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RPG-76 Komar (Polish for Mosquito), disposable anti tank weapon

pzgr40

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Cutaway model of a RPG-76 Komar (Polish for Mosquito). This single use, disposable anti-tank weapon was developed in 1973 by a combined Polish-Bulgarian design team, trying to change an RPG rocket into a light single shot weapon, meant for use by troops that could only carry a limited amount of weight into battle like airborne troops and commando’s.
In 1980 the first test batch of RPG-76’s was produced, followed by a production of 100.000 by the Niewiadów precision industries between 1983 and 1995.

In contrast to the organic RPG-7 rocket launcher which weighs in at 7 kg, and 9,2 kg when loaded with the lightest of rockets (the PG-7V), the complete RPG-76 weighs 2,1 kg, lighter than a single RPG rocket.
The RPG-76 launching tube weighs 0,32 kg, the rocket weighs 1,78 kg. The range of the RPG-76 is a bit shorter than the RPG-7 (250 mtrs against 300 mtrs), however the penetration is the same for both rockets: 260mm RHA (steel).
In the time frame when the RPG-76 was designed it was a sufficient weapon, however the organic RPG-7 series rockets developed fast with improved rockets concerning penetration and range, which was not possible for the RPG-76 due to it’s light construction.
In the 80’s of the last century the RPG-76 was suitable to attack light tanks in case of emergency preferably the side or back), however around the turn of the century the RPG-76 was obsolete, due to developments in tank armor like explosive reactive armor and Chobham armor against which the RPG-76 had no chance, in contrast to the RPG 7 where tandem charges and larger shaped charges were developed for.
However, against armored personnel carriers, trucks, cars, field fortifications and during street fights it was still a valuable weapon to have on hand, and therefore it was deployed by Polish troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The RPG-76 consists of two main parts: a rocket with a shaped charge and the single use launching tube:

The launcher (Pict 09 & 10):
The launcher is an aluminum pipe (01) with an aluminum cap (02) glued over the back side, in which the firing pin (03), the firing pin retaining spring (04) and the trigger mechanism (05) are placed. On the outside the trigger safety (06) is placed at the bottom, on top the ‘flip up’ aft sight (07) with the press up button (09) for the aft sight below it. A spring (09) is placed between te trigger mechanism and the press up button. The folding stock (11) is placed to the back of the cap (02) and houses the firing pin spring (12). The firing pin (03) is long as the firing cap (13) for the rocket motor is placed in front of the tail fin section of the rocket motor.
The folding stock rotates around a pivot pin (14) attached to the aft end of the cap (02), and falls into a lock (15) when completely rotated. The friring pin spring (12) will now press the firing pin forward with full force. In the trigger mechanism a slot (16) is machined that ends in a hole (17), larger than the diameter of the firing pin at the same position. On the firing pin two mirrored sufaces (18) are machined that fit the slot (16), fixating the firing pin in it’s forward movement. If the trigger button is pushed upward , the flat surfaces on the firing pin shift from the slot to the hole, enabeling the spring (12) loaded firing pin to move forward into the firing cap (13) of the motor, starting the motor.
The firing pin retaining spring (04) enshures the firing pin is kept in the aft position when the weapon is not cocked. The retaining spring is however a weak spring when compared tot he firing pin spring (12).

The Rocket (pict. 6):
He rocket consists of an aluminum warhead, placed on a steel rocket motor. As the copper cone has a quite low top angle, the stand-off (the length of the two part nose cone) is quite long, enabling the jet to be formed to best penetrating capability, delivering maximum armor penetration. On top of the nose cone a steel cup with a hardened steel knife edge facing forward is placed, glued to the nose cone with epoxy resign.
Above the base fuze the booster charge is placed which is ignited by the firing cap of the base fuze. Above the booster charge the Bakelite wave shaper is placed. The wave shaper is a conical shaped disc of inert material that forces the detonation wave to bend around the disc, changing the shape of the detonation wave from a near flat forward moving detonation wave into a conical detonation wave, reaching the entire cone surface near simultaneously. Strange enough this “stopper” in the explosive charge -also allowing for less explosive material in the warhead- improves the penetrating capability of the shaped charge with approximately 20%!
The base fuze is placed in an aluminum intermediate piece, which is threaded on the outside to form the connection between the warhead and the rocket motor.
The motor consists of a thin walled machined steel pipe with a ring of four nozzles welded in top. These nozzles consist of two pairs of two nozzles in a mirrored position (not four at 90 degr. each) The nozzles point outward at 45 degrees from the centerline of the rocket motor. This causes the flame of the rocket motor to pass the gunner at a safe distance to the left and right if the RPG is used in the prescribed way.
An aluminum tail piece is screwed into the base of the rocket motor to which the four spring loaded tail fins are riveted at the aft end. These fins pop out as soon as the rocket has left the launching tube. In the forward part of the tail piece the firing cap is placed, just behind the celluloid container housing the gun powder initiation charge for the rocket motor.
Seven sticks of propellant with a diameter of 11,5mm, a through hole of 7mm and 220 mm long are placed in the motor. A star shaped grid is rivetted to the base of the aluminum connection piece in top of the motor, ensuring no burning pieces of propellant obstruct one or more nozzles.

