The B-10 recoilless rifle (Bezotkatnojie orudie-10, known as the RG82 in East Germany)[7] is a Soviet 82 mm smoothbore recoilless gun.[8] It could be carried on the rear of a BTR-50 armoured personnel carrier. It was a development of the earlier SPG-82, and entered Soviet service during 1954. It was phased out of service in the Soviet Army in the 1960s and replaced by the SPG-9, remaining in service with parachute units at least until the 1980s. Although now obsolete it was used by many countries during the Cold War.[9][10]
B-10 recoilless rifle | |
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Type | Recoilless rifle |
Place of origin | Soviet Union |
Service history | |
In service | 1954–1980s (USSR) |
Used by | Soviet Union other users |
Wars | Vietnam War[1] Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Yom Kippur War[2] Portuguese Colonial War Lebanese Civil War[3] Western Sahara War Angolan Civil War[4] Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Iran–Iraq War Somali Civil War[5] Gulf War Third Sudanese Civil War Libyan Civil War[6] Syrian Civil War Iraqi Civil War Yemeni Civil War (2015-present)[citation needed] Conflict in Najran, Jizan and Asir |
Production history | |
Designer | KBM (Kolomna) |
Variants | Type 65 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 85.3 kg (188 lbs) 71.7 kg (158 lbs) without wheels |
Length | 1.85 m (6 ft) travel position |
Barrel length | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) |
Crew | 4 |
Caliber | 82 mm (3.22 in) |
Action | Single shot |
Carriage | Two wheeled with integrated tripod |
Elevation | -20/+35° |
Traverse | 250° in each direction for 360 total. |
Rate of fire | 5 to 7 rpm |
Effective firing range | 400 m (437 yds) |
Maximum firing range | 4,500 m (4,921 yds) |
Feed system | Breech loaded |
Sights | Optical (PBO-2) |
The weapon consists of a large barrel, with a PBO-2 sight mounted to the left. It is mounted on a small carriage, which has two large wheels, which can be removed. The carriage has an integrated tripod, from which the weapon is normally fired. A small wheel is fitted to the front of the barrel to prevent it touching the ground while being towed. It is normally towed by vehicle, although it can be towed by its four-man crew for short distances using the tow handle fitted to either side of the muzzle.
The tripod can be deployed in two positions providing either a good field of fire or a low silhouette. Rounds are inserted into the weapon through the breech, and percussion fired using a pistol grip to the right of the barrel. The PBO-2 optical sight has a 5.5x zoom direct fire sight, and a 2.5x zoom sight for indirect fire.