SB 40 LAG

Spain (1985)

Spain

Year: 1985

Manufacturer(s): Empresa Nacional Santa Barbara - Spain

The SB-40 LAG is the Spanish contribution to the growing automatic grenade launcher market.

Detailing the development and operational history of the SB 40 LAG 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher. Entry last updated on 9/20/2013; Authored by Staff Writer; Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com

In 1984, design work on an indigenous 40mm automatic grenade launcher was begun in Spain by Empresa Nacional Santa Barbara as a private venture. Adoption by Spanish forces followed in 1992 (as the SB 40 LAG, also written as "SB LAG-40") through an initial preproduction batch of sixty units. The weapon is a contemporary to the American Mk 19 and the Soviet/Russian AGS-17 which have permeated global inventories concerning portable grenade projecting devices.

The SB 40 relies on the long recoil principle which reduces stresses exhibited upon the frame. It makes use of a roller locked system and is chambered for the global standard 40x53mmSR projectile firing from a 24- or 32-round belt. The belt is sat within a hard ammunition case that can be mounted to either the left or right side of the receiver as required (changing requires some internal modification of the system by the user). The weapon achieves a rate-of-fire of 215 rounds-per-minute at a muzzle velocity of 787 feet per second. Available iron sights allow for sighting between 100 and 1,500 meters while grenade effectiveness reaches up to 2,000 meters. Attack angles can vary from line-of-sight to indirect fire as needed, making the SB 40 a flexible tactical weapon. The system is typically fielded on a heavy duty, adjustable tripod though it can also be mounting onto vehicle, watercraft and helicopter pintle mounts.

Outwardly, the SB 40 takes on the appearance of the American Mk 19 with its decidedly rectangular receiver, spade-type grips at the rear and short barrel assembly at the front. Sights are affixed across the top of the receiver in the usual way and a cocking handle controls the feed/bolt during the initial charge. Dimensionally, the SB 40 is a large weapon despite it being portable and it weighs upwards of 75lbs, features an overall length of 38 inches and sports barrel of 16.3 inches long.

The modern Spanish military utilizes the SB 40 as a support weapon at the infantry level and has mounted it atop their various four- and six-wheeled armored vehicles as well as tracked armored personnel carriers. The major issue variant is recognized as the "40 SB-M1". Columbia remains the only other notable operator of the SB 40 system (as of 2013) for it has accepted a stock of SB 40 grenade launchers for mounting onto their navy patrol boats.

Supported Mission Types:

Frontline Issuance

Special Forces

Close Quarters Battle

Sniper

Designated Marksman/Sharpshooter

Suppressed/Silenced

Area Effect/Suppression

Indirect Fire

Airspace Denial

Anti-Material

Attachment Weapon

Aircraft-Mounted

Vehicle-Mounted

Antique/Collectors

Prototype/Development

Global Operators:
Colombia; Spain

Structural - Internal Design, Dimensions, and Weights:

Operation
ACTION

System
Roller-Locked, Recoil-Operated; Automatic Fire

Operation
CALIBER(S)

(Model / Chambering Dependent)
40x53mmSR

Operation
FEED

(Model / Chambering Dependent)
24- or 32-round belt

Length
OVERALL

Millimeters
960 mm

Inches
37.80 in

Length
BARREL

Millimeters
415 mm

Inches
16.34 in

Structural
WEIGHT

Pounds (Unloaded)
74.96 lb

Kilograms (Unloaded)
34.00 kg

Ranged
Sights

Arrangement
Iron Leaf Rear

Operating Performance (Typical):

Performance
MUZZLE
VELOCITY

Feet-per-Second
790 ft/sec

Meters-per-Second
241 m/sec

Performance
Rate-of-Fire

Rounds-per-Minute
215 rpm

Performance
RANGE

Feet
2,600 ft

Meters
792 m

Yards
867 yd

Variants: Series Model Variants
• SB 40 LAG - Base series designation
• SB LAG-40 - Alternative Designation
• 40 SB-M1 - Spanish Army Designation