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The M40 recoilless rifle was a lightweight, portable, crew-served 105 mm weapon intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon made in the United States. The weapon is commonly described as being 106 mm, but it is in fact 105 mm; the 106 mm designation was designed to prevent confusion with the incompatible 105 mm ammunition from the failed M27.-
The M40 is shaped like a long tube with a M8 0.50 cal spotting rifle above. The spotting rifle fires a round that flies like the 106 mm round and gives off a puff of smoke on impact with the target. On the left hand side, there is an elevating wheel, in the centre of which is the trigger wheel used to fine adjust the elevation and at the same time firing the spotting rifle when pulled, and the gun when pushed. The mounting is a tripod, but the front leg has a castoring wheel. On top of the mount is a traverse wheel. On the centre of the traverse wheel is a locking wheel, when the wheel is down, the rifle is locked in traverse, and can only be moved right and left with the traverse wheel. When the wheel is raised, the rifle can be traversed by hand. Austria produced a two-wheeled mount for the M40.-
The gun was normally fitted to an M79 mount and fired either from the ground, or mounted on the 1/4 ton truck (Jeep) or M113 APC.
Specifications
Weight 209.5 kg (462 lb)
Length 3.404 m (11 ft 2 in)
Height 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in)
Shell 106—607mmR (HEAT, HEP, HEAP, Canister)
Caliber 105 mm (4.1 in)
The M40 is shaped like a long tube with a M8 0.50 cal spotting rifle above. The spotting rifle fires a round that flies like the 106 mm round and gives off a puff of smoke on impact with the target. On the left hand side, there is an elevating wheel, in the centre of which is the trigger wheel used to fine adjust the elevation and at the same time firing the spotting rifle when pulled, and the gun when pushed. The mounting is a tripod, but the front leg has a castoring wheel. On top of the mount is a traverse wheel. On the centre of the traverse wheel is a locking wheel, when the wheel is down, the rifle is locked in traverse, and can only be moved right and left with the traverse wheel. When the wheel is raised, the rifle can be traversed by hand. Austria produced a two-wheeled mount for the M40.-
The gun was normally fitted to an M79 mount and fired either from the ground, or mounted on the 1/4 ton truck (Jeep) or M113 APC.
Specifications
Weight 209.5 kg (462 lb)
Length 3.404 m (11 ft 2 in)
Height 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in)
Shell 106—607mmR (HEAT, HEP, HEAP, Canister)
Caliber 105 mm (4.1 in)
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