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79The Small Arms Review Vol. 8 No. 12 September, 2005

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One of the more interesting weapons tocome from the old Soviet Union is the

AGS17 series of grenade launchers. While

the modern examples may be the AGS30

variant, the AGS17 is still in wide service.

There are also a number of countries build-

ing their own version of this 30mm fully

automatic grenade launcher. Iraq, The

Peoples Republic of China, and the Rus-

sian Federation have produced these mod-els, and the Yugoslav company Zastava in

Kragujevac, Serbia, is one of the current

manufacturers of this effective combat

weapon. The Serbian variant is the BGA-

30. SAR has had the opportunity to test

this weapon in a number of environments

over the years, but it was at the Living

History class in Serbia that we were ableto get the best hands-on and photographic

experience with the weapon.

The roots of the system go back into the

1930s in the old Soviet Union, and for al-

most forty years there was no successfulproduction of an automatic grenade

launcher behind the Iron Curtain. In an

almost parallel development frenzy during

the 1960s, the US had started the MK18

Right: At six hundred meters,

a six round burst of 30mm HE

fragmentation grenades thor-

oughly covers a forty yard

circle with a deadly hail.

Honeywell Gun, a crank fired grenadelauncher that fired the same Hi-low pres-

sure 40x46mm grenade as the M203, as

well as the MK20 that also fired the Hi-

low round. In the early 1970s, the US had

settled on the fully automatic high pres-

sure grenade launcher in 40x53mm that is

in current use today - the MK19 Mod 3.

This was at the same time the Kremlin was

secretly fielding the AGS17 30mm. TheWest paid scant attention to the rumors

about the new launcher until the AfghanWar of the late 1970s and early 1980s. It

wasnt until Soldier of Fortune magazine

brought the AGS17 to light in the early

1980s that the armed forces of the West

got any education on this system.

While the MK19 can reach out with HE

or HEDP rounds to targets at up to 2,200

meters, its effectiveness is questionable for

first round target acquisition, consideringa hit probability on first burst of 53%. Of

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80 The Small Arms Review Vol. 8 No. 12 September, 2005


course, this depends largely on the experi-

ence and skill of the operator. HK has of-

fered their GMG in the same caliber, with

a hit probability in the 80% range, largely

due to their effective design and the

Vinghog softmount system as well as the

new sighting system. SAR has covered this

system in the past. Placing a MK19 on a

Vinghog and adding good ranging andoptics systems to the package dramatically

increases the MK19s effectiveness. The

new MK47 40mm has solid target acqui-

sition as well.

The BGA-30 is an improved copy of the

AGS17 made in Serbia and it has a shorter

range than the 40x53mm offerings; ap-

proximately 1,700 meters. This is due

largely to the Hi-low pressure grenade sys-

tem it uses as opposed to the high pres-

sure of the 40x53mm. Looking somewhatlike miniature artillery when it is aimed for

longer ranges, the light weight BGA-30 is

a formidable launcher in the hands of askilled operator. The rounds are not

HEDP; they are fragmentation for attacks

on infantry or light armored vehicles.

There are two rates of fire available on this

select fire launcher. Contrary to informa-

Above: Rimless short cartridge case

(29mm) from the 30x29mm car-

tridge. Note the six vent holes that

lead from the high pressure cham-

ber into the low pressure chamber

formed by the base of the projec-

tile and the upper case section.

LOADING THE BGA-30

Clear the weapon. Lift the top cover and pull the charging handle to the rear on its cable. Visually inspect the weapon, and

ensure that the bore is unrestricted. Do this every time. A blockage can be fatal on the first round fired. Remember that this is

a push through feed system. On the forward stroke, the bolt will push the grenade forward down a ramp into the chamber.

(The same steps are used for the Russian AGS17/30 and other variants.)

1) Slide the loaded drum into position and ensure it is locked into place. 2) In this photo, the drum is not present so that the link

placement is more visible. The belts are 30-round, but are only loaded with 29 rounds with the first link left empty. This is to

allow for the non-disintegrating belt to have enough surface contact with the guide rails for proper presentation of the grenade

to the bolt and bore. 3) The top cover is closed and checked to ensure the latch is engaged, locking the cover down. 4 The

operator grasps the grip with one hand and the charging handle (cable) with the other and briskly pulls it to the rear until the

stroke ends. The bolt will return forward with grenade into the barrel. This is a closed bolt system, so it requires pressing the

firing paddle between the two grips in order to release the firing pin.

