90mm M67 Recoilless Rifle
KM67 | EM67
Overview
90mm KM67
South Korean marine taking aim with a 90mm KM67 recoilless rifle during an exercise in 2015.
Source: Republic of Korea Armed Forces -
© CC BY-SA 2.0
Greece
South Korea - Kia Motors
KM67 (South Korean production)
Vietnam
South Korea
Description
Introduction
The M67 is an early Cold War era recoilless rifle of US origin. It was designed to replace the M20 Super Bazooka and serve as a more mobile counterpart to the 106mm M40 Recoilless Rifle.
Design
The M67 is a shoulder fired recoilless rifle. It is loaded from the rear by opening the venturi breech. Upon firing there is a significant backblast. The M67 can be operated by a single person, but is normally crewed by three. Consisting of a gunner, loader and ammunition bearer. A 3x optical sight is fitted. There is no ranging rifle. Besides an offset pistol grip there is a monopod that can be fitted with a small bipod.
Firepower
The M67 is a multi-purpose weapon. It can be employed against armored vehicles, fortifications and troops in the open. The anti-armor round has a single HEAT warhead that can penetrate 350mm of armor or 0.8m of concrete. Against infantry both a flechette round or high explosive round can be used. Practical maximum range is 300 to 400 meters. In theory 2.1 km can be achieved using the HE rounds. A maximum rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute can be attained briefly. Practical rate of fire is 2 rpm. Sustained rate of fire is one round per minute.
Mobility
Although man portable, the M67 is rather heavy at 17 kg unloaded. Even with a crew of three the launcher and its ammunition is heavy, especially over longer distances. Therefore the M67 proved best suited for motorized and mechanized units. The upside over heavier recoilless rifles is that it can reposition quickly after firing, which is essential since recoilless rifles have a notable firing signature depending on environmental conditions.
Users
The M67 was adopted by the US Army in 1959 and used in large numbers until the 1980's. It was steadily replaced since the mid 1970's by the M47 Dragon. This was more capable in the anti-tank role, but lacked the anti-personnel capabilities. In that role it remained in limited use, or was even re-introduced, in US military service until the mid 2000's. The M67 was also used in quantity by nations with close ties to the United States. These include South Vietnam, South Korea and many nations in South America, Europe and Asia.
Ammunition options
90mm K242 shell
South Korean marine holding a 90mm K242 high explosive shell.
Source: Republic of Korea Armed Forces -
© CC BY-SA 2.0
List of ammunition for the 90mm M67
Details
Media
90mm M67 Recoilless Rifle
Two US Army soldiers with 90mm M67 Recoilless Rifle seen during an exercise in 1982.
Source: US DoD
Copyright: Public domain
90mm M67 Recoilless Rifle
American troops with multiple 90mm M67 Recoilless Rifles lined up in Grenada in 1983.
Source: U.S. National Archives
Copyright: Public domain
90mm KM67
South Korean soldiers taking aim with a 90mm KM67 recoilless rifle during an exercise in 2015.
Source: Republic of Korea Armed Forces
Copyright: CC BY-SA 2.0
90mm KM67
Notable backblast of a 90mm KM67 recoilless rifle being fired during an exercise in 2015.
Source: Republic of Korea Armed Forces
Copyright: CC BY-SA 2.0
90mm KM67
South Korean marines armed with 90mm KM67 recoilless rifles during an exercise in 2015.
Source: Republic of Korea Armed Forces
Copyright: CC BY-SA 2.0
90mm KM67
South Korean marines operating a 90mm KM67 recoilless rifle during an exercise in 2015.
Source: Republic of Korea Armed Forces
Copyright: CC BY-SA 2.0
Related articles
106mm M40
The M67 was uses alongside the heavier M40 Recoilless Rifle as a more portable alternative. The M67 was shoulder fired, whereas the M40 was mounted on a tripod or on vehicle mounts.
M47 Dragon
In the US Army the M67 was replaced by the M47 Dragon, a man portable short range anti-tank guided missile. The M47 has a longer range and more capable HEAT warhead.