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M40 recoilless riflelarger figure on 3 of 3
MATADORlarger figure on 0 of 3
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
Length
Single source3.404 m (11 ft 2 in)[source]
Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | M40 recoilless rifle | MATADOR |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Recoilless rifle[source] | Recoilless gun[source] |
| Place of origin | United States[source] | Germany Israel Singapore[source] |
| In service | 1955–present[source] | 2000–present[source] |
| Used by | See Users[source] | See Operators |
1 m (3 ft 3 in )[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Wars | List of Conflicts Vietnam War Suez Crisis Algerian War Portuguese Colonial War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Six-Day War Western Sahara War Angolan Civil War Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War Rhodesian Bush War Nicaraguan Revolution Third Indochina War Soviet–Afghan War Iran–Iraq War Lebanese Civil War Salvadoran Civil War Chadian–Libyan conflict Somali Civil War 1989 Philippine coup d'état attempt Gulf War War in Afghanistan Libyan Civil War Syrian Civil War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) 2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict[source] | Gaza War (2008–09) Russo-Ukrainian War Russian invasion of Ukraine Gaza war[source] |
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| Manufacturer | Watervliet Arsenal[source] | Dynamit Nobel Defence[source] |
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| Shell | 105×607mmR ( HEAT , HEP, HEAP, Canister)[source] | — |
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| Recoil | Recoilless[source] | — |
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| Carriage | Tripod[source] | — |
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| Elevation | −17° to +65° (between mount legs) −17° to +27° (over mount leg)[source] | — |
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| Traverse | 360°[source] | — |
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| Role | portable, crew-served 105 mm recoilless rifle made in the United States[source] | — |
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| Source measurement | The M40 recoilless rifle is a portable, crew-served 105 mm recoilless rifle made in the United States . Intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon , it could also be employed in an antipersonnel role with the use of an antipersonnel-tracer flechette round . The bore was commonly described as being 106 mm caliber but is in fact 105 mm; the 106 mm designation was intended to prevent confusion with incompatible 105 mm ammunition from the failed M27. The air-cooled, breech-loaded , single-shot rifle fired fixed ammunition and was used primarily from a wheeled ground mount or M92 ground mount. It was designed for direct firing only, and sighting equipment for this purpose was furnished with each weapon, including an affixed M8C .50 cal spotting rifle .[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage 297 M50 "Ontos" were built as self-propelled light armored tracked anti-tank vehicles. They had six 105 mm M40 recoilless rifles as their main armament, which could be fired in rapid succession against a single target to guarantee a kill. The M40 could also be used on the M274 4×4 utility platform "mechanical mule."[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The earlier M27 recoilless rifle was a 105 mm weapon developed in the early 1950s and fielded in the Korean War . Although a recoilless rifle of this caliber had been a concept since the Second World War , the weapon was hurriedly produced with the onset of the Korean War. The speed with which it was developed and fielded resulted in problems with reliability caused by trunnions that were mounted too far to the rear. The M27 was also considered too heavy by the U.S. Army and had a disappointing effective range due to the lack of a spotting rifle. Taking the M27 as the basis for a new design, the Army developed an improved version of the M27 that was type-designated the M40 106-mm recoilless rifle in 1955. Although unsuitable for military purposes, M27 recoilless rifles were used to trigger controlled avalanches at ski resorts and mountain passes in the United States.[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Design history; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The M40 is shaped like a long tube with an M8C .50 cal spotting rifle above. The spotting rifle fires a round whose trajectory closely matches that of the 105 mm round and gives off a puff of smoke on impact with the target. On the left side, there is an elevating wheel, in the center of which is the trigger wheel used to fine adjust the elevation and at the same time firing the spotting rifle when pulled, and the gun when pushed. The mounting is a tripod , but the front leg has a castering wheel. On top of the mount is a traverse wheel. On the center of the traverse wheel is a locking wheel, when the wheel is down, the rifle is locked in traverse, and can only be moved right and left with the traverse wheel. When the wheel is raised, the rifle can be traversed by hand. Austria produced a two-wheeled mount for the M40.[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The whole mounting can be placed on an M151 Jeep for mobile use. It has also been mounted on M113s , UMM 4x4s , Jongas , Fath Safirs , Land Rover Defenders , Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen , Hotchkiss M201 jeeps, Toyota Land Cruisers , Willys M38s , HMMWVs , M274 Mechanical Mules , Tiuna 106 mm weapons platforms , JODDB (formerly King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau) Al Jawad vehicles, RBY MK 1s , AIL Abirs and AIL Storms . They were also used on US Navy minesweepers (MSO) during Operation Market Time in Vietnam.