Anti-personnel/anti-véhicule, 40mm
TypeRifle grenade
Place of originFrance
Service history
Used byFrench Army
Production history
Designed1956
Specifications
Mass405 g (14.3 oz)[1]
Length352 mm (13.9 in)[1]
Diameter53 mm (2.1 in) (outer fins)
Calibre40 mm (1.6 in)[1]
Fillinghexogen-tolite
Filling weight80 g (2.8 oz)

The APAV 40 (anti-personnel/anti-véhicule, 40mm) is a 40 mm dual purpose rifle grenade used by the French Army.

Design

The APAV 40 is a dual purpose, anti-personnel (AP) and anti-vehicle (AV), 40 mm rifle-grenade. It has a mass of 405 g (14.3 oz),[1] and a tail with stabilizing fins. Explosion is triggered by an impact fuse.

Two versions of the APAV 40 exist:

  • the older F1 model which must be fired with a blank cartridge
  • the current F2 model which uses a bullet-trap that allows using live rounds

Use

Alidade sight system of the FAMAS for direct fire of the APAV40

To launch, the APAV40 F2 is placed over the muzzle of a FAMAS or any NATO rifle with a (22 mm) STANAG muzzle device. Then the rifle is aimed at the target and fired. The impact of the bullet striking the bullet-trap and the expanding gases launch and arm the grenade, which explodes on impact.

In its antipersonnel capacity, the APAV 40 is used in indirect fire. The APAV 40 has a lethal radius of 12 m (13 yd) and its shrapnel is dangerous up to 100 m (110 yd) away.[1]

In its anti-vehicle capacity, the APAV 40 is used in direct fire. Under an optimal angle, the APAV 40 is capable of piercing 100 mm (3.9 in) of armour.[1]

The FAMAS provides an alidade sight for launching the grenade from 170 to 320 m (560 to 1,050 ft). The FAMAS can also be inclined/angled by 45°, to allow fire from 75 to 100 m (246 to 328 ft), with 20-metre increments; or by 74°, to allow fire from 60 to 170 m (200 to 560 ft), with 10 m (11 yd) increments. French rifle grenades are notorious for having extremely strong recoil, so strong that one who does not properly brace themselves will often fall over.

See also

Sources and references

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lycaon (2010-06-01). "Le tir des grenades" (in French). Eklablog.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-01. Retrieved 2017-02-01.

French army manual on rifle grenades dated 1966 with an illustration of the APAV 40 (70 MR 61) and text on pages 29 to 31 Archived 2013-03-22 at the Wayback Machine


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