| GP-25 grenade launcher | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Grenade launcher |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1978–present |
| Used by | SeeUsers |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | TsKIB SOO |
| Designed | 1966–1978 |
| Manufacturer | Kalashnikov Concern STC Delta Arsenal AD Zastava Arms |
| Produced | 1978–present |
| Variants | GP-30, GP-30M, GP-34 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1.5 kg (3.31 lb) (GP-25) 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) (GP-30) 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) (GP-34)[2] |
| Length | 323 mm (12.7 in) (GP-25) 275 mm (10.8 in) (GP-30) 315 mm (12.4 in) (GP-34)[2] |
| Barrel length | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
| Cartridge | 40 mminternal propellant caseless ammunition (CL) |
| Caliber | 40 mm |
| Action | Closed system,single-shot |
| Rate of fire | 20 rounds/min area suppression[2] 5–6 rounds/min aimed shots[2] |
| Muzzle velocity | 76.5 m/s (251 ft/s)[2] |
| Effective firing range | Sights adjustable 100 to 400 meters[2] |
| Feed system | Muzzleloader |
| Sights | Notched quadrant sight |
TheGP-25Kostyor ("Bonfire"),GP-30Obuvka ("Shoe") andGP-34 are a family of Russian 40 mm under-barrelmuzzleloadedgrenade launchers for theAK family ofassault rifles.[3] The acronym GP stands forGranatomyot Podstvolnyj,[3] "under-barrel grenade launcher" in Russian, and was adopted by Soviet forces in 1978.
The development of a grenade launcher for the AKM assault rifle began in 1966 at the Central Design and Research Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Arms (TsKIB SOO). Development continued into the 1970s, and in 1978 it was accepted into service.[3] The main production version was known as theGP-25, and could be attached to the AKM and AK-74 assault rifles. TheGP-30 was made lighter and the aiming system was redesigned and moved to the right.[4]
GP grenade launchers are similar in appearance and fire the same Russian 40mm caliber ammunition. At the top of the barrel is the mounting hardware to attach the weapon to the underside of a rifle barrel, from which it is designed to fire. The GP barrel has a useful life of about 400 rounds.[5]
The GP-30 first entered service in 1989,[3] and is intended for use with theAK-100 series of assault rifles. The GP-30M is a grenade launcher of simplified model, consisting of a shorter 40 mm rifled barrel in front of a basictrigger mechanism with minimal hand grip.
The currentIzhmash-made version, theGP-34, has a further-redesigned sighting system located to the right side of the weapon and features the following advantages:
A grenade is first loaded from the muzzle, the weapon is aimed, and then the double-action trigger is pulled to fire. This fires thepercussion cap at the base of the grenade which activates thenitrocellulosepropellant inside the grenade body.[7] The hot, expanding gas from the propellant is forced through openings in the base of the grenade that move it along the barrel and, at the same time, force the driving band to fit into the twelve grooves of the rifle. Therifling provides stabilizing rotation to the projectile.[7] The grenade has a range of up to 400m.[8]
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GP grenade launchers fire multiple 40mm VOG-25 high-explosive fragmentation grenades, with a total range of 400 m and an effective range of 150 m.[3][4] These Russian-Soviet 40 mm grenades are not compatible with Western 40x46 mm grenades.[3] Originally, the main grenade was the VOG-15 (7P17) fragmentation grenade, which has a lethal radius of six meters. Ammunition for the muzzle-loading GP-25 consists of a single piece containing propellant and charge, as opposed to the more traditional two-piece case and projectile design of comparable US40x46mm ammunition used in breech-loading grenade launchers, such as theM203. This integral "caseless" design – with the propellant and primer contained in the base of the grenade – provides for when the grenade is fired nothing is left in the barrel, so the operator can load the next grenade.[4]
A bouncing grenade, the VOG-25P, is also available. On impact, a small charge in the nose of the grenade explodes; this raises the grenade 50 cm to 1.5 m in the air, before an impact delayfuse causes it to detonate.[4] The VOG-25P also has a lethal radius of six meters. The new generation VOG-M and VOG-PM ammunition, with an increased effectiveness of no less than 1.5 times, are now serially available.[9]
Smoke grenades are also available. The original GRD-40 grenade was replaced by a series of grenades designed for use at different ranges. These are the GRD-50, GRD-100 and GRD-200 intended for use at 50, 100 and 200 meters respectively. They are capable of producing a 20 cubic meter cloud ofsmoke that lasts for one minute inwinds of up to five meters per second. Atear gas grenade calledGvozd ("Nail") and a stick grenade are also available.[7]
Today it is used primarily by theRussian Armed Forces in weapons such as the GP-34, BG-15 Mukha andRG-6. Several types exist but the most common version is the default VOG-25 high-explosive version.[10]
| Version | Fuse arming range | Fuse self-destruction time | Weight | Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VOG-25 | 10–40 m (33–130 ft) | 14–19 s | 250 g (0.55 lb) | 48 g of A-IX-1 explosive |
| VOG-25P | 10–40 m (33–130 ft) | 14–19 s | 278 g (0.61 lb) | 37 g of TNT |
| GRD-50/100/200 | 10–40 m (33–130 ft) | 14–19 s | 265 g | 90 g |
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Angola[citation needed]
Algeria[11]
Botswana[12]
Bulgaria: Made under license byArsenal AD as the UBGL[13] and the UBGL-1.[14]
Burundi[15]
Congo-Kinshasa[citation needed]
Cyprus[citation needed]
Georgia: Made bySTC Delta.[16][17]
Greece: Used for the AK-74M.[citation needed]
India[18]
Indonesia:Mobile Brigade Corps[19]
Iran : Used byIRGC
Lithuania:Lithuanian Armed Forces[20]
North Korea[18][21]
Pakistan[citation needed]
Russia[18][22]
Serbia: Made under license byZastava Arms as the PBG – 40 mm[23] and the PBG 40 mm M70.[24]
North Macedonia
Syria: Uses both GP-25s and GP-30Ms.[25]
Ukraine[18]
Vietnam[citation needed]
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