#xm203

M203 Grenade Launcher

In May 1963, the US military called for a new ‘underslung’ grenade launcher to complement the AR-15, then in early testing. The grenade launcher program had its roots in the ultimately unsuccessful Special Purpose Individual Weapon (SPIW) program which had begun in 1951.

While various manufacturers and designers developed a series of designs, May 1964 saw Colt unveil the CGL-4. Designs from Colt, Springfield Armory and Ford were all tested. Another design from AAI was promising but it was not able to chamber the 40x46mm rounds used by the M79 and the Ordnance Corps rejected it.  The US military sought munitions commonality between the M79, already in service, and the new rifle-mounted grenade launcher.

A Colt CGL-4/XM148 in Vietnam (source)

Colt’s CGL-4 was extensively tested between 1965 and 1967 under the designation XM148. Colt manufactured 27,400 XM148s with many of these deployed to Vietnam for field testing. Despite Colt’s efforts to rectify the growing list of problems the Army Concept Team In Vietnam deemed the XM148 unsatisfactory for deployment in Vietnam. The Army Concept team recommended the removal of the Colt from service and development of a new improved launcher begin.

While the XM148 proved to be a failure it played an important role in proving the operational viability of the rifle mounted grenade launcher system. The muzzle-launched rifle grenade is all but obsolete, superseded by the underslung grenade launcher.

The US Army launched the Grenade Launcher Attachment Development (GLAD) program in the summer of 1967. A large number of manufacturers submitted designs including Colt, who offered the improved Henry Into-designed CGL-5. The Army turned down Colt’s offer of 20 free improved launchers and rejected the CGL-5 outright. The GLAD program saw the resurgence of the earlier AAI design, designated the XM203, this simple design, now chambering the 40x46mm shell, was eventually selected in August 1968. 

The M203′s Quadrant sight assembly (source)

Testing began in May 1968, with Philco-Ford and Aero Jet also submitting designs. The AAI XM203 quickly proved to be the leading design and was unanimously selected based on its superior performance and cost efficiency. In November the Army placed an order for 500 trials XM203s, and a stock to allow use of the launcher without a rifle was also in development. While AAI eventually abandoned the stock project the US Army moved to formally adopt the XM203 in 1969.  

The first AAI launchers reached US units in Vietnam in April 1969 and was well received by troops as it was more robust and less prone to snagging on kit and brush than the Colt XM148. Following a three month combat evaluation program the US Army adopted the AAI launcher as the M203. The M203 weighs 1.36 kg (3.0 lbs) and is 38cm (15in) in length. The M203 is a single-shot, ‘pump action’ launcher, the operator unlocks the breech and pushes the barrel forward to open the action. It chambers a variety of 40mm ordnance ranging from high explosive and buckshot to illumination rounds and smoke grenades. The M203 is much simpler than the XM148. It’s front ladder sight can be used in conjunction with an M16′s iron sights or the operator can attach a more complex quadrant sight.

Ironically, as AAI was predominantly a research and development company and after an initial run of 10,000 made by AAI, Colt was subsequently awarded the contract to manufacture the M203 from 1971 onwards. Various companies have since made over half a million M203s. A number of nations have fitted the launcher has to a wide variety of rifles including the Steyr AUG and the Daewoo K2. The US currently plan to phase out the M203, replacing it with the M320, developed by Heckler & Koch.    

Sources:

Images: 1 2 3 4 

Black Rifle, E.C. Ezell & R. Blake Stevens, (1987)

40mm Shoulder-Fired Grenade Launchers & the SEALS, Small Arms Review, K. Dockery, (source)

Field Manual, 40-MM Grenade Launcher, M203 (source)

Colt XM148 Grenade Launcher

There have been attempts to fire grenades from the infantryman’s weapon since the 17th century. Up until the 1960s these almost entirely involved muzzle attachments or grenades which could be fired off the end of a rifle’s barrel. 

In May 1963, the US military called for a new ‘underslung’ grenade launcher to complement the AR-15, then in early testing. The grenade launcher program had its roots in the ultimately unsuccessful Special Purpose Individual Weapon (SPIW) program which had begun in 1951. 

