TTX gp 25 main parts and mechanisms. Indispensable "grenade launchers". Weapon variants and modifications

What the GP-25 underbarrel grenade launcher is capable of

In accordance with the existing classification, an under-barrel grenade launcher is a type of rifle grenade launcher located under the barrel of the main weapon.

Rifle grenade launchers, as a means of increasing the tactical independence and firepower of small infantry units, were created during the First World War. First rifle grenade launchers were attached to the muzzle of the barrel and received the name - muzzle grenade launchers. Special blank cartridges were used to fire the grenade.
In the USSR in 1928, the Dyakonov grenade launcher was adopted, which was attached to the muzzle of a 7.62 mm rifle mod. 1891/30 However, the inconvenience of its use, low efficiency remote-action fragmentation grenade, as well as the need to remove the grenade launcher before firing a live cartridge from the rifle, limited its use in combat.
In 1944-45 In the USSR, VG-44 grenade launchers for the 7.62 mm carbine mod. 1944 and VG-45 for the 7.62 mm SKS carbine. 40-mm cumulative (VPG-1) and fragmentation (VOG-1) grenades were used to fire grenade launchers. These grenade launchers were also attached to the muzzle of the carbines, and special blank cartridges were used to fire the grenade. Due to the low efficiency, and primarily the low power of grenades, these grenade launcher systems are not widely used.
Before World War II, rifle grenades were also created in the USSR. In 1941, a rifle entered service. anti-tank grenade Serdyukov VPGS-41 ramrod type systems. However, due to the unreliability and unsafety of the grenade, as well as the low accuracy of fire, it was already withdrawn from service in 1942.
Assessing the listed developments, it should be noted that one of the main problems not solved at that time was the creation of a reliable and effective grenade in a small caliber, determined by the weight and size requirements for portable weapons.
The first experiments to create a new combined multi-purpose weapon without the disadvantages of muzzle grenade launchers and rifle grenades began in the USSR in the early 1960s. Similar work was carried out at this time in the USA.
Central employee design bureau sports- hunting weapons(TsKIB SOO, Tula) K.V. Demidov proposed a new two-stage ballistic design for an under-barrel grenade launcher. The essence of the proposal was that in the bottom of the grenade there was a shank with a propellant charge of smaller diameter than the grenade itself. The shank, like a piston, was inserted into the chamber high pressure grenade launcher The pressure in this chamber was several times higher than the pressure in the caliber part of the barrel, which made it possible to increase the loading density, ensure early combustion of the propellant charge and stable shot characteristics.
Work on the creation of the first domestic under-barrel grenade launcher was started on an initiative basis at TsKIB SOO in 1965 by K.V. Demidov together with V.V. Rebrikov. The manufactured prototypes were demonstrated to representatives of the USSR Ministry of Defense, and in April 1967, the Iskra research and development work began to develop a “Firing device and shot with a fragmentation-cumulative grenade for the AKM assault rifle.” Also, TsKIB SOO carried out preliminary design studies of a 40-mm cumulative fragmentation round.

However, the required characteristics in terms of grenade power and shooting accuracy were not achieved, and work on the Iskra design and development project was stopped. The reasons for the failure were incorrectly specified requirements for the grenade launcher system and the not entirely successful design of the grenade itself.
However, the positive experience of using this type of weapon by the US Army in Vietnam forced the resumption of work. The Ministry of Defense assigned the designers the task of creating a weapon superior in a number of indicators to the American M203 under-barrel grenade launcher.
As a result, in 1971, development work “Koster” was started to create an under-barrel complex with fragmentation grenade. The lead developer of the complex and the under-barrel grenade launcher was identified as TsKIB SOO, the lead developer of the shots was NPO Pribor, the developer of fuses for grenades was the Scientific Research Technological Institute, the developer of propellant and expelling charges was Kazan NIIHP.
The transfer of the development of ammunition for a new grenade launcher complex to a specialized enterprise ultimately determined the success of the promising development.
As a result of the implementation of the development work "Koster" was created and put into service in 1978 Soviet army a grenade launcher system consisting of a 40-mm GP-25 grenade launcher (leading designer V.N. Telesh) and rounds for it with a VOG-25 fragmentation grenade and a VOG-25P fragmentation “bouncing” grenade. The grenade launcher is mounted under the barrel of the AKM, AKMS, AK74 and AKS74 assault rifles.
The grenade launcher has rifled barrel. The self-cocking trigger mechanism of the grenade launcher ensures high combat readiness of the complex and safety of carrying when loaded. Flag-type safety locks the trigger when turned on. For ease of handling the grenade launcher, a pistol-type handle is attached to the body of the trigger mechanism. The grenade launcher is loaded from the muzzle, and unloaded by pressing the extractor. The grenade is held in the barrel by a spring-loaded retainer, which at the same time serves as a safety device when the grenade is not fully loaded into the barrel.
The muzzle loading of the grenade launcher, as well as the absence of a cartridge case, allows for up to 6 targeted shots in a minute. Sighting device open type located on the left side of the grenade launcher and provides direct and semi-direct fire (along an overhead trajectory). When shooting along a mounted trajectory at unobserved targets (in trenches, ravines or on reverse slopes), the required elevation angle of the weapon is given according to the plumb line of the sight. The derivation of the grenade is taken into account in the sight automatically when installing the sight.
A rubber butt pad is installed on the butt of the machine gun to weaken the impact of the grenade launcher’s recoil on the shooter’s shoulder, as well as to reduce the forces perceived by the butt when shooting against hard ground.
Unlike the American prototype, when developing the Soviet grenade launcher system, the designers, not being associated with the old ammunition, decided to create a shot of a fundamentally new design based on the proposals of K.V. Demidov.
The two-chamber ballistic engine, which forms the shank of the grenade and the breech of the grenade launcher, provided, with an almost equal initial shot speed with the American counterpart, reduced recoil and the possibility of increasing the mass of the fragmentation grenade. In addition, placing the propellant charge in the shank of the grenade eliminated such an operation as extraction spent cartridge case. After the next shot, the shooter must only take out the next grenade from the bag, insert it into the muzzle of the grenade launcher and push it all the way into the barrel.

