This allows the use of additional, longer, ammunition, particularly non-lethal rounds. The barrel swings out for loading, rather than the M203’s forward-sliding pump-like barrel. One of the most noticeable upgrades over the M203 is the M320’s side-loading mechanism. Using the same high-low propulsion system of the M79 and M203 to keep recoil low while firing a heavy 40mm projectile, the M320 has the same range as the M203 while increasing accuracy and coming with a number of improvements over the older model. A new, better, under-barrel 40mm grenade launcher was needed. While stand-alone launchers definitely have their place, the need for a grenadier who is also a rifleman is a crucial one in most cases. Much more importantly, it’s not capable of being used as an under-barrel launcher on an M4 or M16 rifle. The M79, introduced in 1961, is even older than the M203. ![]() The M79 was beloved by troops since Vietnam and still has a following in today’s military. While it has performed admirably since Vietnam, no one has ever claimed that the M203 provided pinpoint accuracy. The M79 has greater range and better accuracy than the M203. The break-action blooper (or ‘thumper,’ based on who you ask) was touted as a superior tool for the job when the whole rifle/launcher combo was too heavy or unwieldy, and standalone M203 units were not up to the task or simply unavailable. In fact, the old M79 resurfaced during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a superior option for grenade launcher duties without a rifle. While the M203 was capable of operating independently, in practice it is rarely used in standalone configuration. Travis Williams, a grenadier with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, looks through the the sights of his M320 grenade launcher March 24, during a training exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C. ![]() Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division were the first to field the weapon operationally. The M320 won a competitive bidding process and entered production in 2008 with over 71,000 of the weapons planned for the U.S. Though it has served faithfully and effectively for over 40 years now and will continue to do so for years to come, the M203 is being phased out of Army service and is being replaced by the new M320 designed and built by Heckler Koch.įor now the Marines are sticking with the 203, though many top infantry advocates in the service want the Corps to replace its current ones with M320s. William Jaggers, rifleman, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division (2d MARDIV), loads an M203 grenade launcher during a live-fire range at the Infantry Platoon Battle Course as part of a Deployment for Training (DFT), on Fort Pickett, Va., Dec. It replaced the M79 “Blooper” stand-alone launcher, almost always being used as an under-barrel addition to an assault rifle. The M203 grenade launcher entered service with the U.S.
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