#AGL

The Pakistani commercial firearms company Daudsons Armory or DSA is much more known for their handguns and historical reproduction shotguns sold in the United States through Cimarron. However, the company also has a 40x53mm High-Velocity Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL) that they have been developing for over a decade at this point. Currently, the PAK-40 AGL is undergoing Pakistani Army trials that could potentially lead to replacing U.S. Mk.19s and MKEK designs that are being used now. Testing consisted of severe temperature firing in both cold and hot extremes in addition to accuracy testing at 500, 1000, and 1500 meters. The AGL was also sent to South Africa to be tested with RDM ammunition (jointly owned by South African and German companies), in addition to NATO standard and Korean 40mm linked grenades.

I was headed past Milkor USA’s booth today to take a look at their lightweight 40mm launcher when a launcher of a whole different aesthetic caught my eye: The 40mm Hydra.  With a large hydraulic buffer tube mated to the chamber and barrel, sitting above a grip frame with wood grip panels, and a very large box magazine that indexes somewhat like a Thompson SMG, it certainly did not look like the other rotary launchers on display.  I talked to their designer, and apparently it is a collaboration between Milkor USA and Rheinmetall Waffen.  An even more interesting point came up when he informed me that the Hydra can fire semi or full auto, at a rate of fire of 10 rounds in less than 2 seconds!  The Hydra could possibly succeed where the Czech RAG-30 and CZW-40 didn’t quite achieve, in controlled shoulder fired 40mm automatic grenade fire.  It is pictured here with a 6 round magazine, but also has 4 and 10 round magazines.