1 2 3 4

tion available in some publications, the

system does not have a semi automatic

setting - it is either a low rate of fire less

than 100 rpm, or a higher rate of fire in the

350 rpm range. This is a useful tool in the

hands of an experienced operator enabling

more brush styles for the artist on the trig-

ger. The slow rate can conserve ammuni-

tion and allow for a more carefully aimedconcentration of fire, while the high rate

can be used for saturation bombardment

in either offensive or defensive situations.

The standard fragmentation ammunition

for the BGA-30 has a kill radius of any-

where from 7 to 9 meters, depending on

the testing reports one reads. The differ-

ence is in the test criteria, but it is also in

the variety of ammunition that will func-

tion in the weapon system. Grenade bod-

ies vary from a pre-fragmented inner steelsheath to pre-engraved wound wire bod-

ies, yielding somewhat different kill

zones. Generally, a payload of RDX ex-plosive is used for the rounds.

The ammunition system is described as

a High-Low system. This means that

there are two chambers in the cartridge

case - a high pressure chamber that con-

tains the powder and the initial deflagra-

tion and expansion of the burning propel-lant gases occurs in this chamber. The

gases then bleed over into a larger cham-

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USING THE BGA-30 BELT LOADER

The BGA-30 belt loader has a hard job - it does not push the rounds into the belt like many other loaders. In this case, the

grenades are supported in two places on a short wheel and pressed into the link from the side. This requires a lot of pressure. The

belt loader works best when it is bolted to a stationary workbench, but in the example here it is mounted on its carrying case. This

works, but is not optimal. Loading should only be done over a wooden or other soft floor in case there is a dropped round,

which might lead to a fuze detonating. Care must be taken in all parts of the loading process to ensure that grenades and belt are

properly presented to the moving parts. This is a dangerous operation, as is any mechanical operation dealing with explosivedevices.

The belt loader can be used as a belt unloader too. In this function, the operator takes the unloaded machine, puts the handle

straight down, and rotates it clockwise towards himself 45 degrees. The belt is loaded from the end where a full belt usually

comes out, and clicked into the star wheel. As the operator turns the crank anti-clockwise, the grenades will come out onto the

tray and it is inadvisable to allow more than 3 grenades into the tray at a time during unloading.

Above left: Top and bottom view of the non-disintegrating metallic link belt for the BGA-30 grenade launcher.

Above right: 30-round belt, empty, and side opening 30-round drum, which shows the fully supportive snail interior.

Belts are only loaded to 29 rounds, as noted in other parts of this article.

Below left: The operator first lowers the handle with his right hand to straight down, and allows it to come back up 45

degrees anti-clockwise, away from himself. He then slides the empty links into the tray, upside down, until they mate

with the loading wheel. Several cartridges are then placed in the cartridge tray and the operator carefully turns the

handle clockwise, thereby presenting and pressing the grenades into the belt. Care should be taken to not allow the

unlinked grenades to move out of the tray, as well as supporting the loaded belt at all times.

Below center: This is the operators view as he is linking. Grenades folding into the star wheel and being turned and

pressed into the belt.

Below right: Proper support on the base and handle give a solid support to the loading system. It is still far better to

mount the loader onto a table.

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ber, thus losing some of their velocity and

producing a more even pressure on the

projectile base as it separates from the car-

tridge case and enters the bore. The pro-jectiles are spin-stabilized grenades;

similar to a bullet coming from a standard

rifled bore, as opposed to a fin-stabilized

grenade which would normally be

launched from the muzzle.

BGA-30 ammunition is a variant of theRussian VOG-17 type, and all of the

Serbian ammunition is point detonating,

and inertia arming. This means that when

the grenade starts its forward motion on

leaving the cartridge case, the violent for-

ward motion causes a primer to impact

against a lug in the fuze body. This ignites

the pyrotechnic composition that has been

timed so that between 6 and 30 meters from

leaving the bore, a slide is released and no

longer blocks the impact firing pin from

striking the detonator that activates the

explosive charge. The impact fir-

ing pin is physically blocked until

the pyrotechnic chain releases it.

There is also a self destruct timedsafety built into the fuze, so if there

is a failure to explode from impact,

within 27 seconds the dud pro-

jectile will explode.