While a series of designs were developed by various manufacturers and designers, May 1964 saw Colt unveil the CGL-4. The Colt was tested against designs from Springfield Armory and Ford, a design from AAI was promising but it was not able to chamber the 40x46mm rounds used by the M79 and was rejected. The US military sought munitions commonality between the M79, already in service, and the new rifle-mounted grenade launcher.

In March 1965, the CGL-4 was chosen for further testing and a contract for 30 launchers was signed. The CGL-4 was reportedly developed by Karl Lewis and Robert E. Roy in just 48 days. However, the design was complex. To load the barrel housing slid forward allowing a grenade to be placed in the breech, the weapon was then cocked and a long trigger, which projected back towards the rifle’s trigger guard, could be pulled to fire the weapon. 

Private 1st Class Lauren Dates with an XM148 attached to his M16A1. c.1967 (source)

Despite some problems with barrel housings cracking an order for 10,500 of the new launchers, now designated the XM148, was placed in January 1966. Production capacity issues and problems with the launcher’s sight lead to production delays and it wasn’t until December 1966, that the first shipment o f 1,764 launchers arrived in Vietnam for field testing. 

Initial reports from the field were promising with troops praising the “tactical advantage of both the point fire and area fire system” concept. The XM148 was well received by the SEALs and the Australian SAS. The armourers of the Australian SAS, deployed to Vietnam with the 1st Australian Task Force, were also hard at work attaching XM148s to L1A1 rifles. Removing the L1A1′s handguard and attaching the XM148 to the rifle’s barrel (see image #3).  

XM16E1/XM148 in the field c.1967 (source)

However, some serious issues were noted, these included a sight mount which was overly complex and prone to snagging on brush and kit, it was also felt that too much force was needed to cock the XM148 and the trigger mechanism was felt to be overly complex and difficult to repair and disassemble. One safety concern was the XM148′s long trigger bar, which could snag and launch a round - not ideal for special forces patrols infiltrating through thick bush. Problems with the launcher’s quadrant sights also continued causing deflection errors out at longer ranges. The bulkiness of the sights exasperated these problems as when they were knocked the XM148′s zero could be effected. The XM148 also precluded the use of a bayonet as when fired it would blow the bayonet off the muzzle. Overall, troops felt the XM148 was too fragile and complex for use in the field.

Patent drawing for Henry Into’s improved CLG-5 (source)

Finally, despite Colt’s efforts to rectify the growing list of problems the Army Concept Team In Vietnam deemed the XM148 unsatisfactory for deployment in Vietnam and recommended they be removed from service and a new improved launcher be developed. This was a massive blow to Colt who had already manufactured 27,400 XM148s. Many of these were already in Vietnam.

The US Army launched the Grenade Launcher Attachment Development (GLAD) program in the summer of 1967. A large number of manufacturers submitted designs including Colt, who offered the improved Henry Into-designed CGL-5. The Army turned down Colt’s offer of 20 free improved launchers and rejected the CGL-5 outright. The GLAD program saw the resurgence of the earlier AAI design, designated the XM203, this simple design, now chambering the 40x46mm shell, was eventually selected in August 1968. Ironically, as AAI was predominantly a research and development company and after an initial run of 10,000 made by AAI, Colt was subsequently awarded the contract to manufacture the M203 from 1971 onwards.

While the XM148 proved to be a failure it played an important role in proving the operational viability of the rifle mounted grenade launcher system. The muzzle-launched rifle grenade is all but obsolete, superseded by the under-slung grenade launcher. 

Sources: 

Images:  1 2 3 4 5 6

Black Rifle, E.C. Ezell & R. Blake Stevens, (1987)

Colt Industries Newsletter, Vol.2 no.3, May 1967, (source)

‘Grenade launcher having a rotatable forwardly sliding barrel and removable firing mechanism’, US Patent #3507067, H.A. Into, 14/12/67 (source)

‘Grenade launcher’, US Patent #3279114, K. Lewis & R. Roy, 25/09/64 (source)

Springfield Armory Database entries: 1 2 3

40mm Shoulder-Fired Grenade Launchers & the SEALS, Small Arms Review, K. Dockery, (source)

The XM148: Birth of the Mounted 40mm Grenade Launcher, Small Arms Review, J. Wong, (source)

My thanks to Daniel Watters for information on AAI & Colt M203 production contracts.