T57 Recoilless Rifle

T57 Recoilless Rifle
T57 Recoilless Rifle
	T57 rifle prepared to fire on range
Type	Recoilless Rifle
Place of origin	Empire of Exponent
Service history
In service	1957-present
Used by	See Users
Production history
Manufacturer	Sancte Christi Government Arsenal
Produced	1957-present
Specifications
Weight	209.5 kg (462 lb)
Length	3.404 m (11 ft 2 in)
Height	1.12 m (3 ft 8 in)
Cartridge	106×607mmR (HEAT, HEP, HEAP, Canister)
Caliber	106mm
Muzzle velocity	503 m/s (1,650 ft/s)(HEAT)
Effective firing range	1,350 m (1,480 yd)
Maximum firing range	6,870 m (HEP-T)

The T57 recoilless rifle is a lightweight,portable, crew-served 106mm weapon intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon made in the Blackhelm Confederacy. The weapon is commonly described as being 106mm, but it is in fact 105mm; the 106mm designation was designed to prevent confusion with the incompatible 105mm ammunition from the failed T53.

It could also be employed in an antipersonnel role with the use of the antipersonnel-tracer flechette round. It can be fired primarily from a wheeled ground mount. The air-cooled, breech-loaded, single-shot rifle fired fixed ammunition. It was designed for direct firing only, and sighting equipment for this purpose was furnished with each weapon.

The T53 recoilless rifle was a 105-mm weapon developed in the early 1950s. Although a recoilless rifle of this caliber had been a concept since the Second Fascist War, the weapon was hurriedly produced in the aftermath of the disastrous battle of Crescent Bay. 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 T53 was also considered too heavy for jungle warfare by the Imperial Army and had a disappointing effective range due to the lack of a spotting rifle. Taking the T53 as a the basis for a new design, the Army developed an improved version of the T53 that was in 1957 designated the T57 106-mm recoilless rifle.

The T57 primarily saw action during the Hesperidesian Revolutions and remains in service with the Blackhelm Confederate Army. The weapon was also used by communist forces in the Backlands mounted on civilian vehicles.

Description

The T57 is shaped like a long tube with an .50 cal spotting rifle above. The spotting rifle fires a round whose trajectory closely matches that of the 106mm round and gives off a puff of smoke on impact with the target. On the left hand 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 castoring 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.

Ammunition

Ammunition for the 106mm 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. If the round was not rotated slightly when loading the T57 it could result in jamming in the breach.

Types of ammunition included HEAT, High Explosive Plastic-Tracer (HEP-T), canister, High Explosive Anti Personnel, and a dummy round which could not be fired and is used for crew drill. The original HEAT round penetrated more than 400 mm of armor. Modern HEAT rounds for the weapon are capable of penetrating more than 700 mm of armor.

The ammunition for the 0.50 cal spotting rifle is not .50 BMG. The round used is a special round designed to simulate the flight path of the 106 mm ammunition.

Although the spotting rifle could conceivably be used in an antipersonnel role, historical Imperial military doctrine strongly discouraged this use. This limitation was entirely tactical in nature, having been intended to help conceal the vulnerable T57 and its crew from the enemy before the main anti-tank gun could be fired; however, this restriction is believed to be the source of a long-standing misconception that the laws of war restrict the use of .50-caliber projectiles against enemy personnel more generally