What is this gun?

[Cutaway]

Korean People's Army. Small and heavy infantry weapons. Part of 2

The following are used as sniper weapons in the DPRK: - Mosin sniper rifles of the 1891/1930 model, probably already removed from service with the KPA and transferred to the RKKG; Mosin sniper rifle of the 1891/1930 model with a VP optical sight - Soviet SVD sniper rifles and their Chinese...

en.topwar.ru

Another informative page proves once again that Google is not a go-to source for technical translation.

 

[HectortheInspector]

Hmmm.

I take it that you're not aware as to what (mostly) absorbs the recoil of a mortar?

Yes. The base plate.
However, for a small calibre projectile, the butt would probably do in a push.
There have been similar sized indirect fire weapons like the Japanese 50mm Type 89 Knee mortar of World War 2.
It looks grossly oversized for a standard grenade launcher, undersized for an AT weapon in the modern age, so you have to wonder just what all that barrel length is for.
I suspect that the NKs may have designed this thing as a multi purpose system to fire a wide range of projectiles, some in direct fire, some indirect. The original photo shows an exhibition table with two projectiles, one what looks like it has folding fins, the other with what looks like a basic spigot stick.

 

[putteesinmyhands]

Hmmm.

I take it that you're not aware as to what (mostly) absorbs the recoil of a mortar?

Are you including toes?

 

[bob_the_bomb]

Yes. The base plate.
However, for a small calibre projectile, the butt would probably do in a push.
There have been similar sized indirect fire weapons like the Japanese 50mm Type 89 Knee mortar of World War 2.
It looks grossly oversized for a standard grenade launcher, undersized for an AT weapon in the modern age, so you have to wonder just what all that barrel length is for.
I suspect that the NKs may have designed this thing as a multi purpose system to fire a wide range of projectiles, some in direct fire, some indirect. The original photo shows an exhibition table with two projectiles, one what looks like it has folding fins, the other with what looks like a basic spigot stick.

The ‘knee’ part of the knee mortar story was a myth, I believe.

 

[Ortholith]

The ‘knee’ part of the knee mortar story was a myth, I believe.

 

[TamH70]

The ‘knee’ part of the knee mortar story was a myth, I believe.

Yep. Forgotten Weapon's Ian McCollum, A.K.A Gun Jesus, has done a couple of videos on the subject:

Japanese Type 10 Light Grenade Projector (aka Knee Mortar) - YouTube

Type 89 Knee Mortar - YouTube

ETA:

Bah, beaten by a teacher.

And not for the first time...

 

[Cutaway]

The ‘knee’ part of the knee mortar story was a myth, I believe.

If GIs tried using them om their knees, one can only hope the Japanese had a similar misunderstanding about the T-13 ball grenade.

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

Yes. The base plate.

No - it's the ground.

However, for a small calibre projectile, the butt would probably do in a push.
There have been similar sized indirect fire weapons like the Japanese 50mm Type 89 Knee mortar of World War 2.
It looks grossly oversized for a standard grenade launcher, undersized for an AT weapon in the modern age, so you have to wonder just what all that barrel length is for.
I suspect that the NKs may have designed this thing as a multi purpose system to fire a wide range of projectiles, some in direct fire, some indirect. The original photo shows an exhibition table with two projectiles, one what looks like it has folding fins, the other with what looks like a basic spigot stick.

The incorrectly named Japanese Knee Mortar possessed a base plate, though shaped unlike any other mortar:

​

and not (as was initially thought) shaped to be braced against the thigh (knee):

As some US servicemen found out to their painful cost when their femur turned to dust.

The Japanese Type 98 (Knee Mortar) is, more accurately, a grenade launcher - a function which I suspect is the intent of DPRK weapon.

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

Are you including toes?

There speaks a man who has never had the pleasure of digging out 4 x 81mm baseplates at 2200 on a snowy German range after Sir decided that it was a wizard idea (at 2100) to unbox all the HE and get it off so that he could declare that Mortars had fired off their annual stipend iaw the wishes of The Grand Poobah.

The final rounds were fired by the No 2 lying flat on the ground as the muzzle was about 5-6 inches AGL.

 

[putteesinmyhands]

There speaks a man who has never had the pleasure of digging out 4 x 81mm baseplates at 2200 on a snowy German range after Sir decided that it was a wizard idea (at 2100) to unbox all the HE and get it off so that he could declare that Mortars had fired off their annual stipend iaw the wishes of The Grand Poobah.

The final rounds were fired by the No 2 lying flat on the ground as the muzzle was about 5-6 inches AGL.

I have had the pleasure of fitting the periscope when the ground level mysteriously rose around the mortar...

 

[HectortheInspector]

The ‘knee’ part of the knee mortar story was a myth, I believe.

You could brace it against your knee.
Once.
Before going to hospital to have the broken femur treated.

 

[BugsyIV]

Before going to hospital to have the broken femur treated.

Assuming the surgeon is shìt hot at jigsaws

 

[Bacongrills]

The NK gun looks like the exact bore size of a tin of ex Korean war rat pack kimchi, which could make it a very lethal weapon indeed, launched after 5 mins over a hexi burner, a rain of boiling hot rancid cabbage could be endex for anyone foolish enough to try it.

