The RG-6 was required to increase the firepower of the infantry during urban combat, seen in small-scale conflicts, such as the Chechen wars.

The RG-6 entered limited production by the mid-1990s and is now in use by various elements of Russian Army and special forces such as those in the MVD.

RG-6 is designed to fire all standard 40mm "caseless" grenades, available for the general issue GP-25 underbarrel launcher.

The design of the RG-6 is, apparently, heavily influenced by the South African Milkor MGL grenade launcher, with some differences.

The "barrel" is, in fact, a smoothbore tube, which serves only as a support for the front grip and sights.