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Ordnance Notes -- by Bob Stoner GMCM(SW) Ret.
XM-203 40mm Grenade Launcher
An
M-16A1 rifle with the M-203 grenade launcher attched. Note the distinctive handguard
for the rifle and the battle sight for the M-203 (folded, in back of the rifle's
front sight) and that the rifle's front sling swivel has been repositioned to
the side. The indirect fire sight for the M-203 is attached to the rifle's carrying
handle. The barrel release lever is the prominent tab above the serrated guard
for the M-203's barrel. The safety for the launcher is located ahead of the
launcher's trigger. The photo shows the safety in the ON (SAFE) position. The
trigger guard of the M-203 is designed to open, in a manner similar to the trigger
guard of the rifle, to allow the firing of grenades in cold weather conditions
whenmittens are used.
Aircraft Armaments, Inc. (AAI) was
the other contractor in the grenade launcher race. AAI was also the prime contractor
for the SPIW and they investigated may different grenade launcher concepts that
used the 40mm grenade of the M-79 and a smaller 30mm AAI design. Various launchers
were tried: a disposable barrel, incapsulated grenade, a 3-shot manually operated
launcher with either a straight line feed or rotary magazine, a 3-shot semi-automatic
launcher, and a simple single-shot launcher whose barrel pulled forward to load.
The AAI design was standardized as the M-203 40mm grenade launcher and has mostly
replaced the M-79 break-action launcher. The adoption of the M-16/M-203 combination
allowed the grenadier in the squad to carry a rifle comparable to his buddies
and allowed him to dispense with the short-ranged pistol as his only other offensive
weapon. The photo shows an M-16A1 5.56mm rifle with the M-203 40mm grenade launcher,
the new handguards which mount the battle sight for the M-203, and the indirect
fire sight (attached to the carrying handle of the rifle). The M-203 can also
be attached to the M-16A2 5.56mm rifle and M-4 5.56mm carbine. The M-4 is the
M-16A2 rifle with a shortened barrel and telescoping buttstock similar to the
XM-177 series 5.56mm submachine guns. Today's SEAL grenadier may use either
the M-16A2 or the M-4 with the M-203 attached. Due to its size and weight, the
M-4/M-203 combination is probably the preferred combination.
R-1
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© 2002 Bob Stoner
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