g (0.57 lb) 275 g (0.606 lb) — — —
Filling — — 47 g (1.7 oz) — 90 g (3.2 oz) — —
Kill radius/area 10 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

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  1. ^ "GRENADE LAUNCHERS AND THEIR AMMUNITION: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS". Archived from the original on 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  2. ^ a b c d "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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b "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. ^ [1] [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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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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