In addition, those rounds could do significant damage to up to a meter of concrete.
By contrast, the M20A1 could be dissembled into two pieces but lacked the hinge.
Instead, the operators had to line up the pieces and twist to lock the two halves in place.
Switzerland produced a licensed version of the Blindicide: the Raketenrohr 58 (RR 58) These were used until the adoption of thePanzerfaust 3in the 1990s. Image: Creative Commons
In addition, the M20A1s all aluminum construction proved less rugged in the field.
The RL-83 offered a few other advancements.
It featured a forward grip, which could double as a monopod for use in fixed positions.
A comparison of the American-made M20A1 “Super Bazooka” (top) and the Beligan-producedRL-83 Blindicide.
However, as it could hinder the view, some operators opted to remove it.
The weapon was employed by anti-British insurgent forces during the Aden Emergency in what is today Yemen.
More recently, units of the Free Syrian Army have been seen using the RL-83.
As demonstrated above, the RL-83 could fold up neatly for easy transport in the field.
In addition, the rear breech needs to be blocked so that a round cant be loaded.
This author has never seen a live RL-83everoffered for sale.
Clearly, the market has been going up for these items.
The face shield offered multiple “windows” to provide the operator with a reasonable field of view — including with the manual sights.
The RL-83 featured a pistol-style grip with a manual safety. A second safety was located at the breech where the round was loaded into the tube.
The RL-83 Blindicide was employed in the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Operators typically carried the Uzi submachine gun as a secondary weapon.
Shown above is an Israeli RL-83 Blindicide in an original storage crate with inert practice round. These were sold as surplus in the 1990s and have become very collectible.
