![]() Prior to the development of lightweight disposable antitank weapons such as the M72 LAW, large HEAT rifle grenades such as the ENERGA were the preferred method for allowing infantry who were not part of dedicated antitank teams to engage vehicles. Due to the lack of a barrel, rifle grenades also tend to be more difficult to fire accurately compared to underbarrel or standalone designs. If they are surprised by a close-range threat while preparing to fire the grenade, they have to reverse the procedure before they can respond with rifle fire. The disadvantage of this method is that when soldiers want to launch grenades, they must mount the grenade to the muzzle prior to each shot. While older systems required the soldier carry a separate adaptor or cup to attach to the rifle to make it ready to launch (such as the German Schiessbecher), later rifle grenades were often designed to attach to the standard factory-mounted flash hider of the parent rifle for example, the NATO-standardized 22 mm rifle grenade can be mounted to most post-WWII Western military rifles without the need for an adaptor. The system has some advantages since it does not have to fit in a weapon's breech, the warhead can be made larger and more powerful compared to that of a unitary grenade round, and the rifle's weight and handling characteristics are not affected as with underbarrel systems unless a grenade is actually mounted. For older rifle grenades, igniting the charge generally required loading the parent rifle with a special blank propellant cartridge, though modern rifle grenades can be fired using live rounds using "bullet trap" and "shoot through" systems. The principle was to use the soldier's standard rifle as an ersatz mortar, mounting a grenade (in many older cases an infantry hand grenade) fitted with a propelling charge, using an adaptor or socket on the weapon's muzzle or inside a mounted launching cup, and usually firing with the weapon's stock resting on the ground. History Early precursors Ī new method of launching grenades was developed during the First World War and used throughout World War II. Some armored fighting vehicles also mount fixed arrays of short-range, single-shot grenade launchers as a means of defense. Larger crew-served automatic grenade launchers such as the Mk 19 are mounted on tripods or vehicles. Grenade launchers are produced in the form of standalone weapons (either single-shot or repeating) or as attachments mounted to a parent firearm, usually a rifle. The most common type are man-portable, shoulder-fired weapons issued to individuals, although larger crew-served launchers are issued at higher levels of organization by military forces. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary grenade cartridges. A United States Army Special Forces advisor instructing a Vietnamese Civilian Irregular Defense Group trainee on how to use an M79 grenade launcherĪ grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially designed, large-caliber projectile, often with an explosive, smoke, or gas warhead.
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