Automatic grenade launcher

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Automatic grenade launcher - Wikipedia

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(Redirected from Comparison of automatic grenade launchers)

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

Name	Country	Year	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

^ Without ammo, with default sights.
^ Normally includes iron sights.
^ Production status is unclear.
^ Can be fired from bipod.

Ammunition

	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)

References

^ "GRENADE LAUNCHERS AND THEIR AMMUNITION: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS". Archived from the original on 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
^ ^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.
^ ^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).
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ ^a ^b "A new generation of AGLs". Armada International. 2002-04-01. Archived from the original on 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
^ 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.
^ "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.
^ [1] ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "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.
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^ ^a ^b "Arme uitate". Romania Military. 15 December 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2023.
^ "AGS-30". Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
^ "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.
^ ^a ^b "ГПД-30, 30 мм гранатометный выстрел". Archived from the original on 2013-07-06. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
^ "Military Defense Industry Technology - AGS-40 Balkan". Archived from the original on 2017-08-17. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
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^ ^a ^b "QLZ87 35mm Automatic Grenade Launcher". Archived from the original on February 12, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
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^ "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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Comparison

Ammunition

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References