Tony Neophytou developed this for Denel Land Systems, which has completely fallen apart as a company and left it now as his own independent design, with no manufacturer. I filmed this video in 2018, to show the prototype version of the Strike, which has since been improved and further developed. Perhaps some day it can find a manufacturer?
Grenade Launcher
Shooting the Milkor M32 40mm Grenade Launcher
Thanks to Milkor USA, I have a chance today to do some shooting with both the M32 and M32A1 rotary grenade launchers they make for the US military. I’m using 40mm chalk training ammunition, with […]
Book review
Book Review: Firearms Developed and Manufactured in Southern Africa 1949-2000
FIREARMS: Developed and Manufactured in Southern Africa 1949-2000 Until recently, there has been very little published information on South African and Rhodesian firearms outside of a few sporadic magazine articles – but that is no […]
Semiauto pistol
Varan PMX90: Ambidexterity in South Africa
The Varan pistol was developed by two Rhodesian designers, Tony Blackshaw and Stewart Beecham, and was originally designated the PMX-80. Development would take nearly a full decade, however, and mostly took place in South Africa. […]
Make a video on m56 smartgun it’s vey unique i am saying this for more than a week but not a single reply
This is with no doubt ingenious design on it own merits. It should not be mixed with larger caliber similar type and purpose weapons. However, its implementation depends on a doctrine determined by DESIGNER and here may lie the problem with its success or lack of it. Is this what really a particular military organization desires? I have no way of knowing, but my guess is that S.A. military is not in tune on it.
What comes as a close comparison to this weapon are AGS-17 and AGS-30 grenade launchers. They are easy to on-foot transfer weapons with high volume of fire. Their projectile has a lower muzzle velocity but a lot larger payload.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGS-30
In any case, I wish to Mr. Neophytou lots of success in his endavours.
I find presented weapon somewhat similar in concept to XM307 ACSW
http://modernfirearms.net/en/grenade-launchers/u-s-a-grenade-launchers/xm307-acsw-eng/
both use smaller than 40 mm caliber (25 mm for XM307) thus it is possible to carry more examples of ammunition and are belt-fed, however XM307 ability seems to impinge on some form of fire-control system mounted at its’ top (see 2nd image from top) combined with time-fuse-setting device. Operation is different as presented weapon belongs is recoil-operated, whilst XM307 is gas-operated. Both are also somewhat linked to 12,7 mm machine guns, one using belts for machine gun of such caliber, latter can be easily converted to fire .50caliber machinegun ammunition (12.7Ă—99) with replacement of just 5 parts
As you can read in description of origin and development, this goes way back to 1980s. Since the XM25 individual grenade launcher for programable 25mm shot was due to fuse (un)reliability terminated so is likely this project; they would use same ammunition.
Potentially a great idea, but it did not receive enough interest or perhaps budget funding. Usual money-pump which broke down. It is in annals of history now. Maybe Ian should put light on it; Forgotten Weapons is his territory.
Fancy sights…
Probably a more reasonable caliber change would be to .729 Jongmans aka 18.5 x 112mm;
https://municion.org/producto/729-jongmans/
While ridiculously overpowered as a sporting cartridge (unless you’re a game control officer at Jurassic Park), it would allow upgrading any 12.7 x 99 HMG, such as the FM M3M/ GAU21/A to firing effective 20mmm class explosive or etc. ammunition with little more than a barrel change.
This would both put the “Fifty” back on the map as a useful low-altitude FAAD weapon, as well as giving light helicopters with podded guns more hitting power relative to modern light AFVs such as Strykers, etc.
For that matter, a GAU 19/B in this caliber would be a worthwhile upgrade for any vehicle using the .50 BMG caliber version now.
cheers
eon
Even though it’s a prototype, the design is very well thought out. Reminds me of Browning, but seems more rugged. Makes me want to see it in 7.62 and .50 BMG.
If you need .50 Browning-like Machine Gun, but lighter than M2HB then use SNIPEX LASKA K-2
https://modernfirearms.net/en/machineguns/ukraine-machineguns/snipex-laska-k-2-2/
Interesting. New to me. Thank you.
The Tony Neophytou interview was one of my favourite videos ever on Forgotten Weapons . A very smart guy
The ADEN/DEFA 30x113B (belted cartridge) would be a better choice in a locked weapon. It is a standard cartridge in world-wide use.
30*113B cartridge requires a much bigger sturdier and thus heavier cannon than the Inkunzi grenade launcher. A DEFA weighs more than 80 kg.
What an interesting application of the low velocity 20mm round. Cyclic rate seems a bit less than 500 rpm?
This seems like a better intermediate step up from a 7.62mm MG, than a .338 Magnum MG.
