Anyone know what kind of RPG this is? Its a new type to me. Thanks

[NNN0LHI]

A masked Iraqi insurgent wields a rocket propelled grenade launcher in the embattled town of Falluja April 8, 2004. U.S.-led forces in Iraq (news - web sites) risk being drawn into an urban guerrilla conflict they are ill-prepared to fight and which will probably cost many more lives, military experts say. More than 1,400 U.S. Marines have been sent in to quell insurgency in Ramadi and Falluja, two large Sunni Muslim towns west of Baghdad that have been the focal point of the anti-occupation guerrilla war for the past year. (Akram Saleh/Reuters)

[RapidCreek]

1. It looks like a Russian made Bazalt 40mm RPG-7d1 to me

that or a 40mm RPG-7...or are you talking about the grenade itself?

RC

[NNN0LHI]

3. I had assumed that a certain grenade went with a certain launcher

I see from your post that may not be the case? It seems though we have lost some M-1 battle tanks lately and I am trying to figure out what they are using. Could this stuff be Egyptian, or Iranian made stuff, if you know? Also I have read that the holes that these weapons have put into our tanks have been so small that you can't get your finger into it. And the warhead on this pictures weapon looks very small too. Any correlation there? Thanks again.

Don

[RapidCreek]

7. I believe you are speaking of a tandem grenade

The PG-7VR is a tandem warhead designed to penetrate explosive reactive armor and the armor underneath. I think this is the one that they're using on the Abrams. They're any number of warheads which may be used with the RPG-7 type launcher.

Im not sure who manufactures the PG-7VR now but they were developed about 15 years ago in Russia.

I can't say I'm hip to the whole RPG ordinance deal but the guys at this link are discussing that which interests you...and they most certainly seem to be hip http://www.gunboards.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9977

You may also find this of interest
http://www.armytimes.com/channel.php?GQID=292236 click the Punching through the Abrams armor – slide show link EDITED FOR CORRECT LINK
RC

[NNN0LHI]

9. Thank you for the links n/t

[Devils Advocate NZ]

2. That does look like a standard RPG-7 launcher...

but that grenade is strange. Perhaps it is some kind of training round with a simple marker charge? It just doesn't seem big enough to carry much of a punch.

[slor]

4. That is one I have never seen...

and the "punch" has nothing to do with size, AP rounds can be much smaller than HE rounds and be far deadlier with armored targets.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

10. Actually...

in this case it does.

IF you look at the typical RPG warhead, they are very wide, because they employ a shaped charge warhead which is in a cone shape with the point of the cone pointing back towards the firer. The nose of the grenade is an essentially hollow casing designed purely to streamline the grenade and to ensure the proper standoff distance.

When a shaped charge detonates, the explosion is focused into a jet of plasma that requires a certain distance to form porperly in order to punch through the armour. This means the explosion must occur at a predefined distance from the armour in order to be effective.

Now this grenade seemingly does NOT have a shaped charge warhead, and thus for the size of the warhead would basically be useless against anything but the lightest armour.

The only way something this small could penetrate an M1 for instance would be for it to be travelling at a velocity that a small rocket motor as is mounted on RPG grenades is unlikely to even approach.

I think what RapidCreek says below is probably the closest, in that it appears to be some form of anti-personnel warhead, carrying about as much explosive as a hand grenade or 40mm grenade fired from the M203.

[NNN0LHI]

5. I think it may be some kind of new shaped charge designed for our tanks?

See my post #3.

Don

[RapidCreek]

6. maybe an OG-7 grenade?

They're intended for personell...and only weigh about 2kg if I remember correctly....I can't think of what they looked like though.

RC

[izzie]

8. What ever, I would not like to be in front of this man and that thing.

The police in SA carried all sorts or big mean looking guns when I was in that country and I found it scary.I spent 20 years on and near military bases and never saw that many guns in those years as I see on TV in one night with the news.It also does not make you feel safer, to know most of the world is armed to the teeth and every Am feels he needs a gun to be safe.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. I wopuldn't particularly want to be behind him either.

Those things have a pretty nasty backblast IIRC.

[maggrwaggr]

12. LOL!

yeah, no kidding!