 

[Onetap]

Korean People's Army. Small and heavy infantry weapons. Part of 2

The following are used as sniper weapons in the DPRK: - Mosin sniper rifles of the 1891/1930 model, probably already removed from service with the KPA and transferred to the RKKG; Mosin sniper rifle of the 1891/1930 model with a VP optical sight - Soviet SVD sniper rifles and their Chinese...

en.topwar.ru

Looks like a home grown grenade launcher as they also use their own manufactured versions of the RPG 2 and 7

Mystery North Korean Grenade Launcher -

Along with nuclear bombs and ultra high capacity AK magazines, North Korea has also developed a new grenade launcher. The rifle shaped weapon, with its unusually long barrel and an optical grenade sight, must have been designed to engage targets at long ranges. It is not clear what caliber of...

www.thefirearmblog.com

Googling turns up quotes from 'experts' who think those things are fake, although usually quoted in the tabloid papers.

The NK gun looks like the exact bore size of a tin of ex Korean war rat pack kimchi, which could make it a very lethal weapon indeed, launched after 5 mins over a hexi burner, a rain of boiling hot rancid cabbage could be endex for anyone foolish enough to try it.

It might be a grenade launcher type thing like the M79, but the recoil from firing a projectile of any weight with enough velocity to go any distance would break bones. The stock on that rifle was not put in the shoulder when firing Energas. If it's real, I'd guess it's rocket assisted, a grenade launcher to throw the projectile a few yards and a rocket motor then fires when it's far enough from the firer to avoid burning his/her face off, a bit like the RPG-7.
Probably a fake, though. The Great Leader would never know.

 

[gafkiwi]

Googling turns up quotes from 'experts' who think those things are fake, although usually quoted in the tabloid papers.

It might be a grenade launcher type thing like the M79, but the recoil from firing a projectile of any weight with enough velocity to go any distance would break bones. The stock on that rifle was not put in the shoulder when firing Energas. If it's real, I'd guess it's rocket assisted, a grenade launcher to throw the projectile a few yards and a rocket motor then fires when it's far enough from the firer to avoid burning his/her face off, a bit like the RPG-7.
Probably a fake, though. The Great Leader would never know.

I read an article based on images taken of a parade (can't remember if it was North Korean, Iranian or possibly Cuban). It identified which kit was dressed up for the parade or a straight mock up incl the NVE the soldiers were wearing complete with markings or brands of a toy company. They even included the link to the toy companies on line catalogue if you wanted your own.

 

[Themanwho]

Googling turns up quotes from 'experts' who think those things are fake, although usually quoted in the tabloid papers.

It might be a grenade launcher type thing like the M79, but the recoil from firing a projectile of any weight with enough velocity to go any distance would break bones. The stock on that rifle was not put in the shoulder when firing Energas. If it's real, I'd guess it's rocket assisted, a grenade launcher to throw the projectile a few yards and a rocket motor then fires when it's far enough from the firer to avoid burning his/her face off, a bit like the RPG-7.
Probably a fake, though. The Great Leader would never know.

It's North Korea. "Throwing" the projectile a few yards before firing the rocket motor may be optional.

Just a thought.

 

[HE117]

Googling turns up quotes from 'experts' who think those things are fake, although usually quoted in the tabloid papers.

It might be a grenade launcher type thing like the M79, but the recoil from firing a projectile of any weight with enough velocity to go any distance would break bones. The stock on that rifle was not put in the shoulder when firing Energas. If it's real, I'd guess it's rocket assisted, a grenade launcher to throw the projectile a few yards and a rocket motor then fires when it's far enough from the firer to avoid burning his/her face off, a bit like the RPG-7.
Probably a fake, though. The Great Leader would never know.

An M79 grenade only weighs 185g.. A PG7 warhead plus rocket motor is around 2kg, (around twice the weight of a PIAT bomb) . adding the launch charge and tail unit adds another 500g.

There is no way you could launch a 2kg grenade from a non recoilless launcher. You need to get a PG7 at least 10m away from you before lighting up the boost motor. Even using something like a spigot as used in a PIAT you would need a bigger bulky (..and much heavier) thing than they were using on that parade...

Also, there is not enough space for the launch charge and tail unit for the PG7 on that launcher.. The grenade is not ballistically stable without the tail unit!

Newton he say No!

 

[Stonker]

Newton he say No!

. . . . a thousand times No!

 

[Onetap]

An M79 grenade only weighs 185g.. A PG7 warhead plus rocket motor is around 2kg, (around twice the weight of a PIAT bomb) . adding the launch charge and tail unit adds another 500g.

There is no way you could launch a 2kg grenade from a non recoilless launcher. You need to get a PG7 at least 10m away from you before lighting up the boost motor. Even using something like a spigot as used in a PIAT you would need a bigger bulky (..and much heavier) thing than they were using on that parade...

Also, there is not enough space for the launch charge and tail unit for the PG7 on that launcher.. The grenade is not ballistically stable without the tail unit!

Newton he say No!

Newton he say no, Supreme Leader he say yes.

The Energa weighed 760 g, and had a muzzle velocity of 75 m/s. Wikipedia says there was a Super Energa, with a rocket motor for additional range, though probably no accuracy.

If you cut the muzzle velocity down to about a third of that, you might get something that could be fired from the shoulder. I am also very dubious, but it's the only way I can imagine that thing might work. I don't see how that would be an improvement on the RPG method, which the Russians spent years devising. Probably a fake.

 

[gafkiwi]

Given their undying loyalty to the supreme leader, it could be a North Korean adaption of the "Anti tank pole" the Japanese had in WW2