Trying to compete with 7.62mm GPMG in vehicle mounted applications might be tough, just because of the prior investment militaries have. This 20mm MG isn’t going to replace tank turrets coaxial 7.62mm MG. But I can see a couple niches where this new 20mm MG might shine.
The first would be on small vehicles which would normally might use just one 7.62mm MG. So on trucks (like ISV), or on small armored cars (like VBL), and such.
The more intriguing niche, is as the weapon mounted on a remote-weapon-station, or as the primary weapon mounted on a small unmanned-ground-vehicle. The big advantage I see here is total ammunition load carried, extending combat engagement time before a reload is required. So rather than a more expensive replacement for a 7.62mm MG, the 20mm MG is a cheap way to improve the combat potential of an already expensive RWS or UGV.
The quarter-pounder automatic cannon! Excellent!
20mm (grenades) would be, probably; highly effective against “folk” if the air burst at the correct range could be solved cheaply.
Fire through windows means it explodes against the back wall (targets likely towards front wall) at walls; well may blow through; especically after a few. But! The “mecca” of small 20mm (grenades) must surely be the xm307 airburst lark.
Especially with body armour.
And I think Niti “Nitinol” could do a job for us here, in regards fuses; you have a fuse which is activated by heat, three rungs say… Of Niti, screw fuse… So what happens is instead of a xm307 sight, you have a switch on the barrel; think an ajustsble gas port, thumb/end of bullet able to turn the fucker. It directs gas in3 positions top, middle, bottom; equates to 200 150 50 metres for example. Now the screw function sees the fuse as a screw it shortens if gas hits below the 250m “so no gas” the top gas port rewinds the screw holding fuse 5cms back thus 200m in effect. And so on.
I like the gun, I liked the other guns; not in a position to make one but the breakthrough to me seems of we could make the airburst mech less dependant in fancy sights the xm307 was far to expensive.
But if it was more or less the same “Inconjunction with a laser rangefinder” but far cheaper, well 20mm grenades may have a future. The point is for them to be better than gpmgs the hit probabilty must be better in my opinion. And noticibly so, so much so, it is so much more fucking cheap.
Cheap, cheap, cheap. But not shit. The gun is great.
I am drinking southern comfort and coke; so far more drunk than usual off beer… But its right though. With 7.62 Nato you fire at. To fire over, and air burst; within range (of a weak 20mm grenade) yet hit lethally, would be a game changer.
If you hit. If. And then if the gun/mount etc is not shit; halfway there with this, guns there. Doubtless could be improved.
The problem to me, to round off is the non air burst ammo. 20mm is not a big grenade; we on this site have been through this before, it’s range is limited. Hence “Thick” 40mm bangs instead of “smart” xm307 grenades. Being used.
(Detonation sequence of fuses may be back to front; construct on sober.) xm3o7 8 billion pound sight… Must be a better way.
Wants to be, because we’ll be fighting terminator cyberdyne systems model 101 shortly. Never mind traditional problems.
(Hey! Likely, eh; I am not a fucking tarot reader.)
“(…)xm3o7 8 billion pound sight(…)”
I do not understand, please use tons* to avoid that.
metric
I thought he was referring to the cost in English money- “pounds Sterling”. He also used an English term, not used in the USA- “bollocks”.
“(…)20mm is not a big grenade(…)range is limited.(…)”
Wait… is not range function of muzzle velocity and velocity retention rather than size/
“(…)directs gas in3 positions top, middle, bottom; equates to 200 150 50 metres for example.(…)”
Please provide compelling evidence that 3 settings is sufficient for getting desired effect.
I have a bad feeling. This is about 1935.
Via bollocks mind. He he, maybe they thought that..
“Via bollocks mind(…)”
What is this?
Bad feeling or not, I have a funny feeling you are right about 1935.
https://youtu.be/qw64hRgLBqM
Be an interesting few years, up till “1940” then. Ha.
Beautifull morning sky, across from America “East coast first, big as you are.” Saw 6 jumbo jet trails, Sun rising orange in the East; as per he he… But thus, blue to the west. Stunning. For the 1st time ever, I saw them as missiles. And I am 42 so remember the Soviet Union.
Was a beautifull morning, I thought though, war is an even worse idea. Different than the U.S Civil war, Ww1 Ww2, just different: I just saw them there in the blue big white trails.
https://youtu.be/iVdnpSpquTk
There you are “pop” music, you can’t say I only post depressing things; you can (rock and roll) to that, he… In Arizona, all night; Kraftwork dance, unt pass me ze vodka. Robotwerk…
Hours of fun. He he.
https://youtu.be/-Q9dTkX3rB0
No, your welcome; fine that good evening.
Folk… About time; you Eon told me more about Niti “Read one of your books” quite; soooo… Like if it is thin; wire snaps as per normal wire under hand pressure?
