Recoil-less Guns

shubhamsaikia

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A recoilless rifle (RCLR) or recoilless gun is a lightweight weapon that fires a heavier projectile that would be impractical to fire from a recoiling weapon of comparable size. Technically, only devices that use a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles. Smoothbore variants are recoilless guns. This distinction is often lost, and both are often called recoilless rifles. The key difference to rocket launchers (whether man-portable or not) is that the projectile of the recoilless rifle has no propulsion of its own - once out of the rifle, it does not accelerate further, like a missile or rocket would. Normally used for anti-tank roles, the first effective system of this kind was developed during World War II by William Kroeger and Clarence Musser Recoilless rifles are capable of firing artillery-type shells at a range and velocity comparable to that of a normal light cannon, although they are typically used to fire larger shells at lower velocities and ranges. The near complete lack of recoil allows some versions to be shoulder-fired, but the majority are mounted on light tripods and are intended to be easily carried by a soldier. A few, such as the British 120mm L4 MoBAT and L6 Wombat could only practically be transported by jeep or truck, or mounted on an armoured personnel carrier.




 

W.G.Ewald

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There is an apocryphal story of the Chinese firing a captured recoilless rifle (or maybe it was a bazooka) for the first time. The backblast injured a couple of observers, so they switched the weapon end for end for the second shot.

(Then they reversed engineered it :))
 

indian_sukhoi

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Must be the same type recoilless rifle jeep used in Battle of Longewalla

Best thing about recoilless guns, Is that there are light and effective against at short range. Would be very useful for Para troops

 

Kunal Biswas

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Best thing about recoilless guns, Is that there are light and effective against at short range. Would be very useful for Para troops
Excellent in Mountain warfare, These are light compare to regular arty and also effective in Indirect fire..
 

Kunal Biswas

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120mm L6 Wombat

The L6 Wombat, (Weapon Of Magnesium, Battalion, Anti-Tank) was a 120 mm calibre recoilless anti-tank rifle used by the British Army. They were used until anti-tank guided missiles such as Vigilant and MILAN took their place.



 

Kunal Biswas

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Post-WW2 What Right Looks Like, Remembered

The Army of the 1950s also needed lightweight anti-tank and bunker-busting firepower and placed 106mm RRs onto jeeps using exposed mounts, and this technique was also used to mount onto M113 Gavins to devastating effect in Vietnam. Why 106mm RRs couldn't have been fielded on the XM733 class of tracked AFVs to be helicopter air transportable fire support for the Air-Mobile troops in Vietnam also becomes a question. Now the criticism of the 106mm RR is always that "the gunner is exposed" loading and firing it. As if the TOW gunner on top of a Humvee truck is not who has to sit there and track the missile all the way to its target for a potential 20 seconds to a maximum range of 3, 750 meters? But did you know that the U.S. Army in 1954---that's right 1954--had a 3-round autoloader 106mm RR 1-man turret perfected that SOLVES THE GUNNER EXPOSED PROBLEM and then REJECTED IT?

U.S. Army Perfects 106mm RR Lightweight Turret







 

Kunal Biswas

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The AutoLoader



HEAT Round (fin stabilized)



HEP round (spin-stabilized)

 

Kunal Biswas

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Return of the 90mm Recoilless Rifle to Combat by U.S. Army Light Infantry in Afghanistan


U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne, familiarize themselves with the M67 90mm recoilless rifle by firing the weapon at a Forward Operating Base Orgun-E range Jan. 27th. The Soldiers fired roughly 150 rounds of 90mm ammunition. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nathan J. Hyman, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne)
Paktika Province, Afghanistan - Currahee Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne, began incorporating the M67 90mm recoilless rifle into their squads February 10th.

"We chose to utilize the 90mm because we wanted a high-volume fire power weapon that would provide low collateral damage," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Robert B. Fouche of Columbus, GA, executive officer for 4th BCT, 101st Abn. Div.

The M67 is a lightweight, portable, crew-served weapon designed primarily to be fired from the ground using the bipod or monopod, but it may be fired from the shoulder. It is an air-cooled, breech-loaded, single-shot rifle that fires fixed ammunition and it is equipped with a manually-operated breech and a percussion-type firing mechanism. As a reloadable weapon, it can be used with optics and lasers to fire at night.

The weapon is intended to be used primarily as a self-defense weapon, said Fouche.
 

Kunal Biswas

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Indian Army Stander ed Issue Rocket Launcher Carl gustav 84mm RCL










The reason Carl Gustav is so popular coz it can fire

1. Smoke
2. Illumination
3. HE
4. HEAT
5. Tandem HEAT

all these from one RCL gun..
 

Kunal Biswas

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US infantry units in A-stan gets the Carl-Gustav RCL


US army inf units in Afghanistan is being equipped with the Carl-Gustav recoilless rifle. It's notable that the weapon was fielded in the Swedish army in 1948. That's 63 years ago and the design is virtually unchanged. Only more modern materials is used to reduce the weight.

At last they have realised the need for portable RCL...
US army use M67 90mm Recoiless Rifles in Afghanistan, and even some M40 106mm have seen use.
 
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indian_sukhoi

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About the DRDO made carl gutsav rifle, Did IA used it in Kargil War.

Thus is it fitted with any kind Infrared scope to it. Would be useful to locate visible enemy bunkers in the himalayas.
 

W.G.Ewald

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The weapon [M67] is intended to be used primarily as a self-defense weapon, said Fouche.
I'll order a couple to have around the house.
 

Kunal Biswas

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About the DRDO made carl gutsav rifle, Did IA used it in Kargil War. Thus is it fitted with any kind Infrared scope to it. Would be useful to locate visible enemy bunkers in the himalayas.
Carl Gutav was used in mass coz its a cheaper alternative to Milan missiles..

In Kargil Carl Gustav played major role..



 

Kunal Biswas

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M20 recoilless rifle used by US-SOF in Astan..

The M20 recoilless rifle was a U.S. 75 mm caliber recoilless rifle used during the last months of the Second World War and extensively during the Korean War. It could be fired from an M1917A1 .30 caliber machine gun tripod, or from a vehicle mount, typically a Jeep. Its shaped charge warhead, also known as the HEAT, was capable of penetrating 100 mm of armor. Although the weapon proved ineffective against the T-34 tank during the Korean War, it was used primarily as a close infantry support weapon to engage all types of targets including infantry and lightly armored vehicles. The M20 proved useful against pillboxes and other types of field fortifications.





M-Gator 6x6 ATV mounted 75mm RCL gun
 

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