40 mm grenade launcher cartridge
As 40 mm grenade launcher cartridges are grenade cartridge in the caliber of 40 × 46 mm × 53 40 HR and HR denotes mm, consisting of light mortars can be fired. Colloquially, 40 mm grenades are also used, although the actual grenade is only that part of the ammunition that is fired, while the complete ammunition consists of the grenade and cartridge (cartridge case).
history
The 40 mm grenade launcher cartridge in caliber 40 × 46 mm HR was developed in the early 1950s by the Picatinny Arsenal , a US Army research facility in New Jersey .
It should enable the infantry to independently fight opponents in cover and lightly armored vehicles outside the maximum throwing range of hand grenades (around 40 to 50 m) without having to rely on the support of other weapons, such as light mortars .
The first launcher for this ammunition was the M79 , introduced in 1960 , which outwardly resembled a single- shot shotgun with a drop barrel. It was used in the Vietnam War and worked well, but had the disadvantage that its carrier failed as a rifle shooter and had to carry a separate weapon for self-defense.
Later grenade devices such as the M203 were therefore designed without their own stock so that they can be mounted under the barrels of assault rifles and fired from there. A mechanical or optical additional sight is also necessary because of the projectile trajectory, which is strongly curved due to the low muzzle velocity .
The grenade launcher cartridge was later developed into the 40 × 53 mm HV (High Velocity), which is slightly larger and heavier and can be fired from fully automatic weapons. So infantry positions and light vehicles could be equipped with great firepower. The Warsaw Pact introduced the automatic grenade launcher AGS-17 Plamja in 30 mm caliber as a counterpart .
International projects are currently underway to introduce a 40 mm MV (Medium Velocity) shell with optimized properties compared to the 40 mm LV (Low Velocity) ammunition.
Types
There are three different types to be distinguished, each of which can be equipped with different projectiles.
| designation | caliber | (m / s) | Total length (mm) | Total weight (g) | Max. Range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 mm LV (Low Velocity) | 40 × 46 mm HR | approx. 75 | 82 | 180-200 | for launching from shoulder-fired weapons | |
| 40 mm MV (Medium Velocity) | 40 × 46 mm HR | about 100 | 180-250 | |||
| 40 mm HV (High Velocity) | 40 × 53 mm HR | approx. 240 | about 112 | 320-350 | approx. 2200 | for shooting from fully automatic grenade weapons |
40mm LV grenades are made by around 25 manufacturers from 18 countries; HV grenades from around 15 manufacturers in 12 countries.
Projectiles
Fragmentation grenade (HE frag - high explosive, fragmentation )
Example: the American M406 High-Explosive Fragmentation Round.
The shell is 32 grams Composition B - explosives disassembled and broken in 250 to 1500 fragments (120 mg). It is fatal to unprotected people over an area of around 25 m².
Tank explosive grenade (HEDP, AP - dual purpose, armor piercing )
Example: M433 High-Explosive Dual-Purpose Grenade.
The grenade works with a shaped charge of 45 grams Composition A5 ( hexogen with 1.5 percent wax) against armor plates up to 50 mm thick. At the same time, through fragmentation, it also works against soft targets.
Grapeshot ( canister ) containing 107 Flechets Red phosphorus
With a charge of 30 to 35 g of red phosphorus, this ammunition is used to start fires and / or to create smoke screens.
Colored signal smoke ( ground marker )
The smoke is available in different colors and burns for up to 40 seconds.
Colored flares ( flares )
Battlefield lighting ( illumination )
Rubber bullets ( crowd dispersal , baton )
Rubber bullets weighing about 75 g are fired.
Practice ammunition
Practice ammunition is usually identified by a blue color. These grenades do not contain an explosive device. They are also available as tracer ammunition. Even Flash - & - Bang Grenades are used for realistic training with flash and bang effects.
The types used in the Bundeswehr can be found in the list of Bundeswehr ammunition.
Intended use
As can be seen from the development history, the 40 mm grenade launcher cartridge should enable the infantryman to fight opponents with grenades over greater distances without having to expose himself too much.
In today's fighting, 90 percent of all infantry fights take place at distances of less than 400 m. While a hand grenade only has a limited range of a maximum of 50 m and is dangerous to handle, reactive anti-tank rifles, mortars and light guns are not as flexible to use and not as quick to position as a portable grenade launcher.