The base fuze (picture 08) used in the rocket is named DCR, and consists of the following parts:
19 - firing cap housing
20 - firing cap
21 - paper disc (to keep firing cap moisture free)
22 - pressure spring
23 - firing pin
24 - spiral wound spring
25 - arming ring
26 - firing pin housing
27 - shear pin
28 - fuze housing
29 - piston
30 - base flange
31 - filler disc
32 - base cap
33 - shear groove
34 – flange
36 – slot(s)

In safe condition the firing pin (23) placed in the firing pin housing (26) is kept away from the firing cap (20) by a steel spiral wound spring (24), kept in it’s inward position by the arming ring (25). The arming ring is locked in it’s forward position by the ends of the shear pin (27), which is locked in forward position by the piston (29). The piston is fixated by the sheet metal base cap (32). The shear pin has a shear groove (33) in the middle. The shear pin (27) is placed in two grooves (36), machined in the length direction of the firing pin housing (26).

If the rocket is fired two things occur simultaneously:
-the gas pressure, generated in the rocket motor starts pushing at the base of the metal base cap (32) through the (green) holes in the connection piece between motor and warhead (pict. 07), pushing forward and bending the base cap (32) and the filler disc (31), and pushing forward the piston (29), until the piston is stopped by it’s flange (34) fitting the base flange (30). The piston moving forward will break the shear pin (27) at the shear groove (33). The expansion groove (35) fills the difference in length between the flat bottom of the base cap (32) and the bent forward base cap.
At the same moment inertia moves the arming ring (25) backward, pushing both ends of the shear pin (27) backward. So, in fact the shear pin (27) is broken in a scissoring movement between the piston moving forward and the arming ring moving back.
-If the arming ring (25) has moved down, the spiral wound spring (24) can unwind to a larger diameter, allowing the firing pin housing (26) to move forward.

-With the shear pin (27) broken, the arming ring (25) swung back and the spiral wound spring (24) unwound the fuze is now fully armed.

-Upon impact, inertia swings the firing pin housing (26) with the firing pin (23) forward in the firing cap (20), riding the spring (22). This initiates the explosive train.

Below the base cap (32) of the fuze, a copper washer is placed, (pict.07) to prevent hot, high pressure gas from the motor passing along the side of the fuze housing into the flame sensitive detonator above the fuze, causing a premature upon firing.

User instructions:
-Before the RPG-76 is going to be used, visually check the RPG for damage like dents and bended parts.
-Pull the stock from the forward sight housing, rotate it in the armed position until it’s locked. The aft sight automatically flips up. Rotate the shoulder rest at the end of the stock 180 degrees so the RPG can be shouldered.
Shoulder the RPG, and place one hand on the yellow sticker with the text “Tu Trzymac reka“ (Polish for “place hand here”), and place the other hand behind this hand to operate the trigger mechanism. Flip over the trigger safety with the index finger, and place the index finger on the trigger button.
-Aim the RPG-76 on the target (over the 50, 150 or 250 mtrs keep) and push the trigger button. The rocket is fired toward the target.

On the internet only one grainy movie of Polish troops in Iraq using the RPG-76 in use can be found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSbSmMNHLAY

Data RPG-76:
Length folded: 805mm
Length extended : 1190mm
Complete weight 2,1 kg
Weight rocket : 1,78 kg
Armour penetration : 260mm RHA (steel)
Diameter rocket motor : 40mm
Diameter warhead : 68mm
Explosive charge : 0,94 kg A-IX-1
Vo : 145 mtrs/sec
Range : 250 mtrs

Each RPG-76 is delivered in a watertight sealed plastic bag. Six are packed in a crate, which also contains a pair of gloves and six pair of ear plugs.

Regards, DJH
 

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  • 09 - RPG-76 in action , fired from armoured car.jpg
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Thanks for sharing.
Great job.
I assume you used a body of "Skolny" (practice) round.
 
Yes I did. The projectile was sulfer filled. However, all internal parts were present (inert loaded), exept for the inner parts of the fuse (23 to 27 and 29) which I had to machine myself.
 
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