| RPG-40 | |
|---|---|
 Soviet RPG-40 anti-tank grenade | |
| Type | Anti-tank grenade |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1940−1945 (Soviet Union) |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | World War II, Vietnam War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | M. I. Puzirev[1] |
| Designed | 1940[1][2] |
| Produced | since July 1941[2] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1.2 kilograms (2.6 lb)[1][2] |
| Length | 20 centimetres (7.9 in) |
| Effective firing range | 20–25 metres (22–27 yd)[3] |
| Filling | TNT[2] |
| Filling weight | 0.760 kg (1.68 lb)[1] |
Detonation mechanism | Impact fuze[4] |
The RPG-40 was an anti-tank hand grenade developed by the Soviet Union in 1940.[1][2] A marginally effective design capable of penetrating about 20–25 millimetres (0.79–0.98 in) of steel armour, it was soon replaced by the RPG-43 and later the RPG-6, both used shaped charges to increase penetration.
Despite becoming quickly obsolete, the grenade remained in service post-war as an anti-personnel weapon, and it was also effective against defensive positions such as bunkers or machine gun nests.
- ^ a b c d e Оружие Победы / колл. авт., отв. ред. В. Н. Новиков. 2-е изд., пер. и доп. М., "Машиностроение", 1987. стр.397
- ^ a b c d e полковник-инженер в отставке С. Новиков. "Личная артиллерия" пехоты // газета "Красная звезда" от 25 июля 1982. стр.4
- ^ Rottman 2015, p. 60.
- ^ McNab 2017, p. 20.