106mm M40

The M40 106mm recoilless rifle is a portable, crew-served anti-tank weapon developed in the United States. It was widely adopted by many countries and could fire various ammunition types, including high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds.

Developed in the early 1950s to replace the flawed M27 recoilless rifle, the M40 officially entered service with the United States military in 1955. To prevent dangerous ammunition compatibility errors with its predecessor, the weapon was designated as '106mm' despite actually having a 105mm bore. It saw extensive combat during the Vietnam War, where it was frequently mounted on light vehicles like M151 Jeeps and M50 Ontos, and was later utilized in conflicts across the Middle East, Africa, and the Falklands. Although phased out of primary U.S. service in the 1970s by guided anti-tank missiles, the M40 remains in active service with several nations globally and continues to be used for civilian avalanche control in North America.