M203 grenade launcher

Launcher, Grenade, 40mm, M203 M203 (dismounted) Type grenade launcher Country of Origin USA Specifications Length 15 in (380mm) Barrel 12 in (305mm) Weight 3 lb (1.36 kg) (unloaded) Cartridge 40x46 mm grenade Caliber 40mm action slide action Rate of fire 5 to 7 round/min Muzzle velocity 250 ft/s (76 m/s) Effective range 160 yd (150 m) Max. range 1,312 ft (400 m) Feed Single shot Sights Quadrant sight or ladder sight on rifle Service History Used by See Users Wars Vietnam War and later Production History Cost/unit US$601 Variants See text

M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to the M16 assault rifle or the M4 Carbine used by the American military. The M203 can also be mounted onto a C7, a Canadian version of the M16 that uses an optical scope instead of an iron sight. 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.

History

The M203 was the only part of the army's flechette rifle project to go into production. The M203 has been in service since 1969 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 the 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.

Uses

The M-203 Grenade launcher was intended to be used as close fire support for point and group area targets. The round is designed to be effective at penetrating windows, blowing up doors, killing groups of enemies, destroying bunkers, and damaging or disabling non-armored vehicles. A well trained 203 gunner can also use his weapon to supress the enemy, both from movement and sight. In addition, the M203 can be used as a crowd control weapon when equiped with the M651 Tactical CS grenade. The M203 was not, and is not intended to be used againsted armored or heavy vehicles.

Rounds

The M203 is able to fire a variety of different rounds for many purposes. There are 8 different rounds for the M203:

• M406 High-Explosive round. Often called the 'H-E' round, this round is intended to produce kills and casualties on point and group targets, as well as destroying bunkers and doors.
• M433 High-Explosive Duel Purpose round. Able to penetrate 2 inches of steel when fired straight at the traget. it is designed to produce casualties and kills.
• M585 White Star Cluster. Used for Signaling and Illumination at nigh time.
• M651 Tactical CS Grenade. Used for crowd and riot control, the round releases large amounts of CS Gas to disable and scatter crowds.
• M781 Practice round. Used for zeroing and qualifying on the M203.
• Star Parachute. The White (M583A1), Green (M661), and Red (M662). Used to the same effect as the Star Cluster round for signaling and illumination purposes.
• Ground Marker. The Red (M713), Green (M715), and Yellow (M716). Used as a signaling smoke grenade round to mark soldiers and targets.
• Buckshot - Used for room clearing and point blank firing. Much like a very large shotgun shell.

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

Loading an M203 attached on an M16A1 rifle. The grenade's blue tip and white body shell indicate it is a practice round.

United States Army soldier ejects a spent M203 cartridge.

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 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.

Users

The M203 has proved vastly popular worldwide and inevitably has been fitted to a number of weapon systems.

Non M16 rifle/M4 carbine

An Australian F88 Austeyr rifle with a M203 grenade launcher.

M16A2 with an M203

M4A1 with an M203

• Australia F88 Austeyr rifle in Australian service.
• Austria Steyr AUG in Austrian service
• Chile SIG SG 550 and Galil SAR in Chilean service and special forces (Fuerzas Especiales).
• Colombia IMI Galil in Colombian service.
• Egypt Maadi which is an Egyptian variant of the Kalashnikov.
• France FAMAS in French service.
• Ireland Steyr AUG in Irish service.
• Israel Galil SAR, and Tavor TAR-21 in Israeli service.
• Italy Bernardelli VB/VB-SR in Italian service (limited to Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza); Beretta AR-70/90 rifles for standard Armed Forces use.
• Mexico Used on M-16/M-4 type rifles being replaced by the Heckler & Koch AG-C/EGLM
• New Zealand F88 Austeyr rifle in New Zealander service.
• Portugal Heckler & Koch G3 in Portuguese service.
• Singapore SAR-21 in Singaporean service.
• Sweden Ak 4/Ak 5 in Swedish service.
• Turkey Turkish Armed Forces uses a model modified for use with the G3.

M16 rifle/M4 carbine

• Israel
• Lebanon
• Malaysia
• Philippines
• United States

Civilian ownership in the United States

In the United States, M203 grenade launcher attachments are classified as "Destructive Devices" under the National Firearms Act part 26 U.S.C. 5845, 27 CFR 479.11, because they are a "non-sporting" firearm with a bore greater than one-half inch in diameter. M203s are relatively common on the civilian NFA market. New M203s sell for approximately $1,750 to $2,000 USD plus $200 transfer tax, and new manufacture 40mm training ammunition is available for $8 to $10 USD per cartridge, as of March 2008. High explosive 40mm grenades, however, are exceedingly rare on the civilian market, as each grenade must be individually registered with the Federal government with a $200 tax.

Several companies have also produced 37mm flare guns resembling the M203, which may be purchased without paperwork in most U.S. states. Legally, such devices are neither Destructive Devices nor even a firearms, but are signaling devices which may legally be used with 37mm flare and smoke munitions. If a 37mm flare gun were to be used with anti-personnel munitions, it would be illegal unless registered as a Destructive Device.

Data

Range qualification with a M203.

• 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)
  • Combat: 102 feet (31 meters)
• Unit Replacement Cost: $601 (USD) (2005)

Note: some data differs for versions that attach to the M4 Carbine.

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. While the M203 can fire the Mk 19 grenades, the increased pressure is liekly to blow the barrel of the M203, and is highly discouraged unless used as a last ditch effort in which all other ammunition has been expended.

See also

• Grenade
• Rifle grenade
• KAC Masterkey
• AG36 of the German Army
• XM26 LSS
• M16 rifle
• M4 carbine
• M320
• MEI HELLHOUND round
• BG-15

Resources

The GOR online library has the following documents available for free download for the M203 grenade launcher:

• TM 9-1010-221-10 Operator's Manual, M203 40mm Grenade Launcher, Department of the Army, Washington DC, December 1984 (716 KB .PDF file, 107 pages)
• FM 23-31 Field Manual, 40-MM Grenade Launcher, M203, Department of the Army, Washington DC, 20 September 1994 (18 .PDF files in 1.75MB compressed .RAR archive)

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External links

• U.S. Army Field Manual 3-22.31
• M433 40mm Cartridge High-explosive dual purpose (HEDP) round specs
• Martin Electronics, Inc. Home Page - 40 mm Ammunition
• Gun World - M203