M203 GRENADE LAUNCHER

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'M203' generally refers to the United States Army designation for a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to the M16 assault rifle or the M4 Carbine. Stand-alone variants exist as do versions capable of being used on many other rifles. The device attaches under the barrel and forward of the magazine, the trigger being just forward of the rifle magazine. The rifle magazine functions as a hand grip when firing the M203. A separate sighting system is added to rifles fitted with the M203, as the rifle's standard sights are not matched to the launcher. The M203 can fire high-explosive, smoke, illuminating, buckshot direct fire, CS gas, and training grenades.

Contents

History

Components

Variants

Usage

Civilian ownership

Data

See also

References

External links

History

The M203 was the only part of the army's flechette rifle project to go into production and was introduced to U.S. military forces during the early 1970s. Replacing the older M79 grenade launcher and conceptually similar Colt XM148 design. However, while the M79 was a separate weapon entirely, the M203 was designed as a rifle attachment in order to increase the efficiency at which a soldier could alternate between bullet fire and HE grenade fire.
It is sometimes thought that the M203 was a poor replacement for the M79, as while the M79 was quick to reload and more or less accurate under adverse conditions, such as in Vietnam War, the M203 was more difficult and awkward to operate, and could be sent off-target more easily by variables such as a gust of wind.
A new grenade launcher in development, the XM320, will likely replace the 203 in United States service eventually. The XM320 is lighter than the M203, and has other benefits such as an unobstructed side-loading breech. ^[2]
The 40 mm grenades used in the M203 (40 x 46 mm) are not the same as in the Mk 19 grenade launcher (40 x 53 mm), which are fired at a higher velocity.
Perhaps its most famous use is as Tony Montana's "little friend" in the finale of the film, ''Scarface'' (though the piece used in the film was actually a replica 37mm launcher, not an M203).

Components

The M203 Grenade launcher system comes with a variety of components, usually including the launcher, adaptors for attachment to assault rifles, and leaf sights (which can be used with the rifle's front sight post). M203s can also come with quadrant sights, mounting to a MIL-STD 1913 Rail, or to the carrying handle of an M16 rifle.

Variants

There are numerous variants of the M203 manufactured in the U.S., and throughout the world, for various applications. These vary chiefly in the length of the barrel, attachment type, and quick detach (QD) capability.
The ''standard M203'' is intended for permanent (armorer level) attachment to the M16A1, M16A2 and M16A3 rifles, and utilizes a 12" rifled barrel. These can also be attached to M4 and M4A1 carbines, using a different front attachment point forward of the front sight block, but the SOPMOD kit uses M203A1 grenade launchers.
The American 'M203A1' is intended for use with the M4 and M4A1 Carbine. The barrel is shortened to 9", and principally the M203A1 QD is able to quickly detach from the rifle, and be replaced by a Knight's Armament Company M4 RAS lower handguard. An advantage of using a 40 mm grenade launcher on an assault rifle equipped with MIL-STD 1913 Rails is the attachment of various range-finding optics.
The Canadian 'M203A1' by Diemaco (now Colt Canada) was a similar design with a different mounting system that did not require mounting points of the same profile as the M16A1 rifle's. The weapon's 9" barrel slides forward further than the standard American models to allow longer rounds to be loaded. This model is identifiable by the increased distance between the grenade launcher's barrel axis and the rifle's. This weapon may no longer be in production.
The 'M203A2' is intended for use with the M16A4 MWS (Modular weapon system). Using standard 12" barrels, the grenade launcher is intended for use in concert with the Knight's Armament Company M5 RAS. Again, an advantage of this system is the attachment of range-finding optics makes precision targeting easier.
The 'M203 PI' system is used for attachment of the M203 to other rifles, including but not limited to the Steyr AUG, H&K G3 and other rifles, and even the MP5 submachine gun. Most of these other companies have since devised 40 mm grenade launchers custom integrated with the weapon.
The M203 and M203A1 are currently manufactured by Airtronic USA, Inc. of Elk Grove Village, Illinois for the U.S. Department of Defense under contract numbers W52H09-06-D-0200 and W52H09-06-D-0225. Each contract is for up to 12,000 units. Each unit is shipped with hand guard, leaf sight and quadrant range sight. The contracts unit prices vary from $840 to $1,050 each. The production rate is 1,500 units per month. The M203A1 was revised to use a standard 12 inch barrel due to accuracy requirments.
The M203 PI is manufactured for both U.S. Department of Defense and for commercial sales (to Law Enforcement agencies both in the USA and abroad, and for foreign military sales) by RM-Equipment Inc. of Miami, Florida.

Usage

The M203 has proved vastly popular worldwide and inevitably has been fitted to a number of weapon systems other than the M16 rifle/M4 carbine for which it was designed. These include:

★ F88 Austeyr rifle in Australian service

★ Steyr AUG in Austrian service

★ SIG SG 550 and Galil SAR in Chilean service and special forces (Fuerzas Especiales)

★ IMI Galil in Colombian service

★ Steyr AUG in Irish service

★ M4 carbine, Galil SAR, and Tavor TAR-21 in Israeli service

★ Bernardelli VB/VB-SR in Italian service (limited to Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza); Beretta AR-70/90 rifles for standard Armed Forces use; M4 Carbines for Special Forces

★ Steyr AUG in Malaysian service

★ F88 Austeyr rifle in New Zealander service

★ Heckler & Koch G3 in Portuguese service

★ SAR-21 in Singaporean service

★ Ak 5 in Swedish service

★ G-3 in Turkish service

Civilian ownership

In the United States, M203 grenade launchers are classified as "Destructive Devices" under the National Firearms Act subject to the NFA process. M203s are not that common in the civilian NFA market because each explosive 40 mm grenade is also subject to the NFA process and its subsequent $200 tax. 37 mm flares are legal for civilian use without an NFA stamp, and 37 mm flare launchers have been built along near identical lines to the M203 launchers.

Data

★ 'Launcher:' 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms)

★ 'Rifle (M16A2):' 8.79 pounds (3.99 kg)

★ 'Total weight (including 30 rounds):' 11.79 pounds (5.35 kg)

★ 'Bore diameter:' 40 mm

★ 'Maximum effective range:'

★
★ 'Area target:' 1148 feet (350 meters)

★
★ 'Point target:' 492 feet (150 meters)

★ 'Maximum range:' 1312 feet (400 meters)

★ 'Minimum safe range:'

★
★ 'Non-Direct Fire:' 115 feet (35 meters)

★
★ 'Training:' 427 feet (130 meters)

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★ 'Combat:' 102 feet (31 meters)

★ 'Unit Replacement Cost:' $601 (USD) (2005)
'Note:' some data differs for versions that attach to the M4 Carbine.

See also

★ List of modern weapons

★ Grenade

★ List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces

★ List of crew served weapons of the US Armed Forces

★ Rifle grenade

★ KAC Masterkey

★ AG36 of the German Army

★ LAG 40 grenade launcher

★ XM26 LSS

★ FN M303

★ M16 rifle

★ M4 carbine

★ M79 Grenade launcher

★ China Lake NATIC

★ XM320

★ MK19

★ SAG-30

★ MEI HELLHOUND round

★ Milkor MGL

References

1. http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m203.htm
2. XM320 Grenade Launcher Module And XM26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System - Army Magazine

External links

★ U.S. Marine Fact File

★ U.S. Army Field Manual 3-22.31

★ M433 40mm Cartridge High-explosive dual purpose (HEDP) round specs

★ Martin Electronics, Inc. Home Page - 40mm Ammunition