M03
40 mm HE Underbarrel Grenade Round
40 mm high explosive round for underbarrel grenade launchers, with self-destructing fuze, lethal radius 6 m and range 400 m.
- Max range
- 400 m
- Muzzle velocity
- 78 m/s
- Calibre
- 40 mm
All grenades and launcher rounds
High explosive, dual purpose and incendiary underbarrel launcher rounds
These six 40 mm rounds are listed for underbarrel grenade launchers. Four are high explosive, the M03 and M06 and the bounding M07 and M12; the M04 is a dual purpose round quoted at 60 mm of steel plate penetration, and one incendiary round with 80 g of incendiary mixture is listed without a model designation. Every record names the GP-25 launcher, gives a muzzle velocity between 75 and 78 m/s and a maximum range of 400 m, and states the arming distance or muzzle safety distance of its fuze.
- Line items
- 6
- Calibres
- 1
- Natures
- 3
- Standards
- Eastern
By calibre
Models and specifications
M06
40 mm HE Underbarrel Grenade Round M06
40 mm high explosive underbarrel launcher round differing from the M03 in a shorter fuze arming distance of 10 to 40 m.
- Max range
- 400 m
- Muzzle velocity
- 78 m/s
- Calibre
- 40 mm
M12
40 mm HE bounding underbarrel grenade round M12
A 40 mm high-explosive bounding round for the GP-25 and GP-30 underbarrel grenade launchers that bounces and detonates in the air to increase fragment effect against personnel and against technical and material means.
- Max range
- 400 m
- Muzzle velocity
- 78 m/s
- Calibre
- 40 mm
M04
40 mm HEDP Underbarrel Grenade Round
40 mm high explosive dual purpose underbarrel launcher round penetrating 60 mm of steel plate with a lethal radius of at least 5 m.
- Max range
- 400 m
- Muzzle velocity
- 78 m/s
- Calibre
- 40 mm
M07
40 mm bounding HE underbarrel grenade round M07
A 40 mm round with a blasting bounding projectile designed for use against personnel in open and sheltered space, fired from the GP-25 and GP-30 under-barrel grenade launchers fitted to AK-pattern rifles (AK-74, AKS-74, AKM, AK-101) and to M21 rifles, directly from 50 to 400 m and indirectly on a curved trajectory from 200 to 350 m.
- Muzzle velocity
- 75 m/s
- Fuze
- UT, M07
- Caliber
- 40 mm
—
40 mm incendiary underbarrel grenade round
A 40 mm round with an incendiary projectile intended for setting fire to easily inflammable materials and for wounding personnel, its fragments of incendiary mixture acting at distances up to 5 m, fired from the 40 mm GP-25 under-barrel grenade launcher fitted to AK-pattern rifles (AK-74, AKS-74, AKM, AK-101) and to M21 rifles, directly from 50 to 400 m and indirectly on a curved trajectory from 200 to 350 m.
- Muzzle velocity
- 76.5 m/s
- Fuze
- UT, M02 SP
- Caliber
- 40 mm
Tying an underbarrel round to its launcher and host rifle
The entry ties the round to the launcher and to the host rifle: the M03, M06 and M04 records name the 40 mm GP-25, GP-30 and BGP-40 and the M12 record names the GP-25 and GP-30, while the M07 record names GP-25 and GP-30 launchers and the incendiary record the GP-25 alone, fitted to AK-74, AKS-74, AKM, AK-101 and M21 rifles, with direct fire from 50 to 400 m and indirect fire from 200 to 350 m on a curved trajectory.
Arming distance as the separator between near-identical rounds
Five designations appear, M03, M06, M07, M12 and M04, with the incendiary round unnamed. Round mass runs from 225 g on the M03 and M06 to 300 g on the M07. Fuze arming distance separates otherwise identical items, 15 to 50 m on the M03 against 10 to 40 m on the M06; the M12 adds a jump height of at least 0.5 m and the M07 a fuze designated UT, M07.
Questions about these line items
Which of these rounds quote an effect radius?
Four quote a lethal radius of 6 m, the M03, M06, M12 and M07, the last of these written as a casualty radius of at least 6 m. The dual purpose M04 quotes a lethal radius of 5 m or more together with penetration of 60 mm of steel plate. The incendiary round quotes effect at distances up to 5 m.
What temperature ranges are recorded?
Two ranges appear. The M03, M06, M12 and M04 records quote -30 to +50 degrees C. The M07 and the incendiary round quote a wider band of -53 C to +71 C, and both also quote a self-destruction device burning for 15 s and a muzzle safety distance of at least 15 m.