[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Ammunition for the 105 mm rifle was issued as one-piece fixed cartridges. The term "fixed" means that the projectile and the cartridge case are crimped together. This ensures correct alignment of the projectile and the cartridge case . It also permits faster loading because the projectile and the cartridge case are loaded as one unit. The rear end of the cartridge case is perforated, to allow the propellant gas to escape through the vented breech, thus neutralizing recoil. Most projectiles (except HEAT) used are pre-engraved, that is, the rotating bands are cut to engage the rifled bore.[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Ammunition; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Types of ammunition included HEAT , High Explosive Plastic- Tracer ( HEP-T ), canister , High Explosive Anti Personnel, and the M368 dummy round which could not be fired and was used for crew drill. The original U.S. HEAT round penetrated more than 400 mm of armor. Near the end of the M40's service life, both Austria and Sweden produced HEAT rounds for the weapon capable of penetrating more than 700 mm of armor.[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Ammunition; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The ammunition for the M8C spotting rifle is not .50 BMG , but a 22mm shorter (12.7x77mm) round than used in .50 caliber machine guns. The spotter round was developed to replicate the trajectory of the 106 mm ammunition, and features a tracer element and a point-detonating incendiary filler to create a puff of white smoke at the impact point. Four of the six 106mm rifles on the M50 Ontos mounted spotter rifles. Spotter rounds had a yellow tip with a red band and practice cartridges had a green tip.[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Ammunition / Spotting rifle; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage In the early 1990s, the United States Forest Service (USFS) introduced the M40 for avalanche control as ammunition stocks for its M27 rifles became depleted. The M40 was initially successful due to operational similarities to the familiar M27 and ready availability from the U.S. military; however, in 1995, a USFS gunner was killed by shrapnel after a low-level premature warhead detonation inside an M40 barrel. The accident was attributed to an undiscovered hairline crack in the projectile's base plate. Following this incident, most USFS M40s were quickly replaced with surplus 105 mm howitzers , but a few were kept in service with safety barriers to protect the gunners, who fired the guns remotely. In December 2002, two M40s at Mammoth Mountain were destroyed by catastrophic bore explosions 13 days apart. The gunners were uninjured, having been protected by the safety barriers, but the incidents prompted the USFS to retire all remaining M40s in July 2003.[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Civilian use; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Greek Mercedes-Benz 240G M40 carrier. Note the metal guard to protect the engine from the gun blast.[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Gallery; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Firing the gun from a Mercedes-Benz 240G.[source]M40 recoilless rifle · Gallery; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage | — |
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| Country of origin | United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 8, row 3, cell 2; revision 1364904286; retrieved 2026-10-02 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 25, cell 3; revision 1352605490; retrieved 2026-10-02 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 6, row 7, cell 4; revision 1373711202; retrieved 2026-10-02 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 11, cell 2; revision 1365890955; retrieved 2026-10-02 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 3, row 16, cell 3; revision 1377604549; retrieved 2026-10-02 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 49, cell 6; revision 1377599444; retrieved 2026-10-01 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 28, row 4, cell 4; revision 1377602121; retrieved 2026-10-01 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 10, row 7, cell 3; revision 1376110979; retrieved 2026-10-01 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 9, row 5, cell 3; revision 1377789308; retrieved 2026-10-01 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 27, cell 2; revision 1367189446; retrieved 2026-10-01 United States[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 60, cell 5; revision 1377480423; retrieved 2026-10-01 | — |
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| Designer | — | Singapore Armed Forces , Rafael Advanced Defense Systems , Defence Science and Technology Agency[source] |
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| Designed | — | 1999[source] |
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| Unit cost | — | ~€5,000[source] |
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| Feed system | — | Single-shot, disposable[source] |
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| Sights | — | Integral optical sights Night vision device on a Picatinny rail[source] |
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| Reported operators |
| — |
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