XM148 grenade launcher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Colt XM148 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Grenade Launcher |
| Place of origin | United States of America |
| Service history | |
| Used by | U.S. Army,Australia |
| Wars | Vietnam War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Colt Firearms |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3 lb (1.36 kg) |
| Length | 16.5 in |
| Barrel length | 10 in |
|
|
|
| Cartridge | 40x46 mm grenade |
| Caliber | 40mm |
| Action | Single shot |
| Muzzle velocity | 247 ft/s (74.5 m/s) |
| Maximum range | 437 yd (400 m) |
| Sights | Quadrant Sight |
The XM148 was an experimental 40 mm grenade launcher developed by Colt Firearms as the CGL-4 (Colt Grenade Launcher). Colt manufactured the launcher for field testing during the Vietnam era.
It was designed for installation below the barrel of M16-type rifles, and was intended to replace the stand-alone M79 correcting the problem of grenadiers relying on pistols as a secondary weapon. After problems with the experimental design were discovered, the XM148 was replaced by AAI Corporation's conceptually similar M203 design, currently the primary grenade launcher used by the US armed forces and others today.
The launcher's barrel could slide forward to accept a single 40 mm round into the breech. It came with a primitive version of the quadrant sight later used with the M203. It differed from the later model by featuring an external cocking handle and an extended trigger that allowed the weapon to be fired without removing the hand from the rifle's pistol grip. This same extended trigger was also one source of the weapon's problems as it allowed accidental discharges of a loaded weapon if caught by tree branches, gear, or anything else capable of overcoming the 6 to 11 pound trigger pull.
[edit] Sources
TM 9-1005-249-14 Technical Manual Rifle, 5.56-mm, M16; Rifle, 5.56-mm, XM16E1; and Launcher, Grenade, 40-mm, XM148 dated 1 August 1966 (reprint)
This firearms-related article is a stub. You can help by expanding it
