GP-25
The GP-25 Kostyor ("Bonfire"), GP-30 Obuvka ("Shoe") and GP-34 are a family of Russian 40 mm under-barrel muzzleloaded grenade launchers (Granatomyot Podstvolnyj) for the AK family of assault rifles. They were first seen by the West in 1984, during the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. The GP-30 was lightened and the redesigned sighting system was moved to the right.
| GP-25 grenade launcher | |
|---|---|
| Type | Grenade launcher |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1978–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | War in Afghanistan Soviet–Afghan War Transnistria war First Chechen war Second Chechen War Russo-Georgian War Syrian Civil War Russo-Ukrainian War Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Saudi–Yemeni border conflict (2015–present) |
| Production history | |
| Designer | TsKIB SOO |
| Designed | 1966–1978 |
| Manufacturer | Kalashnikov Concern STC Delta Arsenal AD Zastava Arms |
| Produced | 1978–present |
| Variants | GP-30, GP-30M, GP-34 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1.5 kg (3.31 lb) (GP-25) 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) (GP-30) 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) (GP-34) |
| Length | 323 mm (12.7 in) (GP-25) 275 mm (10.8 in) (GP-30) 315 mm (12.4 in) (GP-34) |
| Barrel length | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
| Cartridge | 40 mm internal propellant caseless ammunition (CL) |
| Caliber | 40 mm |
| Action | Closed system, single-shot |
| Rate of fire | 20 rounds/min area suppression 5–6 rounds/min aimed shots |
| Muzzle velocity | 76.5 m/s (251 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | Sights adjustable 100 to 400 meters |
| Feed system | Muzzleloader |
| Sights | Notched quadrant sight |
The current Izhmash-made version, the GP-34, has a further-redesigned sighting system located to the right side of the weapon and features the following advantages:
- Reliability: It is designed and tested specifically for the Kalashnikov assault rifles, fits such assault rifles directly without any adaptors or forearm dismantling.
- Improved safety: The design prevents a round from moving within or falling out of the barrel, even if the muzzle is pointed down. The GP-34 features an additional mechanism (firing pin safety lever) to improve safety during loading.
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