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Plate 035 · Recoilless Rifle · Modern

M40 Recoilless Rifle

A jeep-mounted 'tank-killer in your driveway' that vented its recoil out the back.

M40 Recoilless Rifle — U.S. Army photo, Public Domain
U.S. Army photo, Public Domain · Public DomainView on Wikimedia Commons →

Historical Record

Provenance & Service

The M40 105 mm — actually 106 mm to avoid ammunition mix-ups with the M27 — was a recoilless rifle that balanced gases vented through a perforated breech against the projectile's momentum, allowing a heavy gun to be carried on a jeep. It served in Vietnam, the Yom Kippur War, Iran-Iraq, and remains in use with many armies.