M203 under barrel grenade launcher, obsolete?
- Thread starter geologist
- Start date
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
AFAIK, Canada still issues the M203 for the C7. The Americans went to a side-break single shot called the M320 that some poor grunt has to schlep around with all his other mission critical stuff.
Interestingly, Canada replaced the .50-cal M2HB machine gun as a stand-off weapon, and replaced it with an automatic 40mm grenade launcher on a tripod. So the progression of distance is:
fists, knives, entrenching tools, billy clubs, bayonets
-> 9mm pistols
-> C8 and C7
-> 5.56 belt fed / 7.62 belt fed
-> 40mm grenades
-> 25mm LAV 6 gun
-> 81mm mortars
-> artillery
-> air strikes.
Even the TAPV armoured car, which is not a combat vehicle, has its version of the 40mm with about 400m range.
I was in a US gun shop some years back and they were selling those under the barrel grenade launchers. When I asked in some wonderment if they were allowed to have grenades in that state, they said oh no, that people used them for launching smoke bombs. OK guys, whatever you say! 
You can get 40mm grenades, but each one has to have its own tax stamp and transfered like any other NFA item.I was in a US gun shop some years back and they were selling those under the barrel grenade launchers. When I asked in some wonderment if they were allowed to have grenades in that state, they said oh no, that people used them for launching smoke bombs. OK guys, whatever you say!
The M2 .50 cal has since been brought back, but is currently limited to the light battalions. The C16 (H&K GMG) is a high velocity 40mm grenade launcher and has a range of 1.5km. Low velocity grenades, as used in the M203 and other hand held launchers, have a range of 400m.
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maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I learned something. I thought the two grenades were the same. Obviously not.
A hundred years ago when we wore classic green and the Mk. II combat boot was the new replacement for the Mk. I boot, I learned about machine gunnery. It seemed indirect fire was ignored as an area denial weapon. Our instructors could only teach us about direct fire, which wasn't especially hard. See the target, walk the trace to it, and fire for effect. Shooting at angles and squirting rounds without seeing the fall of shot, seemed so foreign. Leap to now, I wonder how much indirect fire theory and practise is taught with the .50?
Indirect is certainly taught with the C6, much easier to do due to C2 sight, compared to the sloppy T&E mech and tripod used on the M2. I cannot say that I’ve seen it used beyond training, so it continues to be largely ignored sadly. The C16 is also supposed to be used for indirect but the system has never worked properly from my limited understanding.
40x46 low pressure grenades have a max range of around 350yds. The puts them between a pistol and a rifle for distance.
40mm launchers are legal in Canada. Only thing we can't have is explosive grenades. There are loads of non-explosive projectiles we can play with. FWIW 40mm grenade launchers are good fun to shoot.I was in a US gun shop some years back and they were selling those under the barrel grenade launchers. When I asked in some wonderment if they were allowed to have grenades in that state, they said oh no, that people used them for launching smoke bombs. OK guys, whatever you say!
The handheld version is the low pressure grenade. The automatic launchers use the high pressure rounds.
Absolutely if it is just target practice.FWIW 40mm grenade launchers are good fun to shoot.
In all my travels in Canada I have never seen one offered for sale. How can a peoplekind get one?40x46 low pressure grenades have a max range of around 350yds. The puts them between a pistol and a rifle for distance.
40mm launchers are legal in Canada. Only thing we can't have is explosive grenades. There are loads of non-explosive projectiles we can play with. FWIW 40mm grenade launchers are good fun to shoot.
The handheld version is the low pressure grenade. The automatic launchers use the high pressure rounds.
Those were 37mm for smoke & flares. The 40mm (40x46mm) is a DD -destructive device in the US.I was in a US gun shop some years back and they were selling those under the barrel grenade launchers. When I asked in some wonderment if they were allowed to have grenades in that state, they said oh no, that people used them for launching smoke bombs. OK guys, whatever you say!
40mm launchers are legal in Canada. Only thing we can't have is explosive grenades. There are loads of non-explosive projectiles we can play with. FWIW 40mm grenade launchers are good fun to shoot.
I assumed that the 40mm launcher came under the "over 20mm" prohibition. If it doesn't, how does it escape and what other large-bore toys can we still have?
Basically this. A 40mm launcher is deployed as a replacement to a mortar in most situations. You take it out and start bombarding a target. I think there was a line of thought that having an underslung launcher was a convenience but experience shows it makes the rifle less effective when you go to use it.
When I got a tour of the Colt Canada facility many years ago, they were working on something very similar to the M320. It's a little disappointing nothing came of it but I can see how it would be a hard sell when literally everything in the CF needs replacing.
You'd have to luck upon one or be the first to stumble across a sale ad. Also, they are pretty expensive. The one I have access to cost ca. $6k a bunch of years back. The various 40mm launchers are fairly rare yet they are still out there if you know the right people. At one time, there were quite a number of them in Calgary. Not sure why we were the hub of 40mm ownership but I knew several people who owned them.
Ammo is a problem. It's not overly available and when you can find the MIL chalk rounds they are eye wateringly expensive. The best solution is to source or make the components and then learn to reload ... which requires a few custom tools. Aside from the cases, the components can be 3D printed, which makes things a bit easier.
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I am not 100% certain of the legal status of the 40mm launchers. For a period of time, they were / are classed as not a firearm due to their very low muzzle velocity. They are definitely below the 400fps limit used to classify pellet guns as not firearms. Not sure if this is still true.
