M1940 50mm (50-RM 40)

History

The Soviet 50mm light infantry mortars of World War II (1939-1945) developed along a unique line, starting with the 50-RM 38 model in 1938, itself derived from the British Stokes 3-inch mortar Shotgun design suffered. While operational, the system relies on an inefficient manual gas management system to define a precise engagement area, and the 50mm projectile has limited range and impact values. While the projectile remained the same, the RM-38 was developed as a slightly improved model in 1939, the 50-RM 39/RM-39.

The RM-39 has a barrel length of 775 mm and weighs between 14 and 17 kg, depending on production. The original RM-38 measured 780mm barrel and 12kg weight.

In 1940, the 50mm light mortar line was further developed, which became the 50-RM 40 (M1940 or "Type 1940"). The gun is consistent with previous offerings in that it is traditional in form and function. There's a launch tube, baseplate, and bipod that make up the whole system, and provide the optics, albeit crude. The bipod is made of pressed steel.

Essentially accepted operations were retained - at least two crew members, one managing the launch tube and aiming, the other inserting the projectile into the muzzle. A waiting firing pin ignites each charge's propellant and sends it on a designated path.

Like the RM-38, the RM-40 was no better in practice. The 50mm bullet is still a limited projectile, and the RM-40 has a limited range. Perhaps for the best, the Soviets turned their attention to large-caliber instruments with a siege mentality, such as the large 160mm mortar system of 1943.

For this purpose, some stock RM-40 and similar light mortars are available. As a result, the seized stocks then fell into the hands of the Germans, who acted against their previous owners under the army designation 5 cm Granatwerfer 205 (r) - "r" to indicate their Russian origin.

When the RM-40 replaced the RM-39, it was even surpassed by the brand new RM-41. It was not based on the RM-38, and therefore the British Stokes design, but was developed from research on captured German 50mm mortars.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes