This article was accepted into the corpus but its outbound wikilinks were never NER-processed — typical at the deepest BFS hop or when the run's entity cap was reached. No expansion funnel to show.
| M79 | |
|---|---|
| Name | M79 |
| Caption | 40mm single-shot grenade launcher |
| Origin | United States |
| Type | Single-shot grenade launcher |
| Service | 1961–present |
| Used by | United States Armed Forces, allied and non-state users |
| Designer | Springfield Armory |
| Design date | 1957–1960 |
| Manufacturer | Springfield Armory, Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge, Winchester |
| Production date | 1961–1970s |
| Weight | 2.93 kg (6.45 lb) empty |
| Length | 737 mm (29 in) |
| Cartridge | 40×46mm low-velocity grenade |
| Action | Break-action single-shot |
| Velocity | ~76 m/s (249 ft/s) |
| Range | 350 m effective (area target) |
| Feed | Single-shot, manual |
M79 is a single-shot, shoulder-fired 40 mm grenade launcher developed in the United States in the late 1950s and adopted in the early 1960s. It serves primarily as a squad-level indirect-fire support weapon firing low-velocity grenades, and it has been used by numerous armed forces and irregular formations in conflicts around the world. The weapon complements systems like the M203, Milkor MGL, MK 19 and fills a tactical niche between individual small arms and crew-served mortars.
The weapon was designed at Springfield Armory and refined with input from organizations including U.S. Army Ordnance Corps and contractors such as Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge. Development occurred alongside programs at Picatinny Arsenal and testing at ranges associated with Aberdeen Proving Ground and Dugway Proving Ground. Engineers drew on experience from earlier grenade-firing systems like the Mk 2 grenade launcher concepts and lessons from Korean War light support requirements. The final design prioritized simplicity, reliability, and ease of training for units such as United States Marine Corps and United States Army infantry squads, while conforming to ammunition standards promulgated by NATO-aligned ordnance bureaus.
The launcher fires the standardized 40×46mm low-velocity cartridge used by NATO and allied states, compatible with rounds like high-explosive, high-explosive dual-purpose, buckshot, smoke, illumination, and practice munitions developed by Harris Corporation and ordnance firms. The break-open, single-shot breech uses a manual firing pin and trigger group similar in layout to contemporary rifles fielded by Cold War era forces. Sights include ladder and leaf configurations compatible with ballistics tables produced by U.S. Army Field Manuals and range-finding devices used by Forward Observers in formations like 101st Airborne Division. Weight, length, muzzle velocity, and trajectory characteristics match logistics and doctrine outlined by Department of the Army publications and international manuals from organizations such as NATO Standardization Office.
Introduced during the early Vietnam War era, the launcher provided infantry units with portable indirect fire capable of engaging enemy positions, bunkers, and light armor at ranges beyond grenade throw. It served with formations including 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), 3rd Marine Division, and allied contingents such as Army of the Republic of Vietnam forces. The launcher saw action in counterinsurgency operations, urban combat in conflicts like the Tet Offensive, and later in theaters including Operation Desert Storm and peacekeeping deployments. Its operational employment influenced tactics codified by U.S. Army Infantry School instructors and allied training centers in Germany and South Korea.
Manufacturers and arsenals produced variations and accessory packages for the launcher. Stocks, sights, and sling arrangements were modified by entities such as Springfield Armory workshops and private firms in countries like Australia and United Kingdom. Armorer-level modifications included adapters for mounts on vehicles employed by M113 armored personnel carrier crews and integration kits used by Special Forces units. Ammunition compatibility allowed use of projectiles developed by contractors including General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and Nammo, producing role-specific rounds for anti-personnel, anti-structure, and signaling purposes.
Service extends across many national armed forces, police units, and irregular groups. Notable users include the United States Armed Forces, Australian Army, and various NATO and non-NATO armies that received surplus weapons through programs administered by Defense Security Cooperation Agency and historic military aid initiatives. The launcher has been retained in reserve stocks, used by training units at facilities such as Fort Benning and transferred through surplus sales to private ranges and collectors under oversight from organizations like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in respective legal frameworks.
The weapon appears in portrayals of 20th-century and late 20th-century conflicts in films, television, and video games depicting operations like the Vietnam War and Gulf War. It is commonly shown in productions associated with studios recreating battlefields of Apocalypse Now-era storytelling and has featured in digital entertainment developed by companies such as Electronic Arts, Activision, and Ubisoft. Military museums and exhibitions at institutions like the National Museum of the United States Army and Imperial War Museum display examples, and the launcher figures in memoirs by veterans from formations including Marine Corps Reserve units.
Category:Grenade launchers