On the Development of Dynamo-Reactive Guns in Engineer M. N. Kondakov’s Design Bureau (OKB-43) in the 1930s
- Authors: Timofeeva R.A.1, Chumak R.N.2, Antonov V.A.3
-
Affiliations:
- Saint Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design
- Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps
- Museum of National Military History
- Issue: Vol 46, No 2 (2025)
- Pages: 275-287
- Section: From the History of Technology
- URL: https://ruspoj.com/0205-9606/article/view/686658
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.31857/S0205960625020046
- EDN: https://elibrary.ru/HVZODN
- ID: 686658
Cite item
Abstract
The article analyzes a highly specialized area of activities of engineer M. N. Kondakov’s design bureau (KB-KON, later OKB-43, Leningrad), the creation of “dynamo-reactive” recoilless automatic cannons in the 1930s. The following projects are considered: automatic rocket launchers AURS-82 and AURS-132, 76-mm single-shot dynamo-reactive gun RP VTA, 37-mm ARKON anti-tank rifle, 45 mm automatic cannon ARKON-45, 76-mm DRP assault rifle, 37-mm rocket-propelled anti-tank rifle RPTR, mountain rocket gun GRP, and 60-mm semi-automatic rocket gun PRP-60. Their technical characteristics and design solutions are analyzed and the contributions of design engineers V. F. Lender, A. A. Tolochkov, L. I. Gorlitskii, S. G. Bukhalovskii, E. S. Rashkov, and V. E. Slukhotskii are revealed. A conclusion is drawn regarding the features of these guns and the specifics of the design bureau’s activities as a distinct scientific school for designing artillery guns of this type. The reasons for a gradual abandonment of this line of work at engineer Kondakov’s design bureau are identified.
Full Text

About the authors
Rimma A. Timofeeva
Saint Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design
Author for correspondence.
Email: rimma.a.timofeeva@gmail.com
Russian Federation, 18, Bolshaya Morskaya St., Saint Petersburg, 191186
Ruslan N. Chumak
Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps
Email: majorruss@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, 7, Alexandrovsky Park, Saint Petersburg, 197046
Vadim A. Antonov
Museum of National Military History
Email: programtec@mail.ru
Russian Federation, 1, Konnaya St., Padikovo Village, Istra Urban District, Moscow Region, 143582
References
- Bolotin, D. N. (1995) Istoriia sovetskogo strelkovogo oruzhiia i patronov [History of Soviet Small Arms and Cartridges]. Sankt-Peterburg: Poligon.
- Kazakov, K. P. (ed.) (1964) Istoriia otechestvennoi artillerii [History of Russian Artillery]. Moskva and Leningrad, vol. 3: Artilleriia Sovetskoi armii do Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny (oktiabr’ 1917 g. – iiun’ 1941 g.) [Soviet Army’s Artillery before the Great Patriotic War (October 1917 – June 1941)], book 8: Sovetskaia artilleriia v period mezhdu Grazhdanskoi i Velikoi Otechestvennoi voinami (1921 g. – iiun’ 1941 g.) [Soviet Artillery during the Period between the Civil and the Great Patriotic Wars (1921 – June 1941)].
- Malinovskii, V. A. (1941) Rol’ Artilleriiskoi akademii v razvitii strelkovogo vooruzheniia [The Role of the Artillery Academy in the Development of Small Arms], [Artilleriiskaia ordena Lenina Akademiia Krasnoi armii im. F. E. Dzerzhinskogo] Izvestiia [F. E. Dzerzhinsky Artillery Order of Lenin Academy of the Red Army] Proceedings. Moskva: Izdanie akademii, vol. 31: Sbornik materialov po istorii akademii. 1820–1940 [Collection of Materials on the History of the Academy. 1820–1940], pp. 176–180.
- Shirokorad, A. B. (2003) Tainy russkoi artillerii. Poslednii dovod tsarei i komissarov [Secrets of Russian Artillery. The Last Argument of the Czars and Commissars]. Moskva: Iauza and Eksmo.
- Tikhonov, S. G. (2010) Oboronnye predpriiatiia SSSR i Rossii [Defense Enterprises of the USSR and Russia]. Moskva: TOM, vol. 1.
- Tumanov, V. E. (1990) Pryzhok cherez desiatiletiia (po materialam i dokumentam, khraniashchimsia v fondakh i arhive VIMAIViVS) [A Leap through the Decades (Based on Materials and Documents Stored in the Collections and Archive of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps)], in: Sbornik issledovanii i materialov Voenno-istoricheskogo ordena Krasnoi Zvezdy Muzeia artillerii, inzhenernykh voisk i voisk sviazi [Collection of Studies and Materials of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps]. Leningrad: VIMAIViVS, iss. 5, pp. 19–48.
Supplementary files
