Infantry Weapons

B-10 recoilless rifle

The B-10 recoilless rifle is a Soviet 82 mm crew-served recoilless weapon built for direct-fire anti-armor and anti-fortification work from a light carriage or tripod. In Somalia's post-2006 civil war, Human Rights Watch documented insurgent groups armed with B-10 recoilless rifles, and later United Nations reporting listed obsolete B-10 recoilless rifles among materiel in the country.

Somali Civil War / al-Shabaab conflict since 2006Unspecified

B-10 recoilless rifle, 82 mm recoilless rifle, Infantry Weapons

Image source: B-10 82mm.jpg

Profile

Origin: Soviet Union
Built by: Soviet state arsenals; later licensed or copied by Chinese producers
Built in: Soviet Union; China
Type: 82 mm recoilless rifle
Service note: Cold War design introduced in the 1950s; later seen in post-2006 Somali insurgent arsenals
Designer: KBM (Kolomna)
Designed: Early 1950s
Produced: 1950s-1960s; later foreign copies and local production
Variants: Type 65, Type 65-1, Type 78, RG82

anti-tank portable recoilless rifle strike

Specifications

Caliber: 82 mm
Crew: 4
Weight: About 85.3 kg with carriage; about 71.7 kg without wheels
Effective range: About 400 m against armored targets
Maximum range: About 4,500 m with high-explosive ammunition
Carriage: Two-wheeled carriage with integrated tripod; can be towed and fired from the tripod

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Entered Soviet service in the 1950s and later persisted in export and insurgent use well after obsolescence in regular armies
Used by: Somali insurgent groups
Wars: Somali Civil War / al-Shabaab conflict since 2006

Conflict Usage

Side: Unspecified

A Soviet 82 mm anti-vehicle recoilless gun. Small Arms Survey notes it was “frequently listed” in UN Somalia/Eritrea Monitoring Group reports, and a 2024 UN report mentions al-Shabaab use of 82 mm HEAT warheads with B-10 recoilless systems.

B-10 recoilless rifle Images

B-10 recoilless rifle, 82 mm recoilless rifle, Infantry Weapons - view 1 — Source: B-10 82mm.jpg

B-10 recoilless rifle, 82 mm recoilless rifle, Infantry Weapons - view 2 — Source: B-10 AMW.jpg

B-10 recoilless rifle, 82 mm recoilless rifle, Infantry Weapons - view 3 — Source: B-10 82mm.jpg

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Sources

B-10 recoilless riflePublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports B-10 identification, anti-armour role, and basic design/background context for the 82 mm recoilless rifle family. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 S/2024/748Publisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Supports background context for Somalia-related reporting on al-Shabaab weapons and B-10 recoilless systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Shell-Shocked: Civilians Under Siege in MogadishuPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports historical Somalia conflict background and earlier insurgent possession of B-10 recoilless rifles. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 B-10 82mm.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the primary B-10 image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 B-10 AMW.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for an additional B-10 gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 B-10-82mm-recoilless-rifle-batey-haosef-2-1.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for a third B-10 gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22