The production of the grenade launcher was mastered by the Tula Arms Plant. Infantrymen armed with rifle-grenade launcher systems were able to engage manpower and fire weapons not only openly located, but also located in open field shelters and behind various obstacles. The subsequent creation, in addition to fragmentation grenades, of other types of grenades for various purposes and destructive effects significantly expanded the infantry’s capabilities to defeat the enemy.
The VOG-25 40mm fragmentation grenade round has a grenade with protrusions on the driving belt. This made it possible to stabilize the flight of the grenade by rotation, without creating excessive pressure in the barrel bore, and to make the grenade launcher relatively light. Head impact fuse with long-range cocking (10–40 m from the muzzle) and self-destruction. It ensures safe handling of the grenade during transportation and its immediate detonation when it hits an obstacle. The radius of continuous destruction by fragments resulting from the organized crushing of the hull is 6 m.
In addition to the VOG-25 shot, in order to increase the effectiveness of defeating manpower in open structures and terrain hidden behind shelters, a shot with a “bouncing” grenade, the VOG-25P, was developed and adopted for service. When it hits the ground and the fuse is triggered, a special charge is detonated. He throws the grenade to a height of 0.5–1.5 m, where the main charge is detonated. When a grenade explodes in the air, the density of the fragmentation field and the probability of hitting the target increases significantly.
In the early 2000s, NPO Pribor developed modernized VOG-25M and VOG-25PM rounds to replace the VOG-25 and VOG-25P rounds. They have a new unified body with organized crushing during detonation. The number of fragments and their energy provide a 1.5 times greater probability of hitting living targets than that of VOG-25 grenades. The VOG-25PM grenade, like the VOG-25P grenade, has a special charge that ensures that the grenade is thrown above the ground before detonation.

The fuse mechanism of the new grenades ensures that they are cocked 10–40 m from the muzzle of the grenade launcher and are reliably detonated when encountering various obstacles, including snow and water. If the fuse fails to fire within 14–19 s, the grenade self-destructs. The fuse ensures safe handling of a grenade loaded into a grenade launcher.
To increase the tactical independence of small infantry units and to perform special tasks by various law enforcement agencies, which are armed with under-barrel grenade launchers, in the first decade of the 2000s at the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "FNPTs" Pribor" and at the Research Institute applied chemistry(NIIPH, Sergiev Posad) a range of various ammunition was created special purpose– shots with high-explosive, thermobaric, incendiary, light-sound, lighting and signal grenades.
VFG-25 rounds with a high-explosive and VG-40TB with a thermobaric warhead ensure the defeat of an enemy located in open areas, in field-type shelters, in various rooms, in fortifications and behind natural obstacles. In addition, they can reliably destroy unarmored vehicles. The peculiarity of the action of these grenades is that they have a multifactorial attack: high-explosive, fragmentation and incendiary. This ensures their high efficiency in destroying enemy personnel and unarmored targets.
To create smoke screens in open areas, in front of natural and artificial shelters, as well as to create fires on the ground, indoors and in unarmored vehicles containing combustible and flammable materials, 40-mm VZG-25 incendiary rounds, VG-40DZ, were developed with smoke incendiary grenades and
GD-40 smoke-generating action. One VZG-25 grenade can provide at least 3 fires, with a combustion temperature of up to 2,000°C. The VG-40DZ grenade provides a continuous smoke screen up to 5 m long and up to 2.5 m high. In addition, up to 10 fires can be created by firing one grenade. The firing range of these grenades ranges from 50 to 400 meters.
To instantly create a smoke screen in case of need to hide the maneuver of friendly units, a GDM-40 shot with an instant smoke grenade was created. This grenade provides within 1...2 seconds after the shot the formation at a distance of 40...50 m of a continuous aerosol-smoke cloud measuring up to 10 m in length and up to 3 m in height. The lifetime of the cloud is 20...30 s, which is quite enough to maneuver and escape from enemy fire.
Temporary neutralization of the enemy is ensured by the explosion of light-sound grenades VG-40SZ and GZS-40. A living target is hit with a bright, blinding flash and high level sound. At a distance of 10 m from the grenade explosion site, the sound level is at least 135 dB. The simultaneous influence of these two factors ensures a temporary loss of orientation and suppression of a person’s psycho-volitional stability.
To provide light and sound signals and illuminate the area when firing from under-barrel grenade launchers, combined shots with a signal cartridge, a special signal cartridge, non-parachute illumination and parachute cartridges were developed.
The combined signal cartridge for an underbarrel grenade launcher is designed for simultaneous delivery of color fire and reflected radar signals. After firing from such a cartridge, a bright red star lights up at an altitude of 300 m, the burning time of which is at least 6 seconds. In addition, when the cartridge is triggered, a cloud of radio-reflecting dipoles with an area of ​​at least 10–12 m2 is formed. This cloud ensures reception of the reflected radio signal at a distance of at least 10–12 km. The burning of a star can be seen with the naked eye in daytime at a distance of up to 3 km, and at night - almost 10 km.

GP-25 "Koster" is a Soviet single-shot under-barrel grenade launcher, developed in the late 70s by gunsmiths of the Tula Design Bureau and specialists of the Moscow State Research and Production Enterprise "Pribor". This weapon is designed to defeat enemy personnel, both in the open and hidden in trenches, trenches or behind folds of terrain. The GP-25 underbarrel grenade launcher is designed for installation on different kinds Kalashnikov assault rifles of 7.62 mm and 5.45 mm caliber. GP-25 "Koster" is a rifled muzzle-loading weapon.

The baptism of fire for this grenade launcher was Afghan war, during which the GP-25 proved to be a reliable and effective weapon. After this there were numerous conflicts in the post-Soviet space, including two Chechen campaigns. Currently, the GP-25 under-barrel grenade launcher is actively used by all parties to the civil conflict in Syria.

