| SPG-9 | |
|---|---|
A Polish SPG-9M |
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| Type | Recoilless rifle |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1962–present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 47.5 kg (105 lb) 59.5 kg (131 lb) with the tripod[1] |
| Length | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) [1] |
| Width | 99 cm (3 ft 3 in) allowing for full weapon traverse[1] |
| Height | 80 cm (2 ft 7 in)[1] |
| Crew | 2 |
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| Caliber | 73 mm (2.87 in) smoothbore[1] |
| Breech | Interrupted screw[1] |
| Carriage | Tripod |
| Elevation | +7°/−3° |
| Traverse | 30° total |
| Rate of fire | 5–6 rounds per minute [1] |
| Muzzle velocity | 250 to 400 m/s (800 to 1,300 ft/s) |
| Effective range | 800 m (875 yds) |
| Maximum range | 1,200 m to 6,500 m (1,300 to 7,100 yd) |
| Feed system | Manually breech loaded |
| Sights | PGO-9 optical 4× sight or PGN-9 IR and passive night sight |
The SPG-9 Kopye (Spear) is a Russian tripod-mounted man-portable, 73 millimetre calibre recoilless gun developed by the Soviet Union. It fires fin-stabilised, rocket-assisted HE and HEAT projectiles similar to those fired by the 73 mm 2A28 Grom low pressure gun of the BMP-1 vehicle. It was accepted into service in 1962, replacing the B-10 recoilless rifle.
The projectile is launched from the gun by a small charge, which gives it an initial velocity of between 250 and 400 metres per second. The launch charge also imparts spin to the projectile by a series of offset holes. Once the projectile has travelled approximately 20 meters from the launcher a rocket motor in its base ignites. For the PG-9 projectile, this takes it to a velocity of 700 metres per second before the motor burns out.
The SPG-9 is light, and is normally transported by vehicle, and carried into position by its two crew. It can be deployed in around a minute. The weapon is in service with a large number of armed forces, and a variety of ammunition is produced, however mostly they are copies of the original Soviet PG-9 HEAT and OG-9 FRAG-HE rounds.
A variant for use with airborne troops including detachable wheels was built as the SPG-9D.
Contents |
| Round (projectile) |
Type | Weight | Fuze | Length | Explosive content |
Muzzle velocity |
Effective range |
Maximum range |
Armour penetration |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG-9 (PG-9V) |
HEAT-FS | 4.39 kg | VP-9 | 920 mm | 0.322 kg of hexogen |
435 m/s | 800 m | 1,300 m | 300 mm | - |
| PG-9N | HEAT-FS | VP-9 | 920 mm | 0.340 kg of OKFOL-3.5 [2] |
435 m/s | 800 m | 1,300 m | 400 mm | - | |
| PG-9VS | HEAT-FS | 4.4 kg | ? | 920 mm | ? | 1,300 m | ? | 400 mm | - | |
| PG-9VNT (PG-9NT) |
HEAT-FS | 3.2 kg | ? | 920 mm | ? | 400 m/s | 700 m | 1,200 m | 550 mm or 400 mm behind ERA |
Tandem warhead |
| OG-9V (OG-9) |
FRAG-HE | 5.35 kg | GO-2 or O-4M |
1062 mm | 0.735 kg of TNT |
316 m/s | - | - | n/a | Cast iron casing |
| OG-9VM (OG-9M) |
FRAG-HE | 5.35 kg | GO-2 or O-4M |
1062 mm | 0.655 kg of TD-50 [3] |
316 m/s | - | - | n/a | - |
| OG-9VM1 (OG-9V) |
FRAG-HE | 5.35 kg | GO-2 or O-4M |
1062 mm | ? | 316 m/s | - | 4,500 m | n/a | - |
| OG-9BG (OG-9G) |
FRAG-HE | 6.9 kg | O-4M | ? | ? | 250 m/s | - | 4,000 m | n/a | Bulgarian made |
| OG-9BG1 (OG-9G1) |
FRAG-HE | ? | O-4M | ? | ? | ? | - | 6,500 m | n/a | Bulgarian made |
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