M72 LAW
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Law_ftbenning_1960_04.jpg
The M72 LAW in extended position ready to be fired
The M72 LAAW (Light Anti-Armor Weapon) sometimes knowns as a LAW, is a portable one-shot 66 mm anti-tank weapon, made in United States by Talley Defense Systems.
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Description
The weapon consists of a rocket packed inside launcher made up of two tubes, one inside the other. While closed, the outer assembly acts as a watertight container for the rocket and the percussion cap-type firing mechanism that activates the rocket. The outer tube contains the trigger, the arming handle, front and rear sights, and the rear cover. The inner tube contains the channel assembly which houses the firing pin assembly, including the detent lever. When extended, the inner tube telescopes outward toward the rear, guided by the channel assembly which rides in an alignment slot in the outer tube's trigger housing assembly. This causes the detent lever to move under the trigger assembly in the outer tube, both locking the inner tube in the extended position and cocking the weapon. Once armed, the weapon is no longer watertight even if the launcher is collapsed into its original configuration.
When fired, the propellant in the rocket motor completely combusts before leaving the tip of the launcher, producing gases around 1,400 °F (760 °C). The rocket propels the 66 mm warhead forward without significant recoil. As the warhead emerges from the launcher, 6 fins spring out from the base of the rocket tube, stabilizing the warhead's flight.
Once fired the launcher is no longer useful and may be discarded. Due to the single use nature of the weapon, it was issued as a round of ammunition by the US Army.
Ammunition
The M72 LAW came prepacked with a rocket containing a 66 mm HEAT warhead which is attached to the inside of the launcher by the igniter. The warhead is activated by an impact sense sensor in the nose cone which is connected to the fuse. The fuse then detonates a booster which sets of the main charge. The force of the main charge forces the thin-gauge steel body liner into a directional gas jet that is capable of penetrating up to 300 mm(1 ft) of armor plate(steel), 600 mm (2 ft) of Reinforced concrete, or 1.8 m (6 ft) of soil.
Specifications
M72-LAW-firing.png
Firing the M72 LAW.
Launcher
- Length:
- Extended: less than 1 m (34.67 in).
- Closed: 0.67 m (24.8 in).
- Weight:
- Complete M72A2: 2.3 kg (5.1 lb).
- Complete M72A3: 2.5 kg (5.5 lb).
- Firing mechanism: Percussion.
- Front sight: reticle graduated in 25 m range increments.
- Rear sight: peep sight adjusts automatically to temperature change.
Rocket
- Caliber: 66 mm (2.6 in)
- Length: 508 mm (20 in).
- Weight: 1.8 kg (2.2 lb).
- Muzzle velocity: 144.8 m/s (475 ft/s).
- Minimum range (combat): 10 m (33 ft).
- Minimum arming range: 10 m (33 ft).
- Maximum range: 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
Maximum effective ranges
- Stationary target: 200 m (660 ft).
- Moving target: 165 m (541 ft).
- Beyond these ranges, there is less than a 50 % chance of hitting the target.
Other weapons
The British Army also use a weapon known by the acronym LAW, see article LAW 80.
The Russian RPG-18, RPG-22, RPG-26 and RPG-27 are direct copies of the M72 LAW, with minor modifications.
External links
- FAS (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m72.htm)
- Gary's U.S. Infantry Weapons Reference Guide (http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/antiarmor/M72.html)