The BGA-30 is generally fielded

on a lightweight tripod, but it canbe mounted on vehicles, ships or

aircraft. These variations are still

readily dismountable, and due to

the light weight of the weapon, it

is very well adapted to high speed

operations that require area cover

fire. It is easily man portable.

Dans testing: Over the past two

decades I have only had five or six

experiences with this weapon sys-

tem; from the AGS17 to the BGA-

Left: The NSBG-1 sighting system can be used on a variety of Yugoslav weapon systems, and for use on the BGA-30, it

is the primary sighting method for both direct and indirect fire. The operator must be trained in leveling the system and

coordinating the sight to the bore relationship. Once that is mastered, range training can be effective.

Right: The NSBG-1 is stored in a case with a variety of small tools and cleaning accessories, as well as two tritium night

light sources and several small filters.

Right: In addition to the optical sighting system for the BGA-30, there

are back up iron sights, front and rear, but these are only effective until

the range of the target demands so much elevation that the target is

blocked from the line of sight.

SIGHTING

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30, and find it to be a very well designed

system. It is lightweight, easy to use, easy

to clean, and as accurate as you need such

an area weapon to be. It is a good candi-

date for perimeter security as well as be-

ing capable of providing some serious area

firepower coverage for faster moving

small units. While not something to be

fired in the manner of a shoulder fired

weapon, it is not that much more trouble

to field than any other tripod mounted

heavy machine gun, and it is much lighter

than the full auto grenade launcher offer-

ings from US/NATO manufacturers. The

ammunition is very important to this sys-

tem, and the reliability of the fuze is criti-

cal to the safety of the operator. This is

not unusual in grenade systems, but the

manufacturer and their quality must be

taken into account in planning. I had no

hesitation firing the Sloboda HE products

in a Russian AGS17 or the BGA-30. I cant

say the same for some other

manufacturers products. I do not consider

the BGA-30 to be a replacement for the

range and power of the MK19, GMG, or

MK47. The BGA-30 certainly has some

advantages in specific situations, and it is

a combat proven design.

Above: The easiest way to tell the difference between

the Russian manufactured guns and the Yugoslav ones

is to look at the top plate that gives the plotting informa-

tion. If you cant immediately tell between the Russian

and Serb language, then count the fins on the barrel.

The Russian barrels have 12 cooling fins and a thickerbase fin, while the Yugoslav barrels have 11 fins and a

thicker base fin. Also, the Yugoslav BGA-30 has a thicker

diameter on the muzzle end of the barrel due to relief of

the tube diameter, as shown.

Left: We were unable to get the rate of twist for the bar-

rel, but the 12 grooves are right hand, well defined, and

of a long twist rate. This is not a radical rotation being

imparted to the projectiles.

Above: Bolt movement is dictated in part by this replace-

able cam path on the inside of the receiver.

Below: disassembled receiver view shows the location of

the cam paths.

Left: Looking un-

der the raised topcover reveals a

fairly standard

transfer bar with

roller that takes

recoil energy

from the bolt and

traverses it to a

sideward motion,

moving the belt

into place. At the

bottom of the top

cover, a feed ramp

can be seen,where the gre-

nades are guided

to the chamber in

forward motion.

One unusual fea-

ture in the center,

under the transfer

bar, is the car-

tridge case ejec-

tor.

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Above: Disassembled bolt face showing cartridge extrac-

tor, pressure detents, and the small primer striker in the

center.

Above: The triggering mechanism is mounted externally

on the left side of the receiver. This contains the hydraulic

rate of fire regulator. When the fire lock on the right is

placed on U, the trigger is blocked and can not fire. On

O, it is ready to fire. The rate of fire is regulated by

moving the regulator handle to either the Maks or Min

setting. This changes the orifice size that allows the hy-

draulic fluid movement, thus changing the duration of

movement for the striker and changing the rate of fire.

Below: Inside the rear cover is the charging handle and cable. It operates on a simple principle of force applied to one

wheel under spring pressure. However, it must be pulled briskly and completely or it will not fully return, similar to a

lawn mower starter.

Above: The operators tool roll contains some basic

cleaning and disassembly tools, as well as a few small

spare parts and springs.

