Austria – M40A1 and M40A2 Recoilless Rifles

Last updated on March 12th, 2019 at 01:20 pm

The M40A1, which is an American design, is currently being used by the Austrian army.

There are two versions of the M40A1 recoilless rifle.  One is mounted on a vehicle with a special mounting that gives it a full 360 degree firing circle.

The other version is towed.

The M40A1 is said to fire at a rate of five rounds per minute. However, it is doubtful that these would be accurate shots.

The MA40A1 fires a 4.17inch (106mm), 17lb (7.7kg) shell at a muzzle velocity of 1650ft/s (503m/s) and claims a maximum range of 7545yards (6900m), although its accuracy at this range would not be useful.

M40A1 recoilless rifle mounted on an M38 Jeep

The 360 degree sweep is complimented by an elevation of -17 to +65 degrees. The fighting weight  of the gun is 251lbs (113.9kg).

The MA40A2 is an upgrade of the A1 which fires HEAT rounds at a muzzle velocity of 1010ft/s (308m/s) giving an effective range of 1100yards (1000m).

Its traveling weight is 485lbs (220kg), so can be carried by a four man crew if necessary.