SUPER DEADLY US Military Mk 19 grenade launcher live fire exercise

• published: 20 Sep 2015
• views: 736

Another great US military weapon system the Mk 19 grenade launcher is widely used in the US military and will serve them well in future military conflicts. The Mk 19 grenade launcher (also known as the Mark 19) is an American 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service to the present day.[5] Type Automatic grenade launcher Place of origin United States of America Service history In service 1968–present Used by See Users Wars Vietnam War Persian Gulf War[1] War in Afghanistan Iraq War 2006 Lebanon War Turkey-PKK conflict[2] Mexican Drug War Production history Designer Naval Ordnance Center - Louisville Designed 1960s Manufacturer Saco Defense Industries (now a division of General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products), Combined Service Forces, MKEK[3] Unit cost $20,000[4] Produced 1968–present Variants Mk 19 Mod 0, Mk 19 Mod 1, Mk 19 Mod 2, Mk 19 Mod 3 Specifications Weight 30.7 kilograms (68 lb) (empty, without accessories) Length 1,090 millimetres (43.1 in) Barrel length 413 millimetres (16.25 in) Width 240.4 millimetres (9.46 in) Height 199 millimetres (7.8 in) Cartridge 40×53 mm Action Blowback (Advanced primer ignition) Rate of fire 325–375 rpm (cyclic) Muzzle velocity 240 metres per second (790 ft/s) (average) Effective firing range 1,400 metres (1,500 yd) Maximum firing range 2,023 metres (2,212 yd) Feed system 32 or 48 grenades belt Overview The Mk 19 is a belt-fed, blowback-operated, air-cooled, crew-served, fully automatic weapon that is designed not to cook off. It fires 40 mm grenades at a cyclic rate of 325 to 375 rounds per minute, giving a practical rate of fire of 60 rounds per minute (rapid) and 40 rounds per minute (sustained). The weapon operates on the blowback principle, which uses the chamber pressure from each fired round to load and re-cock the weapon. The Mk 19 can launch its grenade at a maximum distance of 2,212 meters (7,257 ft), though its effective range to a point target is about 1,500 meters (4,900 ft), since the large rear leaf sight is only graduated to 1,500 meters. The nearest safe distance to launch the grenade is 310 meters in training and 75 meters in combat. Though the Mk 19 has a flash suppressor, it serves only to save the eyesight of its operator; it does not conceal the weapon's position. For night operation, a picatinny rail quadrant sight can be added for thermal and night vision optics. The Mk 19A is a man-portable crew-served weapon that can fire from a tripod-mounted position or from a vehicle mount, with the latter being the preferred method, as the weapon alone weighs 32.9 kilograms (72.5 lb). The primary ammunition for it is the high-explosive dual-purpose M430 grenade. On impact, the grenade can kill anyone within a radius of five meters, and wound them within the radius of 15 meters. It can also punch through 5.1 centimetres (2 in) of rolled homogeneous armor with a direct hit (0-degree obliquity), which means it can penetrate most infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. It is especially effective when used against enemy infantry formations. The ammunition comes in cans that hold a 32- or 48-grenade belt weighing 19 and 27 kilograms (42 and 60 lb), respectively. Due to its low recoil and comparatively light weight, it has been adapted for use on many different platforms, including small attack boats, fast attack vehicles such as the Humvee (HMMWV), AAV and Stryker, military jeeps and a large variety of naval mounts. The Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher replaced the earlier Mk 18 hand-cranked multiple grenade launcher. The 40 mm ammunition used (40×53 mm) is not interchangeable with that used in the M203 (40×46 mm). The M203 ammunition develops a lower chamber pressure, and resultant lower muzzle velocity and range, compared to ammunition loaded for the Mk 19. The Mk 19 fires from an open bolt. The rounds are mechanically fed onto the bolt face with the pull of the charging handles. When the trigger is pressed, the bolt closes, and the firing pin is released. The recoil blows back the bolt, feeds a new round onto the bolt face, which pushes the expended casing off the bolt face. Production of the Mk 19 is managed by Saco Defense Industries (now a division of General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products). In November 2014, General Dynamics entered into an agreement with Advanced Material Engineering Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Kinetics, to manufacture 40 mm high-velocity airburst ammunition for the U.S. military. The 40 mm airburst grenade uses a programmable, time-based fuse that computes and programs the detonation time into it, which counts down once fired to zero to detonate at the intended target point. The airburst ammunition is compatible with the Mk 19, which would give it greater effectiveness and lethality, particularly against concealed and defilade targets.[6]