At the same time, the 40 mm grenade launcher cartridge also offers other advantages. In contrast to a rifle cartridge, it does not lose any active energy even at maximum distance. It does not have to be hit exactly or several times to incapacitate an opponent. Opponents can be fought behind cover or several opponents can be incapacitated at the same time. Vehicles or rooms in buildings can be neutralized with one shot. The advantages of the M203 grenade device are described, for example, by the Swedish army with the words “simple, reliable, easy”.
However, there are also disadvantages with 40 mm LV ammunition. So with individual firearms no higher cadence to reach over six rounds per minute. The weapons used for this, such as the M203 or HK69 A1, do not offer a night target device. In addition, at a distance of 250 m from the target, the ballistic curve has an apex height corresponding to a height difference of almost 20 m, which reduces the probability of being hit. Due to the slow airspeed, opponents theoretically even have the chance to move away from the target area before the impact (around 4 seconds of flight time at a distance of 250 m).
The larger 40mm HV shell is faster and has a more elongated trajectory. As ammunition for fully automatic weapons, however, it was developed with a view to a stronger launch pulse in order to ensure the weapon function (case ejection, reloading). This would mean that it could no longer be mastered in hand weapons. But in weapons like the HK GMW - mounted on a mount - it offers infantry positions, vehicles and patrol boats additional firepower.
The new 40 mm MV ammunition should be compatible with the 40 mm LV grenades and should be fired from grenade devices with a magazine (five to six rounds), which, together with a PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) in caliber 5.7 × 28 mm are housed in a housing. This provides the infantry group with more firepower and at the same time saves weight. The grenade device is intended to serve as the primary weapon. The PDW only for fighting opponents at close range, i.e. when firing a grenade would endanger your own troops or is not possible due to the short range. These weapons, called SSW (Squad Support Weapon), are, like the MV grenades, still in development and have not yet reached the prototype stage. The aim is to increase the accuracy of the hit - even at night - thanks to the extended trajectory of the grenade and new sighting devices. Using a selector switch on the weapon, it should even be possible to choose between impact ignition and ignition over the target. This option is already available with some HV grenades.
In the police area, CS gas grenades and rubber bullets are used to bring demonstrators to clear streets and squares. The demonstrators should not be killed here. They are often used when large devices ( water cannons ) cannot be used.
functionality
The 40-mm grenade launcher cartridges, the so-called "high-pressure low-pressure system" is used, which is already in the Second World War from Rheinmetall for the anti-tank weapon 8cm anti-tank launcher (PAW) 600 was developed. It is based on accommodating the propellant charge in a particularly thick-walled chamber inside the grenade cartridge , where it can burn efficiently after ignition under high pressure (over 2400 bar ). After breaking the predetermined breaking points, the powder gases flow out of this chamber through a number of narrow channels. Their pressure is reduced significantly to around 200 bar, but remains at this level for a long time due to the delayed outflow. They drive the grenade out of the barrel at a speed of around 75 to 80 m / s . The relatively low and constant pressure curve outside the cartridge chamber reduces the load that the grenade and weapon have to withstand.
As a result, the grenade launcher itself, like the rest of the cartridge, can be built relatively lightly, and the recoil remains controllable. However, the effective range of the grenade is limited by the speed-related low accuracy: to around 150 m for point targets or 350 m for area targets.
The ammunition used in machine grenade launchers has a longer cartridge of the same caliber with a much stronger propellant charge (40 × 53 mm) which generates muzzle speeds of 210-240 m / s. Therefore it must not be used in manual launchers.
Guns for 40 mm shells
Hand weapons
- HK AG36
- HK69
- GL 5040/5140
- M203 (grenade launcher)
- M79 (grenade launcher)
- Milkor MGL grenade launcher
Machine guns
See also
literature
- Kevin Dockery: Future Weapons , New York 2007, The Berkeley Publishing Group, ISBN 978-0-425-21750-4
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Grenade Launchers and their Ammunition: International Developments. www.sadefensejournal.com, April 24, 2015, accessed February 8, 2018 .
Web links
- FAS - 40-mm cartridges (Engl.)
- Swedish Squad Support Weapon Program (English; PDF file; 4.11 MB)
- Draft SSW from Singapore (Engl.)
- various. kinds of 40mm grenades (Engl.)