M-56 Howitzer vs SPG-9: Specs Compared

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AArtillery

M-56 Howitzer

M56 M56A1 Howitzer

Credit

Srđan Popović · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

BArtillery

SPG-9

Recoilless gun Anti-tank gun

Credit

Polanksy kolbe · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

M-56 HowitzerLength

6.55 m

Length source ↗

SPG-9Length

2.11 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

M-56 Howitzerlarger figure on 3 of 3

Length+210%
Height+252%
Rate of fire+27%

SPG-9larger figure on 0 of 3

None

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

16 of 75 rows sourced on both sides

6.55m

2.11m

Length+210%

All recorded figures & sources

6.55 m

Length

Single source

6550 mm^[source]

2.11 m

Length

Single source

Configuration

Details

M-56 Howitzer and SPG-9 configuration
Specification	M-56 Howitzer	SPG-9
Type	M56 M56A1 Howitzer^[source]	Recoilless gun Anti-tank gun^[source]
Place of origin	Yugoslavia^[source]	Soviet Union^[source]
In service	1956^[source]	1962–present^[source]
Designer	Military Technical Institute^[source]	—
Manufacturer

Produced	1952–present^[source]	—

No. built	more than 1,500 towed^[source]	—

Shell	separate loading, cased charge^[source]	—

Elevation	−9 to +65 degrees^[source]	+7°/−3°^[source]

Feed system	manual^[source]	Manually breech-loaded^[source]

Unit cost	$0.2 million estimated^[source]	—

Traverse	62°^[source]	30° total^[source]

Armor	STANAG 4569 Level I^[source]	—

Main armament	105 mm/33-calibre^[source]	—

Secondary armament	Zastava Arms M87 – 12.7×108 mm for M56A1 or 12.7mm RCWS can also be installed^[source]	—

Suspension	4x4 off-road wheels^[source]	—

Barrel length	28 caliber^[source]M-56; original production version	Длина ствола , мм 1850^[source]

Former operator · North Macedonia	North Macedonia^[source]	—

Wars	—	Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Salvadoran Civil War Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Gulf War Lebanese Civil War Iraq War Second Sudanese Civil War Third Sudanese Civil War Libyan Civil Wars Northern Mali conflict Syrian Civil War War in Iraq (2013-2017) War in Donbas Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen 2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes Russo-Ukraine War Gaza war^[source]

Breech	—	Interrupted screw^[source]

Recoil	—	None^[source]

Carriage	—	Tripod^[source]

Sights	—	PGO-9 optical 4× sight or PGN-9 IR and passive night sight^[source]

Role	—	tripod-mounted man-portable, 73mm caliber recoilless gun^[source]

Source measurement	—	The SPG-9 Kop'yo ( Russian : СПГ-9 Копьё , transliterated: Stankovyi Protivotankovyi Granatomet "Kop'yo" - Easel Anti-tank Grenade Launcher "Spear") is a tripod-mounted man-portable, 73mm caliber recoilless gun developed by the Soviet Union . It fires fin-stabilized, rocket-assisted high explosive (HE) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge projectiles similar to those fired by the 73mm 2A28 Grom low pressure gun of the BMP-1 armored vehicle. It was accepted into service in 1962, replacing the B-10 recoilless rifle .^[source]SPG-9 · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The projectile is launched from the gun by a small charge, which gives it an initial velocity of between 250–400 metres per second (820–1,310 ft/s). The launch charge also imparts spin to the projectile by a series of offset holes. Once the projectile has traveled approximately 20 metres (66 ft) from the launcher, a rocket motor in its base ignites. For the PG-9 projectile, this takes it to a velocity of 700 metres per second (2,300 ft/s) before the motor burns out.^[source]SPG-9 · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The SPG-9 is heavy, ~60 kilograms (130 lb), and normally transported by vehicle, and carried into position by its two person crew. It can be deployed in about a minute. The weapon is in service with a large number of armed forces, and a variety of ammunition is produced; however, they are mostly copies of the original Soviet PG-9 HEAT and OG-9 fragmentation high explosive (Frag-HE) rounds.^[source]SPG-9 · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Source measurement

—

The SPG-9 Kop'yo ( Russian : СПГ-9 Копьё , transliterated: Stankovyi Protivotankovyi Granatomet "Kop'yo" - Easel Anti-tank Grenade Launcher "Spear") is a tripod-mounted man-portable, 73mm caliber recoilless gun developed by the Soviet Union . It fires fin-stabilized, rocket-assisted high explosive (HE) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge projectiles similar to those fired by the 73mm 2A28 Grom low pressure gun of the BMP-1 armored vehicle. It was accepted into service in 1962, replacing the B-10 recoilless rifle .^[source]SPG-9 · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The projectile is launched from the gun by a small charge, which gives it an initial velocity of between 250–400 metres per second (820–1,310 ft/s). The launch charge also imparts spin to the projectile by a series of offset holes. Once the projectile has traveled approximately 20 metres (66 ft) from the launcher, a rocket motor in its base ignites. For the PG-9 projectile, this takes it to a velocity of 700 metres per second (2,300 ft/s) before the motor burns out.^[source]SPG-9 · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The SPG-9 is heavy, ~60 kilograms (130 lb), and normally transported by vehicle, and carried into position by its two person crew. It can be deployed in about a minute. The weapon is in service with a large number of armed forces, and a variety of ammunition is produced; however, they are mostly copies of the original Soviet PG-9 HEAT and OG-9 fragmentation high explosive (Frag-HE) rounds.^[source]SPG-9 · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

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