GM-94

The GM-94 (Russian: Гранатомет Магазинный образца 1994, Granatomet Magazinnyy obraztsa 1994, lit. "magazine-fed grenade launcher, model of 1994") is a pump action grenade launcher for use by Russian special and security forces. Development of the GM-94 grenade launcher began in 1993, under the guidance of Vasilij Gryazev, chief designer of the KBP design bureau (Konstruktorskoye Byuro Priborostroyeniya; (Конструкторское Бюро Приборостроения; KBP), in Tula, Russia. ^[3]

GM-94
GM-94
Type	Pump action grenade launcher
Place of origin	Russia
Service history
Used by	Spetsnaz, FSB, MVD and National Guard
Wars	2005 raid on Nalchik[1] Libyan Civil War[2] Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation Russian invasion of Ukraine[2]
Production history
Designer	KBP
Manufacturer	KBP
Specifications
Mass	4.8 kg (10.6 lb) unloaded 5.8 kg (12.8 lb) loaded
Length	810 mm (31.9 in) stock extended 540 mm (21.3 in) stock folded
Cartridge	43×30mm
Action	Double action
Muzzle velocity	85 m/s (280 ft/s)
Effective firing range	300 m (330 yd)
Maximum firing range	500 m (550 yd)
Feed system	3 round pump action above-barrel tubular magazine
Sights	Iron sights

Description

The GM-94 is a short range weapon, allowing it to be used in close urban environments. With a minimum safe distance of only 10 meters,^[4][5] the GM-94 is well suited to close, room-to-room fighting. Its simple design and operation allows it to operate in dusty and dirty environments and even after being immersed in water.

The launcher is capable of firing VGM-93.900 high explosive fragmentation, VGM-93.100 thermobaric, VGM-93.300 smoke and VGM-93.200 tear gas canisters, VGM-93.600 rubber slugs and other non-lethal payloads.^[4]

The VGM-93.100 thermobaric grenade contains around 160 grams of explosive filler. It can penetrate up to 8 mm of mild steel or interior wall with its blast, while producing minimal primary fragmentation.^[4]

In June 2005, GM-94 with thermobaric VGM-93.100 ammunition was adopted by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.^[6] In October 2007, the Russian armed forces adopted the launcher designated as LPO-97 (Legkiy Pekhotnyy Ognemet; Легкий Пехотный Огнемет; ‘light infantry flamethrower’)^[3] developed in the KBP Instrument Design Bureau on the basis of the GM-94 with a thermobaric grenade,^[3][7] in 2008 GM-94 was adopted for the branches of the Federal Security Service.^[8] The weapon was used in the battle of Nalchik in 2005 and in Crimea 2014.^[9] Though the launcher was initially intended for use by Russian security forces, the GM-94 has been spotted as far afield as Kazakhstan, where it is in service with the Kazakhstani paramilitary police tactical unit Sunkar ("Hawk") and in the hands of non-state combatants during the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime in Libya 2011.^[2]

Russian forces have used this weapon to fire non-lethal tear gas grenades on protesters in Ukraine in March 2022.^[10]

Users

Map with GM-94 users in blue

•  Belarus^[11]
•  Kazakhstan^[2]
•  Libya^[2]
•  Mongolia^{[citation needed]}
•  Russian Federation^[1][12]
•  Ukraine^[13]

See also

• China Lake grenade launcher – (United States)
• DP-64 – (Soviet Union)
• Neopup PAW-20 – (South Africa)
• RG-6 grenade launcher – (Russia, Soviet Union)
• RGM-40 Kastet – (Russia)
• RGS-50M – (Russia, Soviet Union)
• RGSh-30 – (Ukraine)

References

1. Popenker & Jenzen-Jones 2015, p. 16.
2. Popenker & Jenzen-Jones 2015, p. 17.
3. ""Arms & Munitions Brief No. 2: The Russian GM-94 Grenade Launcher"". ARES Armament Research Services. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
4. Popenker & Jenzen-Jones 2015, p. 15
5. "VGM93.100". roe.ru. Rosoboronexport.
6. "ГМ-94 - ручной гранатомёт". army.lv. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
7. "ОАО "Конструкторское бюро приборостроения" - 10 лет ГМ-94". kbptula.ru. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
8. "ГМ-94". gewehr.ru. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
9. Maxim Popenker and NR Jenzen-Jones, The Russian GM-94 Grenade Launcher, ARES Armament Research Services, Munitions Brief No. 2, September 2015
10. 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker [@UAWeapons] (22 March 2022). "#Ukraine: A little insight on what kind of munitions were used by the Russian forces to disperse the pro-Ukrainian rally in #Kherson - an empty VGM93.200 CS irritant round for the GM-94 grenade launcher was found on the ground. https://t.co/h79lv3KmRd" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022 – via Twitter.
11. "Рассказываем, что за гранатомет был замечен вчера у спецназовца «Алмаза» в Минске". Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
12. "ЦАМТО / / Ростех досрочно поставил в войска гранатометы ГМ-94".
13. Ferguson, Jonathan; Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (November 2014). Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine, 2014. Research Report 3. Armament Research Services. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-9924624-3-7.

Bibliography

• Popenker, Maxim; Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (September 2015). The Russian GM-94 Grenade Launcher (PDF). Arms & Munitions Brief. Armament Research. ISBN 978-0-9924624-5-1.