AGS-40 "Balkan". Shooting chair saga

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The domestic grenade launcher AGS-40 "Balkan" (or 6G27 according to the GRAU Index) has been produced in Russia since 2008. It was designed as a descendant weapon based on a domestic development - the Kozlik automatic easel grenade launcher. This type of weapon was created to annihilate enemy forces, infantry concentrations and damage telecommunications lines. It will be discussed in this article.

Design Features

When mentioning the AGS-40 "Balkan", as well as the fact that this weapon is a grenade launcher, an ignorant person immediately comes to mind a weapon that looks like either the well-known RPG-7 or the tubular RPG-26.

Unlike the mentioned models, the automatic grenade launcher AGS-40 "Balkan" has supports in its design, on which it is attached. Due to the peculiarities of firing (almost in bursts), the grenade launcher is constantly twitching. Therefore, between the rear support framesthere is a chair so that the shooter presses the weapon to the ground with his weight while shooting. Projectile caliber - 40 mm.

Automatic grenade launcher AGS-40 "Balkan" and its characteristics

Unlike the AGS-17 "Plamya" automatic grenade launcher currently in service, firing 30-caliber projectiles, this grenade launcher shows much more effective firing results. The rate of fire of the AGS-40 "Balkan" has a very impressive figure - 400 rounds per minute. That is, this gun is capable of firing 400 deadly projectiles per minute, each of which behaves like an exploding grenade.

The grenade launcher store holds belts for 20 7P39 grenades. These are caseless shells, the technology of their use is similar to the shells for VOG-25 grenade launchers. That is, the chamber of the projectile flies out of the barrel along with the grenade itself, which is an integral part of it.

The weight of the weapon on the machine is 32 kg. Barrel length - 400 mm, firing range 2500 meters. This is the AGS-40 "Balkan".

Grenade launcher

Russia has long been famous for the development of weapons. The Balkan complex was developed in the early nineties. The main elements were successfully designed and tested in action, but due to the difficult economic situation in the country, the development was not adopted, the idea of mass production was postponed. Or maybe they just decided to leave such a significant “trump card in the hole” for later. After all, at that time, "Kozlik" fully justified itself.

The mentioned combat"animal" has a 40 mm caliber and 16 kilograms of weight. Due to its low weight, it is easy to carry, but when firing, the complex needs additional weighting. The shooter actually has to press the weapon to the ground with his entire body weight.

When comparing the AGS-40 "Balkan" with it, the weight is immediately evident - 32 kg. There are no questions with weighting, especially since a seat for the shooter is provided to make it more convenient to press the shooting monster to the ground. But with transportation there will be some difficulties. On the other hand, when carrying, the seat plate is attached to the back, and not the corners of the machine legs.

Additional accessories

In addition to the machine on which the grenade launcher itself is attached, it is possible to install additional devices, for example, an optical sight that allows you to adjust the shooting.

Projectile feeding is possible both with the help of a tape and by installing a box magazine.

And it should also be mentioned that domestic designers have improved the principle of caseless firing by increasing the mass of explosive in Balkan shells from 40 grams to 90, according to the statement of Oleg Chizhevsky, director of the Pribor company, which produces Balkan together with Izhmash.

Comparison with AGS-17 "Flame"

Adopted by the USSR army in the early 70s. After the collapse of the Union, he entered service with the republics that were part of it. It was used in many local military conflicts. Particularly in Afghanistan.

Experienced military oftencarried out a "run-in" of recruits by shelling shelters with blank shells, so that the soldiers got used to the combat situation.

The grenade launcher itself has a machine that allows you to adjust the angle of fire and hit the enemy in closed and hard-to-reach positions: on the back of the hill, in trenches, fortified ditches, etc.

In Afghanistan, the practice of welding the AGS-17 to the hulls of tanks and armored personnel carriers is widely used. Thanks to such "grenade launcher nests", it was convenient to expel the Mujahideen from shelters.

The kit included "smart projectiles" equipped with a rangefinder, fuse and liquidator. That is, the calculation did not have to be afraid of a fragment from its own projectile - if one fell less than twenty meters away, there would be no explosion. On the other hand, a grenade that flies more than a kilometer away will automatically explode.

The grenade launcher was handy, it fired quickly in battle, but during transportation, both soldiers from the calculation of this grenade launcher were involved in dragging it from place to place. When shooting, one participant shoots, the other feeds cartridges and holds the tape.

Thanks to the improved design of the AGS-40 Balkan, the tape no longer gets stuck. If necessary, use the box. And one person can easily handle transportation.

Conclusion

In the end, I would like to say that the very idea of creating the first grenade launcher in the world appeared when a person decided to expandcapabilities of a grenadier - a soldier throwing a grenade.

The first automatic grenade launcher made it possible to throw grenades not only farther than a person, but also in bursts. Gradually, there was a struggle with the difficulties in the operation of such a design. Technical thought and scientific progress do not stand still.