Above: The BGA-30 tripod is a lightweight (12kg), com-

pact, foldable tripod, whose simplicity hides the com-

plex firing ability that is available when the weapon ismounted on it. Traverse and elevation are fairly stan-

dard lock-lever and hand wheel controls, but when com-

bined with the NSBG-1 sight, makes for a very accurate

firing platform.

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M93-TP Target Practice

NATO designation .......................TP

Weight of round (g) ................ 360 gramsWeight of projectile (g)................273 grams

Length (mm) .............................132mm

Muzzle velocity (m/s)................. 185 meters/ second

Maximum Range (m)...................1700 meters

Packing....48 grenades per sheet metal box 1 per

wooden case.

Above: BGA-30 grenades (L-R): Cutaway of M93HE

showing RDX explosive and point detonating impact

fuze at top, with 27 second delay fuze incorporated.

M93 HE round, M93 TP round, M93 PM round.

Ammunition Specifications:

These 30mm grenades are made at Sloboda in Cacak,

Bulgarian plants, Russian plants, and some Chinese

plants. We have not seen examples of the Chinese.

Fuze delays vary by country of manufacture and can

be ordered for different times from Sloboda.

Note from the old Sarge: Operators should warn

friendlies of the delay if it is necessary for them to en-

ter an area that has just been saturated with 30mm

fire, to avoid a premature entry leading to any dud

rounds activating. If you are using 27-second delays,

ensure the troops are waiting appropriate time to en-

ter the area. If you are receiving fire from this type of

weapon, bear this in mind before leaving cover after a

barrage. That safety timing could lead to a very un-

pleasant surprise if there is unexploded ordnance left.

M93 HE High Explosive Fragmentation 30mm

NATO designation .......................HE

Weight of round (g) .................360 grams

Weight of projectile (g)................ 273 gramsLength (mm) ..............................132mm

Muzzle velocity (m/s)...................185 meters/ second

Maximum Range (m)....................1700 meters

Fuze Type.....................................UT - M99 SD

self destruction.........................27 seconds

fuze safe action limit (m)...........60 meters

Safety distance........................10m in front of barrel

Packing....48 grenades per sheet metal box 1 per

wooden case.

M93-PM Practice

(Identical to HE, no explosive)

NATO designation ...................PM

Weight of round (g) .............360 grams

Weight of projectile (g).............273 gramsLength (mm) ...................... ...132mm

Muzzle velocity (m/s)...............185 meters/ second

Maximum Range (m)...............1700 meters

Fuze Type.................................UT - M02, PM-SD

self destruction........................27 seconds

fuze safe action limit (m).........60 meters

Safety distance.......................10m in front of barrel

Packing....48 grenades per sheet metal box 2 per wooden

case.

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DISASSEMBLY SEQUENCE BGA-30:

1) Clear the weapon: remove drum and belts, visually inspect by lift-

ing the top cover and ensuring the rails are empty and no grenade is in

line. Pull the charging handle to the rear, and inspect the chamber for

clear. Return the bolt forward. 2) Remove the optical sight. 3) Thebolt must be forward - remove rear pin. 4) The charging mechanism /

rear top cover is removed upward. 5) Remove the bolt and recoil as-

sembly to the rear. 6) Remove the recoil springs from the bolt. 7) The

top cover is removed by rotating the pin about 80 degrees and lifting.

8) Remove lead bar. 9)Triggering mechanism is removed against spring

pressure, and should be controlled with both hands. 10) Triggering

mechanism is removed to the side of the receiver. 11) Barrel locking

pin is rotated and the barrel is removed to the front. 12) Breech face /

guide is removed from bolt.

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Field disassembly

of the BGA-30.

Yugoslav M93 BGA-30 Technical Specifications:

Other nomenclature: ABG-30, AGS-17 (Incorrect),

AGS30 (Incorrect)

Caliber: 30x29mm

Overall weight w/tripod: 45kg

Overall length: 840mm

Barrel Length: 380mm

Barrel: 12 grooves, Right Hand

Rate of Fire: 350-400 RPM or 50-120 RPM

Combat Rate of Fire: recommended 65-70 RPM

Method of fire: closed bolt, blowback, select fire

Muzzle velocity: 186 meters/second

Feed method: non-disintegrating metallic belt

from 29- round ammo drum

Manufacturer: Zastava, Kragujevac, Serbia.

www.zastava-arms.com

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Sar Sep 05 Bga30