Compact and handy: the Germans developed a grenade launcher in the form of a rifle

Alexander Sychev

The new SSW40 platoon 40mm grenade launcher is a further development of the Hydra automatic grenade launcher, introduced in 2012, jointly developed with the American company Milkor USA. Milkor is known for its M32A1 grenade launcher with a revolving grenade delivery system, which has been shown more than once in a number of Hollywood films.

Compared to the American grenade launcher, the German SSW40 has a more convenient horn-type magazine for three, six or ten shots. The fire translator allows you to shoot in semi-automatic or automatic modes. The installed rate of fire of the grenade launcher reaches 300 rounds per minute. In automatic mode, a ten-shot magazine can be shot in a few seconds.

For this grenade launcher, ammunition was created with a low and medium initial flight speed, and for various purposes - high-explosive fragmentation, anti-tank, with tear gas to disperse demonstrations, grenades for knocking out doors, training, lighting, smoke and blinding. The maximum firing range, depending on the initial velocity of the ammunition, is 400 or 800 meters. The latest development of Rheinmetall-Waffen is the Magnum grenade. She flies 900 meters.

The weight of an unloaded weapon is 4.5 kilograms, the total length is about 83 centimeters. On the upper and lower sides of the 30-cm rifled barrel there are universal picattini-type mounts, on which additional equipment can be placed: a laser designator, day or night sight, a fire control and ammunition programming system, a flashlight ... The butt of the grenade launcher is equipped with an adjustable hydraulic system that reduces recoil force when fired.

In the leading armies of the world, there have long been plans to increase the firepower of small units. As a result, underbarrel grenade launchers, the M32A1 revolving grenade launcher, the unsuccessful 25-mm XM25 grenade launcher system, developed for the US Army, appeared; grenade launchers, from which they shoot from the stop. There are many types of these weapons.

One of the problems with such weapons is the convenience of carrying a large number of grenades. For this, special bags and cartridge belts were invented, with which the soldiers girded themselves like revolutionary sailors with machine-gun belts. But it was important to have decent ammunition and quickly reload weapons. A flat carob magazine solves the problem of carrying ammunition.