The GP-25 was put into service in 1978, and its mass production began at the same time. This weapon is still in use today. Russian army In addition, the GP-25 is used by the Ukrainian and Bulgarian armed forces. The production of the grenade launcher continues to this day.

At the end of the 80s, a more advanced version of the grenade launcher, the GP-30, was developed, with less weight and a simpler design.

History of creation

The well-known rocket-propelled grenade launchers began to be actively used during the Second World War. Very quickly they established themselves as simple and effective anti-tank weapons. However, it was poorly suited for fighting enemy infantry.

The predecessors of modern underbarrel grenade launchers can be considered the so-called rifle grenades, which appeared on the eve of the First World War. Although, the idea of ​​using a regular firearms The infantryman for throwing hand grenades is much older: back in the 18th century, special funnels were invented that were put on the barrel of muskets. With their help, various explosive objects were thrown into the midst of enemy troops. More often similar weapons used in the defense of fortresses by their garrisons.

During the First World War, the hand grenade became one of the main means of destroying enemy personnel both offensively and defensively. During positional battles, the trenches of the opposing sides were often within throwing distance hand grenade. Therefore, the soldiers began to invent various ways, how to throw a grenade further and more accurately. Initially, various slings and catapults were used. However, very soon they were replaced by rifle grenades.

Another reason for the appearance of this weapon was the “dead” zone between the maximum range of hand grenades (about 50 meters) and the minimum range of mortar fire (from 150 meters). The infantry had absolutely nothing to suppress enemy firing points in this range except small arms fire, which could not always cope with the task.

The idea was very simple: a special grenade was inserted into the barrel of the most ordinary serial rifle, and with the help of a blank shot it was sent towards the enemy. The energy of the shot was quite enough to throw the ammunition several tens of meters. Rifle grenades had several basic types of designs; they were equipped with impact or remote fuses. To fire rifle grenades, various attachments were installed on the barrel of the weapon, as well as special sighting devices.

Designers are working on improving rifle grenades different countries actively worked during the period between the two world wars. This type of weapon was also used in the Second world war, but with its end he began to gradually leave the stage. The main disadvantage of rifle grenades was the inability to use small arms in normal mode before shooting the grenade.

After the end of the war, light grenade launchers began to be developed for infantry weapons, which very quickly became very serious assault weapons. The pioneers in this area were the Germans; they mastered the production of special grenades for signal pistols. In the 60s, Americans created hand grenade launcher M79, the design of which resembled a conventional hunting rifle. Its barrel was broken, and a grenade was inserted into it. The M79 had a wooden stock and special sights. This grenade launcher is still in service with the US Army today. The Americans used it very actively in Vietnam.

However, although such weapons had significant firepower, they had a number of serious drawbacks, the main one of which was the need for additional small arms. The M79 weighed 2.7 kg and had fairly substantial dimensions, so it was inconvenient for a fighter to carry (let alone use) it together with an automatic rifle or submachine gun. The solution to this problem was in the air: in the late 60s, the US Army signed a contract to create an under-barrel grenade launcher for the M-16 rifle. Already in 1970, an experimental batch of grenade launchers went into the Vietnamese jungle.

The Soviet military very quickly learned about the existence of a new American weapons and wanted to get its analogue into service. It cannot be said that until this moment in the USSR no one had been developing such grenade launchers (the Iskra project, for example), but they did not arouse much interest. The development of an under-barrel grenade launcher was entrusted to several design bureaus at once, but all prototypes did not have the required technical and operational characteristics.

Among the developers of new weapons was the Tula Design Bureau, which had extensive experience in creating hunting and military weapons. The designer-gunsmith V.N. Telesha was entrusted with the grenade launcher; he carried out the work together with specialists from the Moscow State Research and Production Enterprise “Pribor”. The result of this cooperation was the GP-25 Koster underbarrel grenade launcher, which was put into service in 1978. However mass production These weapons were only deployed in 1980, after the outbreak of the war in Afghanistan. And in real combat conditions, this grenade launcher showed the highest reliability and efficiency.

The grenade launcher could be installed on Kalashnikov assault rifles of any caliber. The design of the GP-25 was extremely simple, with a minimum of moving parts, so there was practically nothing to break in it. The fighter just had to insert the grenade into the barrel, take aim and fire. At the same time, shooting could be carried out both direct fire and along an overhead trajectory, hitting opponents hidden behind natural barriers. This was especially important during combat operations in mountainous conditions.

During a battle, a soldier could almost instantly switch from a machine gun to a grenade launcher. No special training was required to use the GP-25; this weapon could as soon as possible master any fighter. The grenade launcher could be used both as a means of fire support and for various assault operations.

Possessing a relatively small weight (about 1.5 kg) and dimensions (330 mm), the grenade launcher has an excellent effective firing range and an excellent rate of fire. There is no need to remove used cartridges from the GP-25 or manipulate the bolt, which significantly increases its practical rate of fire and compares favorably with foreign analogues. A fighter can fire up to five shots per minute. Muzzle loading and the absence of a cartridge case are clear advantages of the Soviet grenade launcher.

But that's not all. In the memoirs of Afghan soldiers it is difficult to find at least one mention of the failure of the grenade launcher. The fighter's standard ammunition consisted of ten grenades placed in two cloth bags, five in each. They were located on the sides of the body, which was very convenient and made it possible to get grenades in almost any position. It was possible to take additional ammunition, in this case the number of rounds for the GP-25 increased to 20. The VOG-25 and VOG-25P rounds made it possible to confidently hit enemy infantry at a distance of up to 400 meters.

In 1989, on the basis of the GP-25, an improved modification of this weapon was developed - the GP-30 Obuvka. When creating it, the experience of using under-barrel grenade launchers in the Afghan campaign was fully taken into account. GP-30 received new sight, which did not require range switching, the weight of the grenade launcher decreased by 200 grams, and the rate of fire increased to 10-12 rounds per minute. It should be noted that externally the GP-25 and GP-30 differ very slightly.

