AG-2

AG-2
Production information
Country of origin	Soviet Union
Manufacturer(s)	OKB-16 Plant INZ-2 Kovrov Plant
Designer(s)	Yakov Grigorevich Taubin M.E. Bergoltsev M.N. Baburin
Year(s) designed	1931
Production began	1937
Production ended	1938
Number built	36
Technical specifications
Weapon type	Automatic grenade launcher
Caliber	40.8×17 Taubin
Action	Long recoil
Length	64.2 inches (163 centimetres)
Weight	100.3 pounds (45.5 kilograms)
Feed system	5-round clip (early prototypes) 5-round detachable box magazine (later prototypes) Belt-fed
Cyclic rate	200 – 460 RPM, varies between prototypes
Effective range	1,250 metres (4,100 feet; 1,370 yards)
Other information
Other name(s)	Taubin grenade launcher

The AG-2 (Гранатомет АГ-2 Granatomet AG-2), also known as the Taubin grenade launcher (Гранатомет Таубина Granatomet Taubina), is a Soviet automatic grenade launcher.

History

Yakov Taubin, a student at the Odessa Military School, wanted to create the first automatic grenade launcher in an attempt to increase the efficacy and firepower of grenade-launching weapons of the time, such as rifle grenades; it appears that he started this project to provide a modern select-fire version of sorts of older 37mm trench cannons.

Development started in 1931 when Taubin sent a draft of his new design to the Red Army's Artillery Directorate in August that year; the military became very interested in the project and development continued from there. When tested by the Red Army, the response to the weapon was said to be positive.

Taubin started his own design bureau in 1934 for the development of this grenade launcher; from 1934 to about 1937, many prototypes were produced, with changes made along the way. In 1937, production was started by the OKB-16 and INZ-2 Kovrov plants; OKB-16 made a total of twelve weapons while INZ-2 made another twenty-four, totaling thirty-six weapons.

The weapon was offered as a secondary armament for riverine and naval craft and as an air-to-ground weapon for attack planes the same year; while it did see use in those roles, its performance was considered to be less than desired. Development of the weapon would stop entirely due to the weapon being extremely expensive to produce and very prone to malfunctions.

After failing to provide the Soviet Air Force with the automatic cannons and machine guns they promised and got advances for, the designers of the weapon were arrested and sentenced to death in 1941 for their "crimes".

Design Details

The AG-2 uses a long recoil system to chamber its rounds. The weapon was usually mounted on a wheeled mount à la Maxim machine gun. The weapon feeds from five-round clips or detachable box magazines depending on the prototype; belt-fed versions were also designed and marketed.

The weapon's charging handle is located on the underside of the weapon. The weapon feeds from the right side, something slightly unusual for the time. The weapon has a two piece bolt with three ejectors and a small wedge to assist in ejecting the large grenades.

Ammunition

The weapon uses the 40.8×17 Taubin round. The grenade consists of a very short rimless grooved case made of steel with a driving band at the rear and is heavily based on the 40.8mm rifle grenades designed by Mikhail Dyakonov.

"Variants"

While the weapon didn't have any official variants, the various prototypes produced had some changes among them, mainly involving the feed system; older prototypes used five-round clips while later prototypes opted for detachable box magazines of the same capacity instead. Belt-fed variants were also produced for use as an auxiliary weapon in aircraft.