Sports and Fitness, Equipment

Grenade Launcher GP-25

In the Soviet Union, under-barreled grenade launchers became interested in the sixties after information was received about the successful use of the M16 rifle with the grenade launcher of the XM148 model during the conflict in Vietnam. The military leadership made several orders, and several prototypes were designed by various design bureaus. But they did not have the necessary operational and technical characteristics. Thus, a grenade launcher appeared for a submachine gun - GP-25

Creation of GP-25

In order to create a single model of this type of weapon in 1971, the corresponding task was given by the design bureau of the whole Union. The project was called "OCD" Bonfire "". The Tula design bureau, which developed hunting and fighting weapons, assigned this task to VN Telesha, because he already had a similar experience. He took up work with the engineers of the SSPE Pribor in Moscow. The result of this work was the adoption in 1978 of a grenade launcher GP-25 Koster. It was prescribed to use it together with AKM, AK-74, AKS-74 and AKMS automatic weapons. When the grenade launcher appeared, the GRAU index was 6G15.

However, to supply these weapons to the army began massively only in 1980, when the Soviet Union fought in Afghanistan. As the experience of the first few months of fighting showed, the troops really needed such weapons as an underbarrel grenade launcher.

general characteristics

GP-25 "Koster" is designed to defeat the enemy's manpower, which is in open areas or in shelters (trenches, trenches), and thus can not be struck from conventional small arms.

The weapon to which the grenade launcher can be attached is AK-74, AKM, AKMS and AKS-74U caliber 7.62 or 5.45 mm. How does the whole assembly work? In this case, depending on the current situation in combat, you can fire from both the rifle and the grenade launcher.

Weapon design

GP (grenade launcher) consists of the following parts:

The barrel on which there are sighting devices and a bracket for attaching the grenade launcher to the weapon;
breech;
Shock-trigger mechanism with body and handle;
Actually a grenade launcher on the machine.

The standard equipment of the grenade launcher includes the following items:

The actual grenade launcher;
Carrying bag;
Bag for grenade launcher shots;
Backplate made of rubber and strap;
A banner.

The weapon has a long enough (205 mm) barrel, in which are located 12 screw rifling (right-handed). In order to load a weapon, a grenade is inserted into the trunk, which is held inside by means of a special latch. If necessary, it can be pulled back - for this purpose, a special extractor with a key to which you need to press your finger is invented.

To mount the weapon to the machine there is a bracket with a guard rail. To attach the grenade launcher to the AK it is enough to fix the bracket from the bottom to the forearm, and the latch will fix it in a secure position. Front on the bracket there is a spring shock absorber.

The weapon is equipped with a self-cocking trigger mechanism trigger type. The principle of its operation is quite simple. Pressing the rectilinear trigger pulls the trigger back with a special hook, while also compressing the fighting spring. If the descent is pressed further, the trigger will fall off the hook. At the same time, he acts on the drummer, which breaks the capsule of the grenade-shot.

There is also a fuse located on the right side of the barrel. There are two modes - "PR" (fuse) and "OG" (fire). There is also another protective system: if the grenade launcher is not attached to the automatic machine, the shot will not be fired. In both cases, the trigger is securely locked.

Sights

The grenade launcher's sighting devices allow shooting both direct fire and a half-line. They are mounted on the left side of the bracket, the distance scale is made in the form of an arc. If direct firing is required, the aiming is done through the fly and the fly-back. You can adjust the range. To do this, the cam moves the fly back and forth, so you can adjust for the derivation of the grenade. To carry out firing through the half-line guidance, two factors must be taken into account: the direction and range. Sighting on the first is carried out through the target and fly, and on the second - through the plumb and distance scale (similar to the method of "quadrant"). But the peculiarity of half-directional guidance is that it is necessary only for hanging firing.

The maximum range, at which the under-barrel grenade launcher GP-25 is able to conduct accurate fire, is 400 meters. The range of fire (under the condition of hanging fire) is about 200 meters. However, the accuracy of the shooting is quite high. With a distance of 400 meters, the grenade deviates by no more than 6 meters in range, and on the front this figure is 3 meters. It should be taken into account that the lateral wind has a great influence. To do this, you need to adjust the fly by its offset.