When using an under-barrel grenade launcher, a fighter should take into account some nuances. With a grenade launcher, the machine gun becomes significantly heavier. For example, the weight of the AK-74 increases to 5.1 kg. In addition, the center of gravity of the weapon shifts forward. However, this only benefits the Kalash: the weighted front part of the weapon does not allow the machine gun to “goat” so much after firing, which increases the accuracy of fire. But in any case, shooting with an under-barrel grenade launcher has its differences and it takes some practice to get used to them.

Description of design

The GP-25 is a single-shot rifled grenade launcher, loaded from the muzzle. The weapon consists of three parts: the breech, the barrel with mount and sight, and the trigger mechanism. To carry a grenade launcher, it is usually disassembled into two parts: a barrel with a sight and mount, and a breech with a trigger mechanism. The grenade launcher kit also includes a special rubber butt pad for the butt and tools for cleaning and maintaining the weapon.

The length of the GP-25 barrel is five grenade launcher calibers (205 mm), it has 12 right-hand rifling, a special spring-loaded retainer holds the grenade in the barrel bore.

The trigger mechanism of the GP-25 is hammer type, self-cocking. The grenade launcher's trigger moves in a straight line; with the help of a hook, it pulls the trigger back and compresses the mainspring. Then the trigger breaks off the hook and sends the firing pin forward, which breaks the grenade primer. The GP-25 has a safety lever with two positions, as well as a special mechanism that blocks the striking mechanism if the grenade launcher is not installed correctly on the machine gun. The latch in the barrel is also connected to impact mechanism and if the grenade is not fully delivered, then it is impossible to fire - the firing pin is blocked.

For convenience, the GP-25 shooter is equipped with a plastic hollow handle.

The sighting devices of the grenade launcher allow direct and semi-direct fire. The maximum range for both mounted and surface shooting is 400 meters.

The grenade launcher can be unloaded using a special extractor.

The standard shot for the GP-25 is the VOG-25, which is manufactured using a caseless design. This means that both the primer and the propellant charge are located inside its body (in the bottom part). This design made it possible to significantly simplify the design of the ammunition, as well as increase the rate of fire of the weapon several times.

The grenade has a steel body, under which there is a cardboard mesh, which facilitates the rational formation of fragments during detonation.

On the outer surface of the body there are ready-made rifling, which gives the ammunition a rotational movement. It is with its help that the grenade is stabilized in flight.

The grenade is equipped with a contact-action head fuse with long-range cocking and a self-destructor. The ammunition is cocked at a distance of 10-40 meters from the muzzle. The self-destructor operates 12-14 seconds after the shot.

In addition to the VOG-25 ammunition, the GP-25 can use VOG-25P jumping grenades and the Gvozd grenade with tear gas. VOG-25P has a special charge that is triggered after a grenade collides with an obstacle and throws it 0.5-1 meter. And only then the fuse goes off.

The VOG-25 has an effective destruction radius of five meters.

Characteristics

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In the 1960s of the twentieth century, development of options for an under-barrel grenade launcher began - after reports of the use of the American 40-mm XM148 in Vietnam.

Several samples of SGC for AK were created:

In 1971, an order was issued to develop a 40-mm under-barrel grenade launcher for the Koster design and development project. At the Central Design and Research Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons (TsKIB SOO, Tula), this work was headed by designer V.N. Telesh, who already had experience in creating the SGC. The work was carried out jointly with the Pribor State Scientific and Production Enterprise (Moscow). The result was the adoption in 1978 of the single-shot GP-25 Koster grenade launcher, intended for use in conjunction with AKM, AKMS, AK-74 and AKS-74 assault rifles. However, mass deliveries of grenade launchers to the troops began only in 1980 - this was required by the experience of the first months of fighting in Afghanistan. The production of the grenade launcher was established by the Tula Arms Plant.

The 40-mm underbarrel grenade launcher GP-25 is an individual weapon and is designed to destroy open manpower, as well as manpower located in open trenches, trenches and on reverse slopes of terrain.

The grenade launcher is used in combination with 7.62 mm and 5.45 mm Kalashnikov assault rifles (AKM, AKMS, AK74 and AKS74). With an attached under-barrel grenade launcher, the machine gunner, depending on the task at hand, can fire both from a grenade launcher and from a machine gun.

For firing from an under-barrel grenade launcher, VOG-25 (7P17), VOG-25P (7P24 "Foundling"), VOG-25M, VOG-25PM rounds with a fragmentation grenade equipped with an instantaneous head fuse with a self-liquidator are used.

The grenade launcher consists of 3 main parts:

barrel with sighting devices and a bracket for mounting a grenade launcher on a machine gun
breech
trigger mechanism housing with handle

The grenade launcher kit consists of:

Grenade launcher GP-25
Rubber butt pad with strap
Recoil Spring Guide Rod with Latch
Grenade launcher bag(GRAU index 6Ш47)
Shot bag(GRAU index 6Ш48)
Bannik

The barrel has a length of 205 mm (about 5 calibers of a grenade launcher), 12 screw riflings of right rotation are made in its bore. The shot inserted into the barrel is held in it by a spring-loaded latch. If necessary, the shot can be removed from the barrel using an extractor - a special rod with a finger button. By pressing the extractor on the latch, the grenade is released and removed from the barrel.

A bracket with a fence is used to mount a grenade launcher on a weapon - it is installed on the forend of the machine gun, and its latch fixes the position of the GP-25 under the barrel. At the front, the bracket has a spring shock absorber.

The trigger mechanism is self-cocking, hammer type. When you press the straight-moving trigger, it uses its hook to pull the trigger back, compressing the mainspring. When the trigger is pulled further back, the trigger breaks off the hook. Turning, he sends forward a firing pin hinged to him, breaking the capsule of the shot. On the left side of the case there is a fuse box with two positions - “PR” (safety) and “OG” (fire). In the "PR" position, the safety locks the trigger. There is also a kind of automatic safety: a special system of levers blocks the trigger if the GP-25 is incorrectly connected to the machine gun.

The GRAU index of the GP-25 grenade launcher is 6G15. The GP-25 grenade launcher project was called "Bonfire".

Specifications

For ease of shooting, a plastic hollow pistol grip with a hole for thumb. A right-handed shooter “works” with the handle and trigger with his left hand. Sights are designed for direct or semi-direct fire. They are installed on the left wall of the bracket, and there is also a distance scale in the form of an arc with divisions. For direct fire, a folding rear sight and a movable front sight are used. When setting the sight at a distance, a special cam slightly shifts the front sight body to the side: thus, a correction is introduced for the derivation of the grenade. Semi-direct aiming is carried out: in direction - using the rear sight and front sight, in range - using a remote scale and a plumb line suspended on the axis of the sight (the "quadrant" method). Semi-direct aiming is carried out during mounted shooting. The maximum sighting range of both flat and mounted firing is 400 m, the minimum range of mounted firing is 150-200 m. The accuracy of fire can be judged by the following figures: at a distance of 400 m, the median deviations of grenade impact points are: by range - 6.6 m, along the front - 3 m. For comparison: firing from a 30-mm automatic grenade launcher AGS-17 "Plamya" at the same range gives median deviations: 4.3 m along the range and 0.2 m along the front. It should be taken into account that with a steep trajectory big influence The flight of the grenade and the results of the shooting are affected by the side wind. Corrections for crosswinds can be made by shifting the front sight.

Special measures taken to mitigate the recoil effect of a grenade launcher on the shooter and on the machine gun. A rubber butt pad is attached to the butt of the machine gun; Moreover, the design of the butt plate allows it to be mounted both on the wooden or plastic butt of the AKM and AK-74, and on the folding butts of the AKMS and AKS-74. The housing frame of the GP-25 trigger mechanism protects the machine's fore-end from damage, and the elastic frame insert softens the impact on the receiver when fired from a grenade launcher. When testing the GP-25, the troops revealed another unpleasant recoil effect - when fired from a grenade launcher, the cover came off receiver machine, held, as is known, by the head of the return spring rod. It was necessary to introduce a special rod with a hook into the grenade launcher accessory, which replaces the usual one when installing the GP-25. For the new AK74M assault rifle, such a rod has become standard.

Ammunition of 10 shots is carried by the shooter in a “bag”, which is two fabric cassettes with sockets for shots, 5 in each. Cassettes are located on belts on both sides of the shooter's body, so shots are available no matter what position the shooter is in. Unloading vests can also have special pockets for GP-25 rounds. Fire from the GP-25 is carried out from a standing, kneeling or sitting position. Direct fire, along a flat trajectory, is usually carried out: at a distance of up to 200 m - with the butt resting on the shoulder, 200-400 m - "from under the hand", i.e. with the butt tucked under his arm. Shooting along a steep trajectory - with the butt resting on the ground, side or roof of the infantry fighting vehicle (armored personnel carrier). IN motorized rifle squad The GP-25 is armed with two shooters, so the grenade launchers make the smallest units more independent, serve as a means of support and as an “assault weapon” in close combat, which plays the greatest role in modern tactics.

The low initial speed of the grenade facilitates firing at large angles - the trajectory does not rise too high, flight time is reduced and the grenade is less blown away by the wind. But with a headwind, blowing away a grenade becomes dangerous for the grenade launcher. The grenade launcher not only increases total weight weapons (an AKM or AK-74 assault rifle with a GP-25 weighs 5.1 kg), but also shifts the center of gravity forward and down. Accordingly, the average point of impact also shifts downwards - the weapon begins to “lower”, especially when shooting without a rest. The grenade launcher should get used to shooting from his machine gun. However, having adjusted, he may find that burst fire has become much more crowded - a natural result of the weighting of the weapon and the indicated shift in the center of gravity.

GP-25 also entered service internal troops Ministry of Internal Affairs. This caused changes in the grenade launcher's ammunition load. In particular, a “Nail” shot with a gas grenade loaded with an irritating toxic substance CS has been developed for the GP-25. Grenade weight - 170 g, maximum range shooting distance - 250 m, and the minimum permissible - 50 m, gas release time - up to 15 s, volume of the formed cloud - 500 cubic meters. At the Research Institute of Special Equipment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they decided to adapt the “Koster” for shooting ammunition with gas grenades, plastic and rubber bullets from the 23-mm special carbine KS-23: this is how the insert (or replaceable) 23-mm rifled barrel “Larry” appeared.

Poster dedicated to GP-25:

General structure of GP-25:

Grenade Launcher Bags:


Operation of the trigger mechanism and locking device GP-25:

Sectional diagram of GP-25:

Using a plumb line when aiming for mounted shooting from the GP-25:

Setting up for firing from the GP-25 with the emphasis on the ground:

Photo of GP-25 produced in the Republic of Bulgaria:

GP-25 underbarrel grenade launcher / Photo: EastArms.ru

In accordance with the existing classification, an under-barrel grenade launcher is a type of rifle grenade launcher located under the barrel of the main weapon.

GP-25 underbarrel grenade launcher / Photo: vpk-news.ru

Rifle grenade launchers, as a means of increasing the tactical independence and firepower of small infantry units, were created during the First World War. The first rifle grenade launchers were attached to the muzzle of the barrel and were called muzzle grenade launchers. Special blank cartridges were used to fire the grenade.

In the USSR in 1928, the Dyakonov grenade launcher was adopted, which was attached to the muzzle of a 7.62 mm rifle mod. 1891/30. However, the inconvenience of its use, the low effectiveness of a remote-action fragmentation grenade, as well as the need to remove the grenade launcher before firing a live cartridge from a rifle, limited its use in combat.

In 1944-45 In the USSR, VG-44 grenade launchers for the 7.62 mm carbine mod. 1944 and VG-45 for the 7.62 mm SKS carbine. 40-mm cumulative (VPG-1) and fragmentation (VOG-1) grenades were used to fire grenade launchers. These grenade launchers were also attached to the muzzle of the carbines, and special blank cartridges were used to fire the grenade. Due to the low efficiency, and primarily the low power of grenades, these grenade launcher systems are not widely used.