Start from the begining. He he, thank you. Hee! 🙂
You all right telling folk about there was a dodgy step on the way to a Skoda factory in 1910; but rubbish on telling me about niti, about time you found out really and told me in laymans terms. You liked the last piece of music. Quite.
So like schnell. He he. Hand pull, more or less than the same thickness of steel wire to snap? Is it less he he? ooooh… Hee!
“(…)Hand pull, more or less than the same thickness of steel wire to snap?(…)”
You seems to be interested in ultimate tensile strength of certain materials.
https://matthey.com/products-and-markets/other-markets/medical-components/resource-library/nitinol-technical-properties claims following attributes for Nitinol
– ultimate tensile strength (fully annealed) 895 MPa
– ultimate tensile strength (work hardened) 1900 MPa
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BB_%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8 claims that ultimate tensile strength for steel is in range 500…3000 MPa, which might be explained by existence of various steels. Therefore same-diameter wire made of steel might snap after applying lesser or same or greater tension depending on kind of steel used.
Something like this is what the XM-25 program should have come up with, with the Inkunzi as the man-portable version.
It’s another example of how one inspired guy can beat out entire teams of uninspired lackwits; if I were in charge of US small arms development, I’d poach the hell out of Neophytou and whoever else he has working with him, bring him to the US, and hand him a barrel-load or two of money to develop things.
The fusing BS they were trying for with the XM-25 was never going to work, with the current state of the art. In a decade or two? Maybe… Once they can affordably produce “radar on a chip” and the attendant on-the-fly programming necessary, then maybe the basic idea could be made affordable and work out. As is, instead of trying to put one multi-thousand dollar round through a window at 600m, this would work better dumping a burst into the general direction of said window and just letting nature take its course… No matter what, this would be a useful direct-fire tool to have available as a soldier. Along with that Inkunzi deal as a complement to the 40mm and direct-fire small arms.
Is this an autocannon?
Does it fire explosive rounds? Then yes.
An auto-grenade launcher aka grenade machine gun straddles the point between machine gun and automatic cannon. Ultimately, what counts is the type of projectile, not the muzzle velocity. Generally, if it fires explosive rounds, it’s a cannon. If not, it’s a machine gun.
Some of the blame for the confusion in terminology can be laid at the doors of the Germans and the British during WW2. The German Heeres Waffen Amt used MG (Maschinengewehr) to designate a machine gun like the 7.9mm MG42 or the 13mm MG 131, and MK (Maschinenkanone) to designate an automatic cannon like the 20mm Oerlikon or 30mm MK108.
The British saw “MK” and immediately thought “Mark”, since that was what they used to designate variants of weapons. Like “Revolver, Interchangeable, 0.380in Webley Mk IV”.
Just to confuse things totally, the Luftwaffe had the MG 151/20, a 2cm cannon that was nevertheless called a “machine gun” because it began as a 15mm HMG firing the Besa 15 x 104mm round.
The major problem with 20mm and 30mm automatic cannon is of course that most have nothing in common with each other but their bore diameters. Very few, even in a single nation’s service (like Germany’s) could use the same cartridge case and thus “share” ammunition.
cheers
eon
“(…)Just to confuse things totally, the Luftwaffe had the MG 151/20, a 2cm cannon that was nevertheless called a “machine gun” because it began as a 15mm HMG firing the Besa 15 x 104mm round.(…)”
Please provide reference for that, as MG 151 is most often describing as consuming 15 x 96 cartridge https://naboje.org/node/6706#
Lacks discernible “oomph” due to lack of air burst. Solution= Increase said capability of rounds (1/2 arsed air burst if 400 times cheaper) is an xm07… In practice if not principle. Otherwise those explosives will likely simply detonate 3m away and not hurt the enemy, behind the window waiting to pop up.
Yes you could try it, as per and “hope” maybe with a fair anticipation it will hit the baddies. But it likely will hit them less, than a 40mm bouncing off the back wall; detonating shortley as it rebounds.
No. The rounds are not fit for the purpose this gun purports to be designed for. You can hit and hope with a Mg3 that is not an advance in arms design.
Try to mechanically alter the fuses of 20mm grenades; And get half arsed xm307 performance. Thus an improvement on now.
How; Nitinol, should fuck around with it 99% sure it can improve “timing” proprietary round! So what if it works.
Without airburst why would you use this as oppose a 40mm or a 7.62mm; why bother?
“times cheaper) is an xm07… In”
Than a xmo7; was supposed to read.
Air burst 20mm would/could pop the “new tactical” open side helmet wearers brains out. POP!!! Like that.
Helmets adopted due to a lack of enemy artilley. Fight Russia, and the fucking 15th c Sallet helmet in modern materials will become “fashionable” again rapid; due to the amount of brains, jaws, etc flying about.
Wear fucking airpods.
That needs a longer barrel, that really needs to be in a movie