Anti-Assad fighters from the Mujahid Battalion of the Caucasus Emirate have posted a Russian-language video to their website, outlining how to modify the VP-7M type fuze to disable the self-destruct mechanism present in PG-7 type warheads. Typically, these warheads self-destruct at around the 920m mark. Disabling this feature extends the maximum range of the weapon, though its accuracy would be very limited. A US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) bulletin from 1975 assessed the accuracy of the RPG-7 firing the PG-7V round against a 7.5 x 15 foot panel moving at 9 miles per hour at various ranges. The report concluded that at 500m, the chance of a successful first-round hit was only 4%. Fired in this modified fashion, the weapon would be useful only for attacks against area targets, such as massed concentrations of troops or vehicles, military bases, or urban areas. It would also require the gunner to practice extensively at these ranges, which seems unlikely to occur.

Remember, all munitions are dangerous. You should not approach, handle, or modify munitions unless explicitly trained to do so. You can visit RRMA for more information. As always, if you see any unexploded ordnance (UXO), remember the ‘ARMS’ acronym:

•AVOID the area
•RECORD all relevant information from a safe distance
•MARK the area to warn others
•SEEK assistance from the relevant authorities 

A hat tip to Aris Roussinos for spotting this video, and my thanks to Alex Diehl for his help with the post.