Before World War II, rifle grenades were also created in the USSR. In 1941, the Serdyukov VPGS-41 ramrod-type anti-tank rifle grenade of the Serdyukov system entered service. However, due to the unreliability and unsafety of the grenade, as well as the low accuracy of fire, it was already withdrawn from service in 1942.

Assessing the listed developments, it should be noted that one of the main problems not solved at that time was the creation of a reliable and effective grenade in a small caliber, determined by the weight and size requirements for portable weapons.

The first experiments to create a new combined multi-purpose weapon without the disadvantages of muzzle grenade launchers and rifle grenades began in the USSR in the early 1960s. Similar work was carried out at this time in the USA.

An employee of the Central Design Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons (TsKIB SOO, Tula) K.V. Demidov proposed a new two-stage ballistic design for an under-barrel grenade launcher. The essence of the proposal was that in the bottom of the grenade there was a shank with a propellant charge of smaller diameter than the grenade itself. The shank, like a piston, was inserted into the high-pressure chamber of the grenade launcher. The pressure in this chamber was several times higher than the pressure in the caliber part of the barrel, which made it possible to increase the loading density, ensure early combustion of the propellant charge and stable shot characteristics.

Work on the creation of the first domestic under-barrel grenade launcher was started on an initiative basis at TsKIB SOO in 1965 by K.V. Demidov together with V.V. Rebrikov. The manufactured prototypes were demonstrated to representatives of the USSR Ministry of Defense, and in April 1967, the Iskra research and development work began to develop a “Firing device and shot with a fragmentation-cumulative grenade for the AKM assault rifle.” Also, TsKIB SOO carried out preliminary design studies of a 40-mm cumulative fragmentation round.

However, the required characteristics in terms of grenade power and shooting accuracy were not achieved, and work on the Iskra design and development project was stopped. The reasons for the failure were incorrectly specified requirements for the grenade launcher system and the not entirely successful design of the grenade itself.

However, the positive experience of using this type of weapon by the US Army in Vietnam forced the resumption of work. The Ministry of Defense assigned the designers the task of creating a weapon superior in a number of indicators to the American M203 under-barrel grenade launcher.

As a result, in 1971, development work “Koster” was started to create an under-barrel complex with a fragmentation grenade. The lead developer of the complex and the under-barrel grenade launcher was identified as TsKIB SOO, the lead developer of shots was NPO Pribor, the developer of fuses for grenades was the Scientific Research Technological Institute, the developer of propellant and expelling charges was Kazan NIIHP.

The transfer of the development of ammunition for a new grenade launcher complex to a specialized enterprise ultimately determined the success of the promising development.

As a result of the implementation of the Koster R&D project, a grenade launcher system was created and adopted by the Soviet Army in 1978, consisting of a 40-mm GP-25 grenade launcher (leading designer V.N. Telesh) and rounds for it with a VOG-25 fragmentation grenade and with a VOG-25P fragmentation “bouncing” grenade. The grenade launcher is mounted under the barrel of the AKM, AKMS, AK74 and AKS74 assault rifles.

The grenade launcher has a rifled barrel. The self-cocking trigger mechanism of the grenade launcher ensures high combat readiness of the complex and safety of carrying when loaded. Flag-type safety locks the trigger when turned on. For ease of handling the grenade launcher, a pistol-type handle is attached to the body of the trigger mechanism. The grenade launcher is loaded from the muzzle, and unloaded by pressing the extractor. The grenade is held in the barrel by a spring-loaded retainer, which at the same time serves as a safety device when the grenade is not fully loaded into the barrel.

The muzzle loading of the grenade launcher, as well as the absence of a cartridge case, allows for up to 6 aimed shots per minute. An open-type sighting device is located on the left side of the grenade launcher and provides direct and semi-direct fire (along a hinged trajectory). When shooting along a mounted trajectory at unobserved targets (in trenches, ravines or on reverse slopes), the required elevation angle of the weapon is given according to the plumb line of the sight. The derivation of the grenade is taken into account in the sight automatically when installing the sight.

A rubber butt pad is installed on the butt of the machine gun to weaken the impact of the grenade launcher’s recoil on the shooter’s shoulder, as well as to reduce the forces perceived by the butt when shooting against hard ground.

Unlike the American prototype, when developing the Soviet grenade launcher system, the designers, not being associated with the old ammunition, decided to create a shot of a fundamentally new design based on the proposals of K.V. Demidov.

The two-chamber ballistic engine, which forms the shank of the grenade and the breech of the grenade launcher, provided, with an almost equal initial shot speed with the American counterpart, reduced recoil and the possibility of increasing the mass of the fragmentation grenade. In addition, placing the propellant charge in the shank of the grenade eliminated such an operation as extracting the spent cartridge case. After the next shot, the shooter must only take out the next grenade from the bag, insert it into the muzzle of the grenade launcher and push it all the way into the barrel.

The production of the grenade launcher was mastered by the Tula Arms Plant. Infantrymen armed with rifle-grenade launcher systems were able to engage manpower and fire weapons not only openly located, but also located in open field shelters and behind various obstacles. The subsequent creation, in addition to fragmentation grenades, of other types of grenades for various purposes and destructive effects significantly expanded the infantry’s capabilities to defeat the enemy.

The VOG-25 40mm fragmentation grenade round has a grenade with protrusions on the driving belt. This made it possible to stabilize the flight of the grenade by rotation, without creating excessive pressure in the barrel bore, and to make the grenade launcher relatively light. Head impact fuse with long-range cocking (10–40 m from the muzzle) and self-destruction. It ensures safe handling of the grenade during transportation and its immediate detonation when it hits an obstacle. The radius of continuous destruction by fragments resulting from the organized crushing of the hull is 6 m.