Safety and comfort in shooting

Since the grenade launcher has a much greater impact than the automatic device, there are devices that allow fire to be made with comfort for the shooter. Attached to the butt is a universal rubber backplate, and its features are such that it can be adapted to both wood and plastic buttstocks (like AK-74 or AKM) and to folding butts of AKMS or AKS-74 automatic machines. The shell of the grenade launcher softens its impact on the fore-end, and its liner protects from the impacts of the barrel box.

Field tests have revealed an unpleasant feature - with shots, the receiver cover often flies, which is usually fixed with the help of the return spring head. Therefore, a special rod was developed, in the construction of which a hook was inserted. When installing a grenade launcher, the standard rod is replaced with it. In the design of the AK-74M this feature became standard, that is, all such tools are already produced with a modified core.

Ammunition and shooting

Shooting from the GP-25 grenade launcher is fired by VOG-25 and VOG-25P, as well as their upgraded versions - VOG-25M and VOG-25PM. All of them have a fragmentation grenade, which is equipped with a fuse of instant action, which has a self-liquidator.

Characteristics of the shot VOG-25:

Weight grenades - 250 g;
Weight of explosive - 48 g;
The radius of damage by the fragments is 6 meters.

Standard ammunition is 10 grenades, they are carried in a bag that comes complete with a grenade launcher. It consists of two cassettes made of cloth, each containing 5 munitions. The peculiarity of carrying such a bag is that in whatever position the shooter was, the cassettes are always within reach. In addition, many unloading waistcoats used in the modern army have nests for carrying shots to GP-25.

You can shoot from any position - even standing, even while sitting, even from the knee. Every soldier is taught how to shoot a grenade launcher correctly. Direct firing at distances up to 200 meters is carried out with the rifle of the submachine gun in the shoulder, and for longer distances - "from under the arm", that is, the butt is placed under the arm arrow. If you need to shoot at targets that are covered from direct fire, the machine rests on the ground with the butt.

As the grenade of the grenade launcher has a low initial speed, shooting at corners is quite convenient - the shot is less worn by the wind, the trajectory is not so steep and the flight time is shortened. However, with a headwind, it is dangerous to open a grenade launcher.

Some features

As you might guess, the grenade launcher heaves the machine to which it is attached. Fully equipped AK-74 with GP-25 weighs about 5.1 kg. However, this only serves good. The center of gravity of the weapon is shifted forward and downward, that is, if we attach an underbarrel grenade launcher, the AK-74 begins to "lower". Therefore, the shooter will take some time to get used to the changes in his weapons. However, given the proper level of skills, it is possible to significantly increase the accuracy of shooting the machine, since the weighting does not allow it to "rush" in different directions.

In the units

According to the regulations, the modern motorized rifle department is equipped with two automatic devices with GP-25, in addition to conventional AK. In the conditions of modern tactics and methods of warfare, this makes even the smallest division quite independent, because an automatic machine with a grenade launcher acts as an assault weapon, thereby facilitating the solution of certain tasks in battle for its unit.

Weapon variants and modifications

As the grenade launcher GP-25 got into the arsenal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, the question arose of how to turn it into a weapon that does not cause a fatal outcome. And they decided it quickly enough. The main changes, of course, affected the ammunition. For the grenade launcher, a special cartridge "Nail" was developed, which is equipped not with a standard fragmentation grenade, but with the same, but equipped with a poison gas of the CS type. The characteristics of this shot are as follows:

Weight - 170 g;
The maximum range of a shot is 250 m;
The minimum range of a shot is 50 m;
Time of total gas evolution is 15 sec .;
The volume of the cloud is 500 m ³ .

The original idea originated in the designers of the Research Institute of Internal Affairs. It was decided to adapt GP-25 for firing ammunition from the carbine KS-25 - with gas, rubber or plastic bullets. For this purpose, a special removable barrel with a caliber of 23 mm was developed. This system is called "Larry".

In addition to the standard models, a modified version is also made-GP-30. This is the same grenade launcher GP-25, only lightweight, and the aiming devices in it are carried to the right side. Also there is a modification for export - GP-30U, which is intended for use with foreign automata.