RGS-50M
V.A. Degtyarev Plant (ZID) · Shotgun · In Service · 1999
Also known as: RG-50M, RGS-50 Modernized
Overview
The RGS-50M is a Russian single-shot, break-action, smoothbore 50mm grenade launcher developed as a dedicated riot-control and special-operations weapon for law enforcement. A modernized version of the earlier RGS-50, it introduced revised trigger, stock, and recoil-buffer designs. The launcher breaks open for breech loading, mounts a detachable shoulder stock housing a spring recoil buffer, and carries a folding grip beneath the barrel. It fires a family of 50mm munitions including rubber baton and rubber buckshot less-lethal rounds, tear-gas grenades, flash-bang rounds, breaching charges, and high-explosive fragmentation projectiles, with a folding ladder-type rear sight graduated from 50 to 150 meters.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 6800 g (239.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 895 mm (35.24") |
| Barrel Length | 295 mm (11.61") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 92 m/s (302 fps) |
| Effective Range | 150 m (164 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 50mm Special Munition · primary — also known as 50mm RGS, 50mm special grenade
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Break Open Action, Detachable Shoulder Stock, Spring Recoil Buffer, Folding Forward Grip, Ladder Type Rear Sight
Variants
- RGS-50 - Predecessor
Service history
Operators
- Russian Federal Security Service (FSB)
- Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD)
Conflicts
- Second Chechen War (1999-2009)
Production
Production years: 1999-present
Produced in limited numbers for Russian law enforcement and security agencies
Origin
Country of origin: Russia
Notes
Manufactured at the ZID (V.A. Degtyarev Plant) in Kovrov. Sometimes referred to simply as the RG-50M. The base RGS-50 was fielded in the late 1980s for KGB/internal-security use; the RGS-50M modernization followed in the late 1990s.
Background
Originally developed under the Soviet KGB as a specialised less-lethal and breaching tool for counter-terror and internal-security units, the RGS-50 series bridges the gap between a shotgun and a full grenade launcher, firing dedicated 50mm munitions from a single break-open breech.