In addition to the VOG-25 shot, in order to increase the effectiveness of defeating manpower in open structures and terrain hidden behind shelters, a shot with a “bouncing” grenade, the VOG-25P, was developed and adopted for service. When it hits the ground and the fuse is triggered, a special charge is detonated. He throws the grenade to a height of 0.5–1.5 m, where the main charge is detonated. When a grenade explodes in the air, the density of the fragmentation field and the probability of hitting the target increases significantly.

In the early 2000s, NPO Pribor developed modernized VOG-25M and VOG-25PM rounds to replace the VOG-25 and VOG-25P rounds. They have a new unified body with organized crushing during detonation. The number of fragments and their energy provide a 1.5 times greater probability of hitting living targets than that of VOG-25 grenades. The VOG-25PM grenade, like the VOG-25P grenade, has a special charge that ensures that the grenade is thrown above the ground before detonation.

Ammunition of the GP-25 underbarrel grenade launcher / Photo: vpk-news.ru

The fuse mechanism of the new grenades ensures that they are cocked 10–40 m from the muzzle of the grenade launcher and are reliably detonated when encountering various obstacles, including snow and water. If the fuse fails to fire within 14–19 s, the grenade self-destructs. The fuse ensures safe handling of a grenade loaded into a grenade launcher.

To increase the tactical independence of small infantry units and to perform special tasks by various law enforcement agencies, which are armed with under-barrel grenade launchers, in the first decade of the 2000s, in the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "FNPTs" Pribor" and in the Scientific Research Institute of Applied Chemistry (NIIPH, Sergiev Posad) a range of ammunition for various special purposes was created - shots with high-explosive, thermobaric, incendiary, light-sound, illumination and signal grenades.

VFG-25 rounds with a high-explosive and VG-40TB with a thermobaric warhead ensure the defeat of an enemy located in open areas, in field-type shelters, in various rooms, in fortifications and behind natural obstacles. In addition, they can reliably destroy unarmored vehicles. The peculiarity of the action of these grenades is that they have a multifactorial attack: high-explosive, fragmentation and incendiary. This ensures their high efficiency in destroying enemy personnel and unarmored targets.

To create smoke screens in open areas, in front of natural and artificial shelters, as well as to create fires on the ground, indoors and in unarmored vehicles containing combustible and flammable materials, 40-mm VZG-25 incendiary rounds, VG-40DZ, were developed with smoke-incendiary grenades and smoke-generating GD-40. One VZG-25 grenade can provide at least 3 fires, with a combustion temperature of up to 2,000°C. The VG-40DZ grenade provides a continuous smoke screen up to 5 m long and up to 2.5 m high. In addition, up to 10 fires can be created by firing one grenade. The firing range of these grenades ranges from 50 to 400 meters.

To instantly create a smoke screen in case of need to hide the maneuver of friendly units, a GDM-40 shot with an instant smoke grenade was created. This grenade provides within 1...2 seconds after the shot the formation at a distance of 40...50 m of a continuous aerosol-smoke cloud measuring up to 10 m in length and up to 3 m in height. The lifetime of the cloud is 20...30 s, which is quite enough to maneuver and escape from enemy fire.

Temporary neutralization of the enemy is ensured by the explosion of light-sound grenades VG-40SZ and GZS-40. A living target is hit with a bright, blinding flash and a high sound level. At a distance of 10 m from the grenade explosion site, the sound level is at least 135 dB. The simultaneous influence of these two factors ensures a temporary loss of orientation and suppression of a person’s psycho-volitional stability.

To provide light and sound signals and illuminate the area when firing from under-barrel grenade launchers, combined shots with a signal cartridge, a special signal cartridge, non-parachute illumination and parachute cartridges were developed.

The combined signal cartridge for an underbarrel grenade launcher is designed for simultaneous delivery of color fire and reflected radar signals. After firing from such a cartridge, a bright red star lights up at an altitude of 300 m, the burning time of which is at least 6 seconds. In addition, when the cartridge is triggered, a cloud of radio-reflecting dipoles with an area of ​​at least 10–12 m2 is formed. This cloud ensures reception of the reflected radio signal at a distance of at least 10–12 km. The burning star can be seen with the naked eye in the daytime at a distance of up to 3 km, and at night - almost 10 km away.

The signal cartridge provides a red or green signal. The sprocket lifting height is up to 200 m, the burning time is at least 10 s. Such a signal is visible during the day at a distance of up to 3 km and at night up to 10 km. To ensure illumination of the area and illumination of targets at night, special parachute and non-parachute lighting cartridges have been developed. Their main difference is the duration of illumination of the area, the range and height of the torch. Both types of lighting sockets provide an area illumination radius of up to 250 m with an illumination level of at least 1 lux. The torch setting range for a non-parachute lighting and parachute lighting cartridge is 200 and 400 m, respectively, and for an extended-range parachute lighting cartridge is 500, 800 and 1200 m. The area illumination time for a parachute-free cartridge is at least 9 s, and for a parachute cartridge - at least 20 s.

For training, VOG-25 rounds with an inert grenade or a practical VUS-25 round are used. The practice shot can also be used for target designation. To do this, it has a smoke charge, which within 10–15 seconds ensures the formation of a cloud of red-orange smoke. Their ballistics are consistent with live grenades.

The GP-25 underbarrel grenade launchers, starting with purely anti-personnel missions, became an indispensable fire weapon for infantry squads. Their main tactical purpose in combined arms combat, with a firing range of up to 400 m, is to cover the zone inaccessible to throwing a hand grenade to the line of safe removal from the explosions of friendly artillery shells. Creation in Lately a whole range of special ammunition for various purposes, significantly expanded their capabilities, made them in demand in special units law enforcement.

Today, GP-30M and GP-34 grenade launchers are being replaced by GP-25 grenade launchers in various security forces. All of the listed types of grenades are used to fire them.

