Vietnam - U.S. Marines - What is a "blooker"?

Sly Old Fox

Sly Old Fox

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Reading about Nam and the Marines, a 'blooker" figures prominently in the fiction story I have almost finished. ("Sand in the Wind" -Robert Roth) I gather that it is some kind of a hip-fired weapon for lobbing small H.E. shrapnel.

:confused:
 
An M 79 it is. It looked like a short, very fat, single shot break open shotgun, in 40 mm. It fired a wide range of rounds, including HE, smoke, willie pete, CS gas, Frag; and for close in work, either a shot shell round or a flachette round. Very nasty weapon, but usefull to have around. In Vietnam, each rifle squad was assigned one. I believe it has since been replaced by the M203 gernade launcher ( the one that mounts under the M 16's barrel ).

By the way, it was also called a "blooper", in either case, it was named for the sound it made when fired.
 
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m79-s.jpg

The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break open grenade launcher which fires a 40 x46 mm grenade and first appeared during the Vietnam War. Because of its distinctive firing sound, it earned the nicknames of "Thumper", "Thump-Gun" or "Blooper" among American soldiers;[1] Australian units referred to it as the "Wombat Gun".[2] The M79 can fire a wide variety of 40 mm rounds, including explosive, anti-personnel, smoke, buckshot, flechette, and illumination. While largely replaced by the M203[3], the M79 has remained in service in many units worldwide in niche roles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M79_grenade_launcher
 
I've got a Mattel blooper and will email pictures if someone wants to post em. Brother in law died and I liberated it before some ambitious kid wrecked the 50 year old toy, still loaded!!!
 
A few M79 made it into Canada in the 80's and are no doubt in collector hands.
 
An experienced M79 grenadier never use the ladder sight. Kentucky windage works best. Neither did Arnold in Terminator 2.
 
there are several in canadian hands (i dont have one but wish i did)

I suspect with the m203 being a restricted weapon the m79 would also be

it would also need to be registered with controled goods
 
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