MOSCOW, "All-Russian weekly newspaper of the military-industrial complex", Victor Korablin
12

As a result of the work of the design teams of TsKIB SOO in Tula and State Research and Production Enterprise "Pribor" in Moscow, the 6G15 grenade launcher was developed, successfully tested, and in 1978, based on the results of the PI, the 6G15 grenade launcher was recommended for service with the SA (later assigned the index GP-25, theme "Bonfire") and shot at him with a VOG-25 fragmentation grenade.

The 40-mm grenade launcher GP-25 is an under-barrel grenade launcher, mounted under the barrel of a Kalashnikov assault rifle of all modifications, calibers 5.45 mm and 7.62 mm (except for AK74U), as well as a 5.45 mm Nikonov assault rifle (AN94, theme "Abakan", ind. 6PZZ) and is designed to combat open manpower, as well as manpower located in open trenches, trenches and on reverse slopes.

The grenade launcher includes the following main assembly units:

barrel with bracket;

body with breech;

receiver cover fixation unit;

butt plate with belt.

The grenade launcher uses an open-type mechanical sight, which allows targeted shooting at ranges from 100 m to 400 m. The sight is located to the left of the aiming line of the machine gun, the sight scale (discreteness 50 m) is located below, the sight is fixed at the desired angle using a "type" mechanism ratchets." The sight has a plumb line to give the grenade launcher barrel the required elevation angle when firing at an invisible target (for example, on the reverse slopes of a hill, etc.) and a scale for mounted firing (at barrel elevation angles of more than 45°) at ranges from 200 to 400 meters. In order to ensure mounted firing at a minimum range (100 meters), a crane device was introduced into the design of the grenade launcher. When the valve is open, part of the powder gases from the combustion of the propellant charge is discharged from the barrel into the atmosphere and, thereby, the initial flight speed of the grenade is reduced (from 76 m/s to 55 m/s). However, the results of military tests revealed the inappropriateness of having a crane and, subsequently, in the production of grenade launchers, the crane device was excluded from the design, and the minimum firing range for mounted firing increased to 200 meters.

Depending on the assigned combat mission, the firing range and the characteristics of the firing position, the machine gunner can fire from the following positions:

• lying down;
from the knee from the shoulder, from under the arm, with the butt resting on the ground; sitting under the arm or with the butt resting on the ground; standing from the shoulder or from under the arm.

If necessary, the grenade launcher can be easily discharged using a special extractor.

The standard 40-mm VOG-25 (7P17) shot is unitary in design and is made according to a “caseless” design, i.e. The propellant charge together with the ignition agent is located in the bottom part of the grenade body. This is the first time such a shot pattern has been used in domestic practice. It made it possible to greatly simplify the design of the grenade launcher and, accordingly, increase the reliability of the weapon, coupled with an increase in the combat rate of fire. The shot grenade is a fragmentation grenade with a steel body. Inside the grenade body (between the bursting charge and the body) there is a cardboard mesh for rational crushing of the body into fragments, which helps to increase the fragmentation effect. Here it is simply necessary to note that the VOG-25 round grenade is 1.5 times more effective at the target than the 30-mm OFZ round for the 2A42 cannon, which is equipped with the BMP-2.

On the outside of the grenade body there are ready-made riflings that serve to give the grenade rotational movement(the grenade is stabilized in flight due to rotation) while it moves along the barrel. The grenade fuse (index VMG-K) is a head, impact, instantaneous and inertial action, semi-safety type with pyrotechnic long-range cocking and self-liquidator. The cocking distance is from 10 to 40 meters from the muzzle of the grenade launcher. Such a significant spread is due to the temperature range of use of the weapon (from minus 40°C to 50°C). The response time of the self-destruction mechanism is 14-19 seconds.

In 1978, comparative tests of the GP-25 grenade launcher with the VOG-25 round and the 40-mm M-203 under-barrel grenade launcher mounted on the M16 rifle with the M-406 round were carried out. Tests have shown a significant advantage of the domestic grenade launcher and its shot over a similar system produced in the USA. To install the M-203 grenade launcher on the M16A1 rifle, you need incomplete disassembly the latter, and to load the grenade launcher you need to perform three operations manually (unlike the GP-25, where for this purpose one operation is necessary - to send the grenade into the barrel): - disconnect the grenade launcher barrel from the breech, moving it forward (this removes the cartridge case from previous shot); - insert a new shot into the barrel (shots for the M-203 grenade launcher are made according to the classic “unitary” scheme with a cartridge case that separates after the shot); - connect the barrel to the breech of the grenade launcher. It is quite obvious that performing three operations instead of one to load a weapon leads to a decrease in its rate of fire.

The VOG-25 and M-406 shots were compared by firing at an area where a target environment was located, simulating openly located manpower (lying growth targets). During these tests, it was revealed that the frequency of hitting targets on the tactical field from the explosion of a grenade from a VOG-25 shot is 3-4 times higher than from the explosion of a fragmentation grenade from an M-406 shot.

While the designers from TsKIB SOO were designing the GP-25 grenade launcher, namely in 1974, their colleagues from the Pribor State Research and Production Enterprise were faced with the task of new task. It was necessary to develop a new 40 mm shot for underbarrel grenade launcher with increased fragmentation efficiency against manpower lying down and in unprotected shelters from above (trenches, trenches, stones, etc.), compared to the VOG-25 round grenade, by 1.5-2 times (without reducing the fragmentation efficiency according to growth goals). This, frankly speaking, difficult technical problem was brilliantly solved by the team of designers from the Pribor State Research and Production Enterprise. In 1979, a new 40-mm shot with a fragmentation grenade VOG-25P (“Foundling”, index 7P24) was presented for field testing, and in the same year the new shot was recommended for service with the SA. The main and main difference of the new shot was the head fuse, which received the VMG-P index.

An expelling charge and a pyrotechnic moderator were introduced into the design of the VMG-P fuse, ensuring that the grenade “bounces” after hitting the ground and explodes in the air when firing at all ranges combat use grenade launcher The height of the grenade burst when fired at medium-hard soil was 0.75 m, which made it possible to increase the effectiveness of the fragmentation action in comparison with the